Pubdate: Fri, 16 Sep 2005 Source: Peoria Journal Star (IL) Copyright: 2005sPeoria Journal Star Contact: http://pjstar.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/338 Author: Phil Luciano Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine) GANGS REACH NEW LEVELS OF ODDNESS Sometimes, it's just no fun to belong to a street gang. Usually gang-bangers can enjoy exciting membership benefits like shooting automatic weapons, trafficking crack cocaine and wearing snazzy skullcaps in 90-degree weather. And as a gang member, you don't have to worry about annoying necessities like health care or pension plans, because you'll likely be dead by age 30. It's all good - until someone messes everything up. Not so long ago, Peoria thug life was easy to follow. The Vice Lords and the Gangster Disciples shot and killed each other over turf and drugs. But now the gangs are in a state of flux. You need a scorecard to keep things straight. New gangs, new signs, new tattoos, new clothing. If Sears could get in on the marketing angle, it'd make a fortune. There are new gang names: Dirty Boys, Dub Boys, Hilltop Boys. And then there's the most curious-sounding new breed, The Conservative Vice Lords. No one's sure what differentiates the old Vice Lords from The Conservative Vice Lords. I doubt the new group belongs to the Young Republicans. Maybe they undergo grueling initiation rituals, such as listening non-stop to Rush Limbaugh. But whereas conservative politicians favor the trickle-down theory of economics, The Conservative Vice Lords have pioneered the trickle-up theory. That's the lesson learned by Tyre Henderson, who at age 17 should be in school. Instead, he recently was released on parole for some sort of felony. He went to stay at the South Side home of his mother and her fiance. With the grown-ups gone one day, Henderson invited friends over. One, like Henderson, belongs to The Conservative Vice Lords. Recall teen gatherings of yore, with snacks, drinks and music. That's not Henderson's style of entertaining. Instead, he showed off firearms owned by his mom's fiance: three guns and a rifle. Bad move, because the other gang member liked what he saw. And The Conservative Vice Lords have rules about personal property, none of which echoes the writings of Thomas Jefferson. A police report states, "Because (the pal) was a higher-ranking gang-member, (Henderson) had to allow him to take the weapons." So, the other guy waltzed off the firearms, plus ammunition. "(Henderson) did not know where (the other member) was going with the weapons," the report said. Oh, I'm sure he was headed to a pawn shop to raise cash for a food bank or hurricane relief. Anyway, the owner of the guns came home, got mad and called police. Cops arrested Henderson on charges of unlawful use of a weapon by a felon, felony theft and no Firearm Ownership ID card. The arrest violates Henderson's parole, so he's headed back to prison. I hope Henderson's gang pal appreciates the guns. Every time Henderson's buddy shoots a rival, he should send Henderson a nice thank-you note. Meanwhile, police aren't sure what to make of Henderson's gang-rank claims. Gang-bangers don't easily surrender guns. So he could be full of it. On the other hand, new gangs can bring new weirdness. I like the seniority angle, though. Maybe we could adopt it elsewhere, like at work. The problem is, I don't have much clout at the newspaper. Still, I have been here almost two decades. Maybe at lunch I could demand that the interns hand over their Twinkies.