Criminal Gangs.. A Society of Terrorists.. "Whats the Difference..??"

[HappytheStripper]

Is there a difference between.. Criminal Gangs and Terrorists..??

Originally Posted by answers.com

Gang

A group of criminals or hoodlums who band together for mutual protection and profit..

A group of adolescents who band together.. especially a group of delinquents.. or Informally.. A group of people who associate regularly on a social basis..

A pack of wolves or wild dogs.

The reasons I am writing this thread.. and asking this question.. stem from gang violence recently reported in the national news (NZ)..

Monday May 7, 08:07 AM

Armed police hunt for toddler's killer
A massive police search is continuing in Wanganui today for the killers of a two-year-old girl as armed police patrol the streets amid fears of a gang war.

The toddler was the innocent victim of a driveby shooting on Saturday thought to have been fuelled by rivalries between the Black Power and Mongrel Mob gangs.. for the rest of this story.. Armed police hunt for toddler's killer - Yahoo!Xtra News..

My next question relates to the care and protection of our children.. How is it.. society laws manage to let this happen.. ??

The shooting victim was a beautiful girl.. I did not know her personally.. I do however.. know of her parents.. and of the life they lead.. and with such disasterous consequences.. I wonder why our national social welfare agency had not intervened especilly when the powers that be.. intervene in ways that I would deem un-necessary.. whatever happened to teaching a society..??

For example.. in NZ an Anti-Smacking Law has just been passed by the government.. allowing police discretion to charge parents who smack.. hit.. or punish.. their children in violent ways.. and while this law has been deemed necessary.. Scoop: Scoop Full Coverage of Anti-Smacking Bill .. in my view it is only part of a larger problem within society..

This set of problems.. that make up the larger problem.. now shifts from the law makers in governement.. to the streets.. where the kids of todays future are being shot in gang violence.. or violent acts commonly known as terrorism..

This brings me back to my original question.. and the difference between criminal gangs.. and terrorists.. What is the difference.. ??

Originally Posted by answers.com

Terrorism

The unlawful use.. or threatened use of force or violence.. by a person or an organized group.. against people or property.. with the intention of intimidating or coercing societies or governments.. often for ideological or political reasons..

Why is it.. as police hunt for the killer of an innocent two year old girl.. they have not used anti terrorist powers in order to catch the killer.. for as I see.. there is not much difference between gangs and terrorists.. the only difference is in the scale of crime and prevention..

Ashley..

[Boerseun]

Although it might be a fair argument to make, terrorists are deemed such by applying violent tactics to achieve political goals. Gangs exist to achieve criminal goals, like theft or smuggling or drug-running. Or simply as a vent to shed some testosterone-loading.

The lines between the two is certainly pretty blurred, but the criminal/political distinction is valid.

[Qfwfq]

You could say that terrorist groups are one kind of gang, which doesn't make all gangs the same as terrorists.

In some cases terrorist groups get into ordinary crime as a way of funding their activity. In the case of the Colombian narco-traffickers, who were originally an extreme left opposition, it became their only aim in practice.