Chapter 3

Theme Statement:
Drugs negatively affected many communities.

Literary Device: Diction
"But crack was different. After it officialy introduced itslef in the early 1980s, it didn't take long for crack to place a stranglehold on many communities." p.51

Analysis:
The author Wes Moore first introduces drugs by mentioning the terrible stories he heard about crack and  how crack negatively influenced the Bronx by increasing the murder rate by 61%. The author also states how drug gangs rapidly expanded and even recruited some of his friends. In this quote, the author uses the word "stranglehold" to show cracks great amount of control on the community. This message is given throughout the chapter. The other Wes Moores brother, Tony, was sent to the hospital after a serious injury due to his existance in the drug world. Even the other Wes Moore mentions his bad experience with drugs and how they made him feel vunerable and uncomfortable. Abusing drugs started chaos and disorder in communities all around the world and is still an active battle we fight to this day.