Interviewing to Join a Gang

Here's one. A wannabe is asking:

I need to know some of the qeastions to join a gang called folk. Can you give them to me?

Huh?

Here's my answer:

Yeah, I'm not sure about that particular gang. The questions I'm familiar with are these:

1) Do you have a good attorney? Because you'll need one to get you out of all the trouble the gang will get you into.

2) Do you have a nice suit to wear? Because you'll need one to attend the funerals of innocent family members and friends that get killed by members of rival gangs who are shooting at you, but are too doped up and scared to shoot or even see straight.

3) Do you have a good doctor that can treat you for everything from venereal disease to drug overdose to gunshot and knife wounds? Because you'll need one.

4) Do have a nice funeral for yourself planned out and paid for? Because you'll need one -- sooner than you think!

5) Do you have anyone to visit you in jail and prison? Maybe someone to bring you some books or something? Because you'll really be wanting someone to do that, and your homies from the "set" sure won't do it.

6) Are you ready to get gang-banged by the big, hairy felons that have been in prison for the past five or ten years, there 1) with no women, and 2) lifting weights? Because when they see you, they're going to think "fresh meat!" That's assuming you don't get killed on the streets, of course.

Don't worry about getting bummed out while being a gangmember. With all the pain and sorrow and suffering, it will seem like that lifestyle just lasts forever sometimes, but don't worry -- your gang life will actually be alot shorter than you think.

If there's anything more I can help you with, don't hesitate to contact me. If you can't get me, you can contact a Friend of mine, a Guy named Jesus. He's pretty reliable, and He's always alot closer than you think if you decide you need Him.



It's not a job interview you're going on. Think it through...


Mark aka Channelview

Abortion by the Month (by Mal Herida)

Posted over at Gangstyle.com by Mal Herida:

ABORTION

Month one

MOMMY
I am only 4 inches long
but I have all my organs.
I love the sound of your voice.
The sound of your heart beat
is my favorite lullaby.


Month Two

Mommy
today I learned how to suck my thumb.
If you could see me
you could definitely tell that I am a baby.
I'm not big enough to survive outside my home though.
It is so nice and warm in here.


Month Three

You know what Mommy
I'm a boy!!
I hope that makes you happy.
I always want you to be happy.
I don't like it when you cry.
You sound so sad.
It makes me sad too
and I cry with you even though
you can't hear me.


Month Four

Mommy
my hair is starting to grow.
It is very short and fine
but I will have a lot of it.
I spend a lot of my time exercising.
I can turn my head and curl my fingers and toes
and stretch my arms and legs.
I am becoming quite good at it too.


Month Five

You went to the doctor today.
Mommy, he lied to you.
He said that I'm not a baby.
I am a baby Mommy, your baby.
I think and feel.
Mommy, what's abortion?


Month Six

I can hear that doctor again.
I don't like him.
He seems cold and heartless.
Something is intruding my home.
The doctor called it a needle.
Mommy what is it? It burns!
Please make him stop!
I can't get away from it!
Mommy! HELP me!


Month Seven

Mommy
I am okay.
I am in Jesus's arms.
He is holding me.
He told me about abortion.
Why didn't you want me Mommy?


Every Abortion Is Just . . .


One more heart that was stopped.
Two more eyes that will never see.
Two more hands that will never touch.
Two more legs that will never run.
One more mouth that will never speak.



If you're against abortion, show this to someone it will hep belive me so do it ...
I dont care how many friends i lose over this....the only way id be okay with someone having a abortion was if it was forced/rape.otherwise if u can lay there and spread ur legs then u can take responsblity for the actions too

I understand but disagree with the comment about abortion after sexual assault. Read "A 'Choice'" to get some idea why.

Good post, Mal Herida!

Acquaintance Rape

So, here's the scene:

A girl in high school meets a guy. She "really cares" about him. He wants to have sex with her, but she says no because she's not ready. She "tried keepin [her] clothes on" but finally gave in because she didn't think she'd win. After they have sex, she reports that he started treating her really badly. Specifically, he threatens to beat up her ex-boyfriend and tell her parents what happened if she leaves him. So, she stays and whenever they are alone, he always gets his way and has sex with her, even though she doesn't want to.

He blames her, telling her that it is her fault because she drives him crazy by wanting to leave him, and that he needs her. So, after a little arguing, he always gets to have sex with her. Some of her friends tell her it's date rape, some say it isn't because she put herself in a bad situation. Meanwhile, she would leave, except that she's afraid for her ex-boyfriend, and she's worried about his threats to have friends from his gang go after her.

"im still confused to whether or not if i went through date rape or not bc he had done it to me more than once."

Just because he is committing the crime more than once, that certainly doesn't mean it's not a crime. In my humble opinion, this is fairly classic.

First, even if she had done it with him willingly many times -- not the situation here -- the first time he has sex with her against her will after she has said "no" it is a rape. It used to be that a defense against rape in the US was that the two people involved were married. That is no longer the case in America. If a husband forces his wife to have sex against her will, that is illegal. That is why many jurisdictions have gotten away from the crime of "rape" and now address "sexual assault" -- it is more inclusive of a broader range of criminal conduct.

It should be noted, though, that often times the perpetrator justifies his conduct to himself, to his victim, and to others, either explicitly or implicitly, by the fact that the two have had sex before. Amazingly, even if the previous incidents themselves were sexual assaults, somehow in the twisted logic that gives birth to acquaintance rape, that "makes it okay" