A group of mongrel mob and black power members protested against the new laws banning patches in Wangnaui. They didn’t wear their patches Banning patches Michael Laws believes will eradicate gangs – what a joke – Michael laws knows sweet fuck all about gangs becoz he is another upper-middleclass man sitting safely away from the likelihood of ever having to engaging with any of these people.
And anyone who has had the misfortune of being involved with these gangs would tell him banning patches won’t work.
Yes the patch is the mantle of brotherhood but take it away and they still kill – deal drugs and run our prisons. As Cam Stokes suggests – There are a large number of legitimate items of clothing that may indicate support for a gang, for example a shirt bearing the number 81. – Hells angels = 8 for the eighth number of the alphabet H – 1 for A…” So do we ban shirts??? And what about gang members who are tattooed? As he points out “Patches may come and go tattoos are forever”
So striping them of their patches might have a short term effect but really depending which gang they belong to they dress in a colour – the whole time I sat through the depositions re: Jordan Herewini’s murder case mongrel mob members didn’t wear their patches – if they did they turned them inside out or they wore red scarves, hats, socks, shoe’s, socks etc…
So again what do we do about gangs?
One thing I think is we stop making new ineffective bloody laws. Instead we demand that the laws that exist be utilised more effectively. Gangs are criminal organisations – with or without patches…they rob – maim – deal in drugs and kill people.
Again drawing on Cam Stokes “our existing laws have worked well against gang members. Offences found in the Crimes Act, the Misuse of Drugs Act, the Arms Act, the Summary offences Act and the Land Transport Act…have been effective…(http://www.gangscene.co.nz/).
So lets strengthen these laws and let’s not overlook listening to ex-gang members – they are they ones who joined and then got away…
And let’s not overlook those wriring and working with youth and gang members - nor should we overlook community initiations to change towns and people in their communities around.
Greg Newbold argues that gang members do not join gangs to commit crime, but to experience a sense of brotherhood and belonging that has been denied to them by their families, schools and society at large. He argues that “…they commit crime not for the sake of it, but because it strengthens the bonds of brotherhood”. Sadly no one who joins a gang is naive enough to believe that they can join for male bonding and camaraderie and not be involved in crime. Whether we like it or not both is true boys join gangs because they feel alienated – they also enjoy the crime.
Denis O’Reilly a lifetime member of the Black Power gang said “…the best way to address gang behaviour is to give young prospects something better to do, be it sports, a job or involvement in their marae, since “gang life isn’t all that attractive, really, it’s a default mechanism for those with nothing better to do” (http://www.salient.org.nz/features/gang-land)
Gangs from what I am coming to understand – particularly Maori and Pacific Island gangs – or what people identify as ‘ethnic’ gangs, have no allegiance to anyone but themselves. They no longer have any connection with anything outside the gang.
As Tuhoe Isaac points out in his book TrueRed taking on the mob patch meant having to sever all ties to family “… being a patched member of the Mongrel Mob meant that from that point on your first allegiance was to the gang brotherhood…All relationships from our pasts just evaporated. Those of our blood families in rival gangs were just as much enemies as their peers we had no connection with”
So we’ll take their patches and the gangs will continue to wander around in their colours – something that I have learnt they will die for. Whatever the answer is it must be multi pronged and I am starting to wonder if just concentrating on ‘gangs’ as the problem is enough. Take away the patches, hand-signals – colours and what are you left with? Men behaving like animals or worse. So maybe we need to take about such things as male behaviour. Isolation in predominantly rural areas, class, racism and all the old isms we hate to talk about. And maybe it is time to stop standing in one ideological space and saying this is the answer. Taking on gangs as I suggested must be a multi-pronged initiative and in Tuhoe Isaac word I lived a life of extremes and it was going to take another ‘extreme’ to replace it.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Friday, August 21, 2009
Bats and Bouquets
Congratulations Judge Weir on sending Nicola Naera and partner Palmer to jail for 2 weeks for yelling ‘Sieg heil, sieg heil’ and barking in court
Judge Weir pointed out that the “…Mongrel Mob have a contemptuous attitude towards law abiding people in this community."
While our illustrious Minster of Justice Judith Collins waded into the gang debate only because Lynne Carter a well-known Auckland ‘socialite’ had recently experienced ‘turmoil’ at the hands of Head Hunters and King Cobras.
I believe the term ‘turmoil’ is the socialite wording for Carters drug addiction to P.
In my last blog I briefly talked about how I believe little attention is given to gang violence by many Pakeha especially when that violence is carried out against other gangs or when gang violence is committed against Māori – particularly Māori living in small rural areas or ‘unsavory’ Māori enclaves such as South Auckland.
But god help the gangs if they dare to step foot into our more affluent areas such as Argyle St in Herne Bay. This invasion of the upper classes safe havens can not and will not be tolerated by Judith Collins who has publicly sworn to ‘crush’ the gangs.
Sad state of affairs ah - Fuck the young Māori men, women and children who have suffered harassment or who have been murdered by gang members.
Well shame on you Judith Collins – shame on you…..
Judge Weir pointed out that the “…Mongrel Mob have a contemptuous attitude towards law abiding people in this community."
While our illustrious Minster of Justice Judith Collins waded into the gang debate only because Lynne Carter a well-known Auckland ‘socialite’ had recently experienced ‘turmoil’ at the hands of Head Hunters and King Cobras.
I believe the term ‘turmoil’ is the socialite wording for Carters drug addiction to P.
In my last blog I briefly talked about how I believe little attention is given to gang violence by many Pakeha especially when that violence is carried out against other gangs or when gang violence is committed against Māori – particularly Māori living in small rural areas or ‘unsavory’ Māori enclaves such as South Auckland.
But god help the gangs if they dare to step foot into our more affluent areas such as Argyle St in Herne Bay. This invasion of the upper classes safe havens can not and will not be tolerated by Judith Collins who has publicly sworn to ‘crush’ the gangs.
Sad state of affairs ah - Fuck the young Māori men, women and children who have suffered harassment or who have been murdered by gang members.
Well shame on you Judith Collins – shame on you…..
Sunday, August 2, 2009
In the late 1960’s early 1970’s the mongrel mob came into being. Lost boys released from welfare homes formed from pain, anger and hatred towards not only their custodians, but the society that allowed their abuse to happen. Eventually this ragtag group came to be known as the mongrel mob.
Nearly 40 years later numerous chapters associated with the mongrel mob is said to be the largest gang in Aotearoa New Zealand. Born of hatred this gang has embraced all things monstrous. Gang rapes, murder, and the distribution of such drugs as P/methamphetamine underpin the very working of this gang. Under their gang code members are expected to show honor, loyalty and respect for each other, however, these codes are not extended to those outside the gang.
Since the inception of gangs in the late 1960’s local communities, councils and government have attempted to control and or eradicate gangs from our society. However, the gangs have tended to be overlooked or ignored as much of their violence has been played out either amongst their own or towards other gangs. As but every now and then civilians have been targeted. For more information go to
Ross Kemp on Gangs: New Zealand.
Taking on the gangs is and will never be an easy goal as Pita Sharples points out demanding that gangs change their activities is a contradiction to their basic behaviour image and activities, as the gangs encourage and profit from their members continuing to commit heinous crimes, such as murder and the distribution and manufacture of drugs such as P/methamphetamine.
As I suggested above communities have are still attempting to bring about changes re: gangs. After the murder of Jordan Herewini the local community organised a meeting to discuss gangs in their community. One idea discussed was to explore bringing gangs into the community. However, bringing gangs into communities appears to be contradictory to gang ideology. Gangs predominantly wish to be outside society as they do not see themselves as having any personal investment in society, therefore, why would they wish to be part of a community when they see themselves either outside or alienated by society?
In June 2007 Pita Sharples argued that “…we've just gotta keep working at it and I think the Mongrel Mob have made great step, good projects, they’ve got young people working, the Black Power are looking at how they can retain their identity as a group but move into perhaps education and into non violent community activities”.
January 2007 saw Pita Sharples argue that the “…gang problem is worsening and creating a culture of fear and intimidation in communities and schools…”. His response at the time was to call on gangs to show that they could become responsible and helping communities address youth problems as well as put and end to the bullying culture. If not he suggested that legislation may need to be utilised to “…ban your activities."
In 2009 Te Ururoa Flavell called for the gang members convicted for murdering Jordan “…to be refused their own tangi on marae... [arguing that]…those responsible for the teen's [Jordan Herewini] death be banned from receiving the same sort of farewell Herewini's loved ones can give him…”
He went on to suggest that there is a “…contradiction…on one side of the coin, there's a willingness of gang members to pick up their tikanga Maori, their Maori customary beliefs, to go back to the marae, but on the other side, contradicted by taking a life which is a part of whakapapa…”
Debates about what to do with the ‘gang’ problem have raged for years. Unfortunately many Pakeha have concluded that it is a ‘Māori’ problem thereby washing their hands of any societal responsibility. Or when they some Pakeha have decided to deal to the gangs they have come from what many in Māoridom consider a narrow and racist approach that reinforces gang existence.
Take for example the Wanganui Prohibition of Gang Insignia bill. As Keith Locke rightfully points out this bill has “…a certain element of racism in the bill, because the gangs that are potentially identified under the bill tend to be non-white gangs”. As Cam Stokes suggests that taking away gang regalia doesn’t stop gangs from forming or intimidating people. Gangs will exist - patches – colors or not.
So how do we address the gang issue? It must I believe a multipronged approach. This is not merely a Māori issue as we know gangs exist in Pakeha culture. Take skin head groups who have been known to terrorize African immigrants in Christchurch. Gangs exist because society allows them to. We have helped breed these gangs and it us Māori, Pakeha, Samoan, Tongan etc who must take work together to address gang violence. It is time I believe for Pakeha to stop watching from afar in the belief that it will never effect them.
I started this new blog by briefly talking about how the mongrel mob came into being. Their evolution came about according to one of their spokes people because of the pain, anger and hatred they had experienced at the hands of their custodians – it is now their children’s children that inflict the same pain, anger and hate onto others.
The gang came into my life – I have up until now had nothing to do with them like many Pakeha I have been able to sit and watched from the sidelines tut tutting as I watched the news or heard another sad tale of death and destruction knowing that this could never happen in my neck of the woods.
Well it has and now I have to negotiate through my extreme bouts of anger - pain – and bewilderment at what one person – one group of people can do to a 16 year old boy - as well as having to watch as a mother dies inside because she has lost part of her- because some callous man killed her son.
So I think it is time for me to stand up and become part of the solution.
Nearly 40 years later numerous chapters associated with the mongrel mob is said to be the largest gang in Aotearoa New Zealand. Born of hatred this gang has embraced all things monstrous. Gang rapes, murder, and the distribution of such drugs as P/methamphetamine underpin the very working of this gang. Under their gang code members are expected to show honor, loyalty and respect for each other, however, these codes are not extended to those outside the gang.
Since the inception of gangs in the late 1960’s local communities, councils and government have attempted to control and or eradicate gangs from our society. However, the gangs have tended to be overlooked or ignored as much of their violence has been played out either amongst their own or towards other gangs. As but every now and then civilians have been targeted. For more information go to
Ross Kemp on Gangs: New Zealand.
Taking on the gangs is and will never be an easy goal as Pita Sharples points out demanding that gangs change their activities is a contradiction to their basic behaviour image and activities, as the gangs encourage and profit from their members continuing to commit heinous crimes, such as murder and the distribution and manufacture of drugs such as P/methamphetamine.
As I suggested above communities have are still attempting to bring about changes re: gangs. After the murder of Jordan Herewini the local community organised a meeting to discuss gangs in their community. One idea discussed was to explore bringing gangs into the community. However, bringing gangs into communities appears to be contradictory to gang ideology. Gangs predominantly wish to be outside society as they do not see themselves as having any personal investment in society, therefore, why would they wish to be part of a community when they see themselves either outside or alienated by society?
In June 2007 Pita Sharples argued that “…we've just gotta keep working at it and I think the Mongrel Mob have made great step, good projects, they’ve got young people working, the Black Power are looking at how they can retain their identity as a group but move into perhaps education and into non violent community activities”.
January 2007 saw Pita Sharples argue that the “…gang problem is worsening and creating a culture of fear and intimidation in communities and schools…”. His response at the time was to call on gangs to show that they could become responsible and helping communities address youth problems as well as put and end to the bullying culture. If not he suggested that legislation may need to be utilised to “…ban your activities."
In 2009 Te Ururoa Flavell called for the gang members convicted for murdering Jordan “…to be refused their own tangi on marae... [arguing that]…those responsible for the teen's [Jordan Herewini] death be banned from receiving the same sort of farewell Herewini's loved ones can give him…”
He went on to suggest that there is a “…contradiction…on one side of the coin, there's a willingness of gang members to pick up their tikanga Maori, their Maori customary beliefs, to go back to the marae, but on the other side, contradicted by taking a life which is a part of whakapapa…”
Debates about what to do with the ‘gang’ problem have raged for years. Unfortunately many Pakeha have concluded that it is a ‘Māori’ problem thereby washing their hands of any societal responsibility. Or when they some Pakeha have decided to deal to the gangs they have come from what many in Māoridom consider a narrow and racist approach that reinforces gang existence.
Take for example the Wanganui Prohibition of Gang Insignia bill. As Keith Locke rightfully points out this bill has “…a certain element of racism in the bill, because the gangs that are potentially identified under the bill tend to be non-white gangs”. As Cam Stokes suggests that taking away gang regalia doesn’t stop gangs from forming or intimidating people. Gangs will exist - patches – colors or not.
So how do we address the gang issue? It must I believe a multipronged approach. This is not merely a Māori issue as we know gangs exist in Pakeha culture. Take skin head groups who have been known to terrorize African immigrants in Christchurch. Gangs exist because society allows them to. We have helped breed these gangs and it us Māori, Pakeha, Samoan, Tongan etc who must take work together to address gang violence. It is time I believe for Pakeha to stop watching from afar in the belief that it will never effect them.
I started this new blog by briefly talking about how the mongrel mob came into being. Their evolution came about according to one of their spokes people because of the pain, anger and hatred they had experienced at the hands of their custodians – it is now their children’s children that inflict the same pain, anger and hate onto others.
The gang came into my life – I have up until now had nothing to do with them like many Pakeha I have been able to sit and watched from the sidelines tut tutting as I watched the news or heard another sad tale of death and destruction knowing that this could never happen in my neck of the woods.
Well it has and now I have to negotiate through my extreme bouts of anger - pain – and bewilderment at what one person – one group of people can do to a 16 year old boy - as well as having to watch as a mother dies inside because she has lost part of her- because some callous man killed her son.
So I think it is time for me to stand up and become part of the solution.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Introduction
Before I launch into discussing my thoughts around gangs in Aotearoa New Zealand I want to introduce myself.
My name is Kyro – I am 48 and have lived in this beautiful country for that many years. I am originally from a small town in taranaki. I moved to Wellington in 1977 and have moved around the country for many years – in fact I can say I have been from the bluff to the cape - however, I call wellington home.
My life has not been easy – adopted to a religious family I was not treated well and after the death of my adopted mother I became estranged from my adopted father. In my youth I got into trouble mostly minor crimes and by 22 I went to Hanmer Springs to detox. By 26 I decided to try and get work and since then I have successfully gained a degree in sociology, my Masters and am in the throws of completing my PhD. To find out what I am doing go to my Victoria University homepage:
http://www.victoria.ac.nz/geo/people/grads/kyro-selket/index.html
Politically I consider myself to sit to the left of the political spectrum and am passionate about a number of issues. I have over the years been involved in the socialist movement – took my place in the frontline in 1981 against the Springbok tour – later that year I participated in another occupation of Bastion Point. By this time I had been out (identified as gay) for a number of years and was part of the Homosexual Law Reform movement in Christchurch. Whilst I no longer consider myself a feminist my politics are underpinned by feminist politics and a belief that gender equity is still achievable.
