130: Angel Cortes // Gang Violence vs Ranger Battalion, and Community Building

When I joined the Army, I distinctly remember one man in basic training say that he had enlisted so that he could be a part of the biggest gang in America. "Why wear red or blue," he said, "when you could wear green."
Admittedly the scene felt a little stereotypical, and it didn't help that each of us was undergoing the culture shift from our hometowns to the Army.

But Gang life draws more mysticism from the unknowing and uninitiated than it does from those who have seen the inside, and left of their own accord. Angel Cortes, a fellow Ranger, community leader, and selfless kidney donor joins the REDACTED Culture Cast to talk about not only how his life has changed over the past decades, but what he came to understand about violence during that time.

The REDACTED Culture Cast is dedicated to add value to how we think about violence, be it in the form of ethical structures, or diligent discipline. And Angel Cortes has plenty to offer, if only we will listen.

Follow Angel Cortes on Instagram at @the_og_pumpkin
His Shop: www.ogpumpkin.com
And train with Defense Strategies Group at www.defensestrategies.us

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