RIVAL GANGS' MOTHERS UNITE FOR PEACE.

Byline: DENNIS McCARTHY 

``What they're saying to their sons is give us this Mother's Day gift.''Anti-gang activist Blinky Rodriguez.

They are tired of going to funerals to bury each other's children, tired of running from their homes each time they hear a police helicopter hovering overhead - weary of feeling sick with fear that tonight it's their sons who won't come home.

Tired of all the violence even a mother's tears and pleas can't stop, when the power of the gang is stronger than one mother's love.

But what about two or three mothers? What about 10 or 20 - or 50 mothers with sons in rival gangs coming together to say, No more killing?

Can an army of mothers do what police departments and millions of dollars of gang prevention money have not been able to do in this city? Could coming together stop the violence?

We're about to find out.

On Saturday, more than 60 mothers whose sons are in rival North Hills gangs will stage a Mother's Day ``March For Life.'' It's the first step in a long journey that they hope will grow to reach into every neighborhood where gang violence robs mothers of their babies.

Their sons are members of the Langdon Street, Blythe Street, Brown Pride, Columbus Street and Vincenttown gangs.

They hate each other. Their mothers console each other.

For the past nine Tuesday nights, Doris Castaneda, Rufina Martinez, Blanca Reynosa, Luz Gomez, Anna Olivares, Maria Cruz, Margarita Diaz and other mothers with sons in local gangs have been meeting to plan this peace march.

It was an idea born at a car-wash fund-raiser for Cruz, who couldn't afford to bury her 17-year-old son, Luis, killed in a drive-by shooting by rival gangs earlier this year.

For these mothers, it didn't matter whose turf they lived on - they all felt the same sense of loss.

``A week before Maria's son was killed, another mother lost a son in the Blythe Street gang,'' Castaneda said. ``We all felt so helpless, and started talking about what we could do to stop the killing.''

William ``Blinky'' Rodriguez, who runs Communities In Schools, a nonprofit group that works hard to convince at-risk youths to stay in school and out of gangs, offered the women a meeting room and his support.

``These mothers want to show they are not apathetic, that they want better things for their children, like all mothers do,'' Rodriguez said.

``They are the matriarchs of the Latino community, standing up as one to say no more violence. It's never been done before. This will be a powerful day, and everyone's anxious to see how it turns out.''

Los Angeles City Councilman Alex Padilla, in whose 7th District the march will take place, said Wednesday that he thought it could make a big difference.

``We've thrown a lot of money and different approaches at convincing young people to stay away from gang violence, and it hasn't worked,'' he said.

``If calling attention to all the damage it's done to their mothers, the pain and suffering, reaches even a handful of these kids it's more than worth it.

``Love for our mothers is something universal. Hopefully, this will not be just a march and demonstration, but a movement that grows and contributes to peace throughout this city.''

Like Rodriguez, Padilla bristles at comments that these mothers are somehow at fault because they didn't do enough to keep their sons out of gangs.

``Some people clearly do not understand the challenges,'' he said. ``Most Latino mothers do much more than many to keep their children on the straight and narrow, but the pressures and forces on young people living in rougher communities today is enormous.''

Already, the Mother's Day pleas are being felt in the local gangs. Some of the mothers say their sons have told them they will march with them Saturday, but only so far.

``They still won't cross certain streets,'' said Rodriguez, whose own son was a victim of a drive-by gang shooting.

Their most recent meeting was Tuesday night, and a handful of the mothers brought pictures of their sons who died in gang violence.

The photos were passed around the room, and one by one, the mothers of rival gang members hugged each other and cried.

``We're going to make a difference,'' Margarita Diaz promised Maria Diaz, handing her back her son's picture. No one doubted it.

The Mother's Day Peace March will be on Saturday at 10 a.m. The rallying point is 8900 Orion Ave., at Rayen Street, in North Hills. The march will end at the Sepulveda Recreational Center park, 8801 Kester Ave.

All mothers are welcome.

Dennis McCarthy, [phone]

dennis.mccarthy(at)dailynews.com

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Photo:

(color) Mothers whose sons belong to gangs in the northeast Valley, from left, Margarita Diaz, Ana Olivares, Doris Castaneda, Luz Gomez and Blanca Reynosa, are planning a Mother's Day March for Peace starting at 10 a.m. Saturday in North Hills.

David Sprague/Staff Photographer