I am of course not religious, being opposed to organised religions I prefer to draw on a more spiritual approach to understanding the world and am really drawn to native American philosophy/spirituality – especially the interconnectedness of humans with their environment.
Until Jordan’s murder I have only ever encountered gangs once in my teens and again when I worked in the Women’s prison in Christchurch. Like many mainstream Pakeha I have been able to look in on the debates about gangs from a safe distance. This heinous crime was the last thing I ever imagined would come to play in my safe world.
The pain Jordan’s murder has had on his mother and his sister is unfathomable. And the fact that Jordan’s mother must know deal circuitously with this element of society pains me even more.
So this is why I want to talk about this. There are some subjects that I will not engage in the first being any discussion about Jordan – that is for his mother and his family to do or not do. All I want to say is that I knew Jordan only briefly and in that time I was blown away by his intelligence, his politics and his sense of Maoritanga. I will not engage in any discussion about Jordan’s family, as I have said this blog is about looking at ways people in Aotearoa New Zealand – especially Pakeha people can stand up and support workable changes around gangs in this country. When I say ‘gangs’ I know that my abhorrence is with the actions of the mongrel mob, however to isolate them as the only gang in ANZ is unproductive and bias. Gangs exist in all parts of society- they rang from entrenched gangs such as the mob – black power and neo-Nazi/white supremacist groups. I also include the mobile assembling of boy racers who through the use of txt messaging can call on hundreds of young men to come together and commit crimes as we have seen in Christchurch. But I am certainly aware that much of my discussion will surely center on the affects the mongrel mob has had on my life.
So you want to know anything about me ask – I am happy to share as long as it is relevant to the topics I am blogging about.
My name is Kyro – I am 48 and have lived in this beautiful country for that many years. I am originally from a small town in taranaki. I moved to Wellington in 1977 and have moved around the country for many years – in fact I can say I have been from the bluff to the cape - however, I call wellington home.
My life has not been easy – adopted to a religious family I was not treated well and after the death of my adopted mother I became estranged from my adopted father. In my youth I got into trouble mostly minor crimes and by 22 I went to Hanmer Springs to detox. By 26 I decided to try and get work and since then I have successfully gained a degree in sociology, my Masters and am in the throws of completing my PhD. To find out what I am doing go to my Victoria University homepage:
http://www.victoria.ac.nz/geo/people/grads/kyro-selket/index.html
Politically I consider myself to sit to the left of the political spectrum and am passionate about a number of issues. I have over the years been involved in the socialist movement – took my place in the frontline in 1981 against the Springbok tour – later that year I participated in another occupation of Bastion Point. By this time I had been out (identified as gay) for a number of years and was part of the Homosexual Law Reform movement in Christchurch. Whilst I no longer consider myself a feminist my politics are underpinned by feminist politics and a belief that gender equity is still achievable.
I am of course not religious, being opposed to organised religions I prefer to draw on a more spiritual approach to understanding the world and am really drawn to native American philosophy/spirituality – especially the interconnectedness of humans with their environment.
Until Jordan’s murder I have only ever encountered gangs once in my teens and again when I worked in the Women’s prison in Christchurch. Like many mainstream Pakeha I have been able to look in on the debates about gangs from a safe distance. This heinous crime was the last thing I ever imagined would come to play in my safe world.
The pain Jordan’s murder has had on his mother and his sister is unfathomable. And the fact that Jordan’s mother must know deal circuitously with this element of society pains me even more.
