How Can We Stand for This? We Must Protect Our Children from These Monsters!

Every day, we hope our children are safe. We hope they can grow up in a world where we don’t have to fear for their lives. But the reality is that horrific events like what happened in Virginia keep shattering that hope, turning our hometowns into places where we’re scared to let our kids even step outside. I recently came across a heart-wrenching story in the news about how MS-13 gang leaders have once again brought death and devastation to our communities. I read it, and I couldn’t sleep all night, thinking about my own children.

Federal prosecutors say Elmer Alas Candray, a 27-year-old native of El Salvador, became one of the busiest killers in Virginia as he rose through the ranks of the savage gang, which is known for its horrific violence

https://fdprc.capdefnet.org/sites/cdn_fdprc/files/Assets/public/project_declarations/authorization/declaration_biden_admin_stats__de-authorizations_and_no_seeks_rubenstein_july_2024.pdf

Defendant: Alas Candray, Elmer De Jesus
Docket No.: E.D. VA No. 1:22-CR-00178-MSN
Status: Authorization Not Sought by USAtty – not
authorized
Race of Def.: H
Sex of Def.: M
Sex of Vict(s): 1 Male
Race of Vict(s): 1 Hispanic
two MS-13 gang RICO gun murders, one in 2019, one in 2021. All involved are Hispanic.

One of the leaders of this ruthless gang is now on trial for brutal murders so horrifying, it’s hard to imagine. One of his victims was a young waitress, a girl they coldly shot 16 times in what can only be described as a barbaric act. Sixteen times. Can you even imagine the terror she must have felt?

How can we stand for this? How can we allow these dangerous criminals to continue destroying families, tearing apart our communities, and robbing our children of their safety and innocence? It’s stories like these that make me question whether we’re doing enough to protect our families from these monsters. I can’t help but think, What if that was my child? What if my son or daughter was the next victim? I’m sure every mother who reads this feels the same lump in their throat that I do, the same chill down their spine.

We need to take a stand. This isn’t just some distant problem in a far-off city. It’s happening right here, in our own backyards. These gangs, like MS-13, are well-organized, violent, and ruthless. And they are targeting our youth, recruiting our children, and turning our neighborhoods into war zones. It’s terrifying to think that while we’re making dinner or helping our kids with their homework, these killers are plotting their next crime, their next victim. I’m scared, and I know I’m not alone in this fear.

As a mother, I urge our leaders, our police, and our community to come together and take stronger action. We need to crack down on these gangs with everything we’ve got. There should be no tolerance for this kind of violence in our country. These criminals should be thrown in jail for the rest of their lives, where they can’t hurt anyone ever again.

I want to believe that my children can grow up in a world where they don’t have to fear being the next victim of some senseless act of violence. I want to believe that as a country, we will do everything in our power to rid our streets of these dangerous gangs. But until we take stronger action, until we start treating this epidemic of gang violence like the national crisis it truly is, I will continue to live in fear for my children—and so will countless other mothers across America.

This isn’t just about one gang, one leader, or one trial. This is about all of us. It’s about ensuring that no mother has to bury her child because we failed to protect them from these monsters. We cannot afford to wait until the next tragedy strikes. Enough is enough. It’s time for swift, harsh justice and the protection of our most precious gift—our children.

https://nypost.com/2024/10/09/us-news/ms-13-leader-on-trial-for-gruesome-murders-in-virginia-including-young-waitress-who-was-shot-16-times/