Officials missing point: The Wolfpac is a gang

Officials

missing point: The Wolfpac is a gang

My children are now

adults, so I do not know any of the young people involved

in the recent fight that broke out while camping at

Thompson Road. However, as a parent and former teacher, I

do have some thoughts regarding this incident.

I have to question the role

of a "social group" of former students calling

themselves "The WolfPac", or any other name. If

this group is made up solely of former athletes (and

their friends), does that make it more acceptable, or any

different than one made up of some other groups of

individuals? Comparatively, if the group consists of high

school dropouts, or computer fanatics, are they more

likely to be considered a "gang" rather than a

"social group"?

It seems to me that the

adults at our schools and in our community are making

judgment calls on the basis of semantics, and who these

young people are, rather than on what makes up a

"gang." Acts of intimidation, threats, and

fighting say "gang" to me, whether or not they

wear purple colors, or red and black checks, have

tattoos, or wear specific jewelry. I think that any form

of group intimidation raises a red flag.

Therefore, I suggest that

there are different kinds of gangs. There are the obvious

ones made up of people involved in drugs and various

crimes, with their specific colors and insignia. But, is

a group of middle class former athletes who decide to

attack another group of young people in the middle of

night as they are sleeping a wholesome gathering of young

people doing something good for our community? Not

hardly.

They are acting like thugs

in the night. In my humble opinion, a group of thugs is

also a "gang," even if they once played

football on Friday nights at our high schools. Perhaps

one might refer to them as "white collar

gangs."

What if their attack had

gone a step further, and the young man who was injured

had died, as a couple of students have in the last year

in the Atlanta area? Would these members of a

"social club" then be considered a malignant

force? To me, if a group looks like "wolves,"

acts like "wolves," communicates like

"wolves," most likely they are wolves!

We need to take off the

rose-colored glasses and get a better view of this

incident. For, even if this victim is friends with a

group known as the "Rollin Cracka Five" who had

posted to the Internet earlier in the year, is his attack

no less vicious and violent? Should he not expect

protection from thugs in the night? Does it make it okay

for this "social club" to sneak up on him and

beat him while he's sleeping? Is it okay that he has been

intimidated and bullied for a period of time while at

school?

I don't know what others

call this so-called social club, but I call it a gang of

thugs, and their behavior is unacceptable, whether here

or in inner-city Atlanta. A wolf is still a wolf, even if

in sheep's clothing.

G. H. Lohmann

Peachtree City

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