The name is a tribute to Tupac, but the crew is based on real outlaws from the days of the wild west.
The Westside Outlaws believe in getting money over everything, and they don’t respect any of the laws (or enforcers of laws) meant to stop them.
I think it’s pretty common for kids to play with toys of outlaws (or bandits or bank robbers or whatever). Often they are simply “the bad guys” meant to be captured. In novels, TV, films, and rap music we adults do better at humanizing the law breakers. I want to do that much with playing with these toys, but I also want to do more. My kiddos need to see they’re not “bad guys” to be caught, they’re people who believe certain things and act in certain ways that put them at odds with people who believe other things and act in other ways. Overall, their belief in money over everything means they are willing to sacrifice the well-being of others. I want to teach my little ones to be critical of that worldview whether it comes from lawbreakers or the people who make laws to protect their wealth.
