The Root of all Evil, or War?

What is considered war? Is there a certain number of people that have to be involved? Must a certain ratio of people die? With no clear black and white lines drawn, one could argue that nearly all disputes are essentially “wars,” no matter how small they may be. That being said, war can have a multitude of different causes: from political propaganda, the threat of national security, to the pursuit of power and resources. But in one of its most basic levels, war stems from invasion. As humans, we naturally tend to believe that our way is the right way. When we try to push our beliefs off onto others, a conflict ensues.

Sometimes this invasion of territory isn’t always meant figuratively; sometimes it’s actually meant in a literal sense of the word. Take for instance, the raging gang wars that occurred between North Side Irish and the Southside Italians. The root of the wars was based upon an impeachment of territory in north side Chicago that did not sit well with the North Side Irish. From there, the two gangs never saw each other eye to eye and everything between the two went downhill after that.

Following this, more than one hundred gang members were slain as both sides relentlessly picked people off from the other. With time, this all eventually led to the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre in which seven of George Moran’s henchmen in the Irish gang were killed by a group of men from the South Side Italians. Now in hindsight, had no one ever invaded the other’s established territory, several issues of profit and respect between both gangs would have been evaded and many lives could have possibly been saved.

As quoted by former Latin King, Reymundo Sanches, “[Say for instance] Kings are right down the street. They show up over there [and] take the neighborhood, to become their drug store. If I'm in a rival gang, if I'm a Disciple or Cobra, we're just gonna let them know who we are. That's basically how all the ... the war starts." From this premise, it’s clear to see that a gang war is brewing, but in most other instances, it’s not as easy to discern. Physical encroachment can be quickly identified, although mental encroachment – beliefs, ideas, religion, and principles – may not be so simple to detect.

“Gangwars.” Gangland. The History Channel. 13 Dec. 2008

“Seven Killed in Chicago Gang Massacre.” MSN Encarta Encyclopedia. 14 Feb. 1929. 6 Sept. 2009.