Worlds T-shirt

CheerTaxi · Veteran Member

RE: Worlds T-shirt

SE Cheer Dad · Member

Well I agree this is not what I thought we would be getting!

-- Edited by SE Cheer Dad at 16:34, 2007-04-12

Tamara · cheergyms.com Master Poster

The hand is making a W for West Coast.

Tamara · cheergyms.com Master Poster

Tamara wrote:

John, how would we notice the changed front design if we've never seen the shirt before? ;)

SE Cheer Dad wrote:

Well I agree this is not what I thought we would be getting and to bad I have paid for 2 of these already. I am sorry but I do not like the front what happened to the state holding up the world image?

Oh! that's right! FierceCoach described the front in an earlier post. See why I get so impatient...I have no imagination, so when something is described to me, I can't "see" it.

OC Mom · GURU

I totally understand and agree with you Debbie on your gang point. But that isn't a gang sign. You can rest easy... Our kids make signs for OC with their hands. It's not gang related. It's what's "in" right now. As parents, we can scoff all we want but the kids "get it." No worries. I'm sorry you feel that way but in no way is it a gang sign. Here's one of our kids doing (partly) the OC hand sign. She was busy at the time and I wasn't trying to catch it anyway.....

Debbie wrote:

I'm a mom with my girls proudly representing California cheerleading - NOT California Gangs!!! What type of image are we representing here? I had planned on getting shirts for my family to wear at Worlds however now I'm cancelling my entire order ASAP! This is not the image I want my girls to represent - Ever!!!

Nelson · Senior Member

From Frisco to the Bay
It's Hammer Yo Hammer Go Hammer MC Hammer
And the rest can go and Play
Can't touch dis...

Caspiritlala · Veteran Member

I think the shirt is BAD @**!
That is so not a gang sign, trust me I am origianlly from San Jose and it for sure not any thing anyone in gangs there would have an issue with.
It stands for representing the WEST COAST which in my opinion is the BEST COAST!
Diego to the Bay is from the song California LOVE, which also in my opinion is extremely appropriate.
It just so silly that people would overreact about a tshirt. Besides if your this involved in competative cheerleading that you are going to or even know what Worlds is I doubt anyone in a real gang would mistake you for a rival gang member. I think you might have a problem however if your teenagers are all Tatted up. Haha. Lighten Up people.

OC Mom · GURU

A gang member who's a cheerleader......... (laughing pretty hard here). THAT WOULD GO OVER REAL WELL, I'M SURE.....

Gang member #1, "You're a WHAT????"
Gang Member #2, " An all star cheerleader."
Gang member #1, " Wait, let me get this straight..... you're a WHAT????"
Gang member #2, "It's not like cheerleading for football. It's a sport!"
Gang member #1, "Sorry man but I think you better hide. Forever."

CheerMom1967 · Veteran Member

Kris - you are so funny! Miss you.

CGail · Newbie

We are not talking about cute little hand gestures that the girls make up at cheer competitions. We are talking about atcual GANG GESTURES. The gesture on the shirt is the Gang Symbol for the West Side Bloods or West Coast Bloods and is the acutal symbol that they use to identify themselves. I know the TShirt would be FORBIDDEN to be worn at my childs school or at many public places here where I live.

Look it up yourself http://gangsta411.com/gang_signs_street_gangs_bloods_crips.htm

The only difference I see is that the symbol on the shirt is viewed from the opposite side

West Coast
East Coast if held to the side

Nikki · Newbie

The west coast hand gesture has no gang affiliation. Gangs have very intricate hand gestures that represent their neighborhood not the entire west side of the country. The only negative affiliation the west coast hand gesture had was during the rap battles of the 1990's between west and east coast rappers. That all ended with the sad passing of Biggie Smalls and Tu-Pac Shakur.

I throw this hand gesture up about once a day and I assure you it has never been mistaken for representing any gang.

Peace.

3I0025.100.jpg

CGail · Newbie

Nikki your post is confusing. You say the Sign has no gang affiliation. But then you go on to say that the use of the hand gestures led to the death of 2 rappers........

The sign is definatley has gang affiliation ..... you can look it up
http://gangsta411.com/gang_signs_street_gangs_bloods_crips.htm

Cheers2you2 · Veteran Member

My brother was a Gang Det. Serg. for SDPD. Currently is a Homicide Serg. He was very concerned when he attended one of my daughter's comps with the West Coast Mavs. He and his wife (police child abuse det.) were insistent that the signs that the kids were doing could be confused as gang signs and believed strongly that the kids should not be doing them. Now, here is a shirt with a similar sign printed on it. I think that this may be what some teams do in routines and chants, etc. However, not all programs do that type of gesture and do not feel that this shirt represents all teams well. Perhaps simple wording would be best then there wouldn't be room for confusion and a need to explain what the shirt means. But, as it is now, my daughter would not be wearing it on the West Coast, let alone wearing it on the East Coast. No way.

-- Edited by Cheers2you2 at 13:51, 2007-04-12

JennyCheerCA · Veteran Member

Yes, and it's not that anyone would think the children were in gangs. It's an affiliation. If they believe you could be a sister, friend, relative...whatever...they don't want you around. It's not smart to wear anything that represents any type of gang or symbol. I know in a lot of schools the kids aren't allowed to wear red or blue. Not because outsiders would think they were involved, but they would think their family members were. Little sisters and brothers are easy targets for gang member rivals. Some schools even suspend students for using any type of hand gesture (besides the peace sign). I think it's just a good precaution.

CacheerMom · Veteran Member

Here's my 2 cents worth......a couple of years ago, two deaf people were shot and killed. The reason??? Several Gang members mistook their "Signing" as gang symbols............
My other question about the shirt is will the Gang member seeing the shirt from a distance, be able to "distinguish" the difference?
Gang members often shoot first, then ask questions later. So ask yourself "Is it worth wearing the shirt?"

JennyCheerCA · Veteran Member

Here it's just the ignorance of the people in your area. I know a lot of people from Oakland, or harsher parts of California who wouldn't be caught making any type of gesture with their hands. It's a form of safety. I know that people who have never been in an area where gangs reside, but for others, it's life or death.

The only reason I'm so concerned is because I know what's out there. I know people who have lost family members due to gang violence. In your neighborhood it may be just on TV, in raps, or hearsay. But for some of us, it's in our lives everyday. The constant worry of what could happen. Don't go on what you know, go on what you don't know.

Please, play it safe.

Cheer Parent · Senior Member

I think its one area everyone probably should leave alone before some unsuspecting cheerleader gets hurt for doing something she/he thought was right. They probably don't even realize what it may or may not represent and if so probably would stop immediatley if they did know.

CheerTaxi · Veteran Member

Ok, so now I understand the hand gesture. I can't say that I like it (the hand symbol) especially if people are seeing it as a gang symbol before what it is intended to be seen as. If it is causing this much confusion and controversy with the people that live in California, what are the people from the rest of the country going to interpret it as? I don't think I would want one for that reason.

Unfortunately, this is the world we live in where nothing is ever looked at the same by everyone. I do like the idea of a picture of the state holding up the world. I think that would be much less controversial and easier to understand.
Just my thoughts.

cheerwatcher · GURU

I guess I never though of it that way. I knew it was a "gang" affiliated sign, however I guess in a world like this, nowadays its better to be safe then sorry. John and Danny didn't intend for it to be so contraversial im SURE. I loved it! Although I see where people are coming from.

Danny · Senior Member

OK, no worries. This is cheerleading so of course this couldn't be simple.

There will be an alternative T-Shirt. Stay tuned.

Sorry