Youtube's display of events, shows something I've been used to much of my life: gratuitous street violence amongst middle to lower class youth...for reasons of territorialism and gangism.

I've grown up and abandoned a lot of this behavior, partly because I don't think that punching people is ladylike, or often even neccessary (though, don't get me wrong...if someone is really asking for it, I am happy to oblige), and I no longer see any real reason to crew up, or create divisions. I am still young, and have not abandoned the scene I was raised up in- but, I have adopted a more conservative look, and toned down the aggro quite a bit.

I think the urban tribalism phenomenon exists for one specific reason, and that is: modern, big-city society, and much of it's outlying suburban skirting, has completely abandoned the principal of community. They have abandoned their churches, their meeting places, their block parties... and kids no longer have a community to attach themselves to, or often even decent parents. And, when there is an absense of something as vital as that, kids create their own...and let me tell you- they really do.

I grew up in the punk scene, and subsequently the skinhead scene (not racist, for those of you who are wondering: Wikipedia on The Skinhead). This kind of violence and tribalism is the complete norm. The process of being inducted or re-born into the world as a skin is tough, and I liken it to hazing or even more anthropologically- the whole "right of passage" scenario. Young kids are plucked up, mainly from the punk scene and surrounding DIY music movements, by older skinheads, and taught the ropes. This is called the "freshcut" period. Guys heads are shaved clean, and girls get cropped too- the haircut is called a "chealsea", and the degree of severity your cut has, depends on the skinhead girl who is cropping it. Sometimes she leaves it as a one or a two guard, with a decent (but, short) fringe in front...though, if you're really unlucky- you get stuck with a one guard and bangs. Generally, girl's heads are not shaved without a guard, but one way or another, it is a distinct haircut, which can serve to give you a tribal identity: or...basically- you stick out like a sore thumb, and your affiliations are bloody obvious.

These haircuts, along with the typical boots and jeans skinhead garb is meant to signify a few things: firstly, that you belong to the subculture and subscribe to it's working class, often conservative values, and secondly that you are sacraficing the luxury of society viewing you as "normal", in order to advance and preserve these values- as well as promoting and protecting the scene that fledged you.

The skinhead scene is a patriarchial (and to some degree, matriarchial as well) urban tribe that came into being, so that street kids could have pride in themselves, and protect eachother from the abuses and dangers of the streets, risks that come from living in poverty. Kids as young as twelve are ritualistically "brought under the wing" of men and women who have street knowledge and values, when often these kids have nowhere else to turn. Skinhead culture is one that was forged out of necessity.

This emo, business, however- is a completely different story all together. It was not manifested under the pretext of need (if we are defining need by the same standard of need that exists for kids being brought into the skinhead scene). The only thing I can see is emotional need and the need for community; which, is valid- but hardly worth getting beat the fuck up in the middle of a square in D.F.

I find it absolutely fascinating that general masses have risen up against the "emo" tribe in Mexico, because it does not adhere to the values lain forth by traditional latin machismo. The thing that define's a tribe's strength (any tribe, urban or not), is it's ability to resist and fight back. And, thus, I wonder- Does the hipster wear no clothes?

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