I recall one time as a kid when gangs were the norm. It was a necessity where I grew up because of the 'hatreds' and 'turf wars' that took place. It wasn't that most of us wanted to belong to a gang; it was just that we perceived it to be a matter of survival. After five guys steal your lunch or lunch money a few times either before or after they beat you up, well, eventually you seek out others who have had the same problem and begin to carry combs. (Gang members from the 1950s will understand that.) Sooner or later, someone pulls a knife on someone else, or they use a chain to whip an 'enemy' and then someone else has to begin carrying a piece. Eventually the cops get involved because sooner or later someone ends up in the hospital needing lotsa stitches to close a puncture or a slash wound. Then someone else gets a few ribs caved in and maybe their testicles kicked up into their pelvis. Then it's necessary to re-establish ownership of turf, because things are getting crazy. Then you see that it's a good thing to join forces with another gang because there seems to be safety in numbers. Then it's no longer about lunches and combs and turf. Then it's about gangs. And what do you do when a ten-year-old asks a twelve-year-old for sagely advice about whether to carry a switch blade or a gravity knife, and what's the best way to fight in close: blade up, down or sideways facing in or out? And is it a good idea to carry a throwing knife also? And what's the best way to hide a 'serious' weapon? Kids, huh? What are ya gonna do!?