So this is why I want to talk about this. There are some subjects that I will not engage in the first being any discussion about Jordan – that is for his mother and his family to do or not do. All I want to say is that I knew Jordan only briefly and in that time I was blown away by his intelligence, his politics and his sense of Maoritanga. I will not engage in any discussion about Jordan’s family, as I have said this blog is about looking at ways people in Aotearoa New Zealand – especially Pakeha people can stand up and support workable changes around gangs in this country. When I say ‘gangs’ I know that my abhorrence is with the actions of the mongrel mob, however to isolate them as the only gang in ANZ is unproductive and bias. Gangs exist in all parts of society- they rang from entrenched gangs such as the mob – black power and neo-Nazi/white supremacist groups. I also include the mobile assembling of boy racers who through the use of txt messaging can call on hundreds of young men to come together and commit crimes as we have seen in Christchurch. But I am certainly aware that much of my discussion will surely center on the affects the mongrel mob has had on my life.
So you want to know anything about me ask – I am happy to share as long as it is relevant to the topics I am blogging about.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Alternatives to gangs
Each and every time I begin to discuss the issue of gangs in Aotearoa New Zealand I start with the murder of Jordan Robert Herewini, for one reason and one reason only – on the 27th January 2009 - a member of the gang known as the mongrel mob murdered Jordan in a most brutal and horrific act of violence.
This horrific act of violence stole Jordan’s life and ripped apart his whakapapa. This blog then is not only a discussion space for challenging this country to do something about gangs, it is also a tribute to Jordan Robert Herewini – a sixteen year old boy stolen from his family, his friends, and his future.
Until Jordan’s death I have never had much contact or knowledge about gang’s. I have watched news items, and I have talked with women from gang’s whilst working in the women’s prison in Christchurch. Jordan’s death has brought the gangs closer than I have ever wished to be.
Two weeks ago I sat in a Rotorua court room surrounded by mongrel mob members who showed little remorse for their actions. Instead they seemed to be at home, happy in catching up with each other. Each and every one of them ignored the posted signs on the courtroom door asking that gang regalia be taken off. Instead they turned their patches inside out, barked out their sieg heil’s to each other and openly signaled each other with their particular hand signals. Whilst the police asked them to remove their scarves and hats little was done about their other acts, acts that I suggest where in contempt of the court and of Jordan’s family and friends.
Whilst I realize that I and others cannot rid Aotearoa New Zealand of gangs I do believe that something has to change – at the least I would like to see the gangs made to conform whilst attending court, especially in such cases as murder, at the most gangs cannot continue to kill our children, prospect for new recruits or continue to take over communities.
This site then is a place for discussion, a place where people can share their personal stories in relation to their experiences in and around gangs. This is not a space for anti- Maori sentiment, nor is this a space for expressing rightwing hatred. This is a place where Maori, Pakeha and others can share and learn from each other and call on local councils and our government to listen to us.
This horrific act of violence stole Jordan’s life and ripped apart his whakapapa. This blog then is not only a discussion space for challenging this country to do something about gangs, it is also a tribute to Jordan Robert Herewini – a sixteen year old boy stolen from his family, his friends, and his future.
Until Jordan’s death I have never had much contact or knowledge about gang’s. I have watched news items, and I have talked with women from gang’s whilst working in the women’s prison in Christchurch. Jordan’s death has brought the gangs closer than I have ever wished to be.
Two weeks ago I sat in a Rotorua court room surrounded by mongrel mob members who showed little remorse for their actions. Instead they seemed to be at home, happy in catching up with each other. Each and every one of them ignored the posted signs on the courtroom door asking that gang regalia be taken off. Instead they turned their patches inside out, barked out their sieg heil’s to each other and openly signaled each other with their particular hand signals. Whilst the police asked them to remove their scarves and hats little was done about their other acts, acts that I suggest where in contempt of the court and of Jordan’s family and friends.
Whilst I realize that I and others cannot rid Aotearoa New Zealand of gangs I do believe that something has to change – at the least I would like to see the gangs made to conform whilst attending court, especially in such cases as murder, at the most gangs cannot continue to kill our children, prospect for new recruits or continue to take over communities.
This site then is a place for discussion, a place where people can share their personal stories in relation to their experiences in and around gangs. This is not a space for anti- Maori sentiment, nor is this a space for expressing rightwing hatred. This is a place where Maori, Pakeha and others can share and learn from each other and call on local councils and our government to listen to us.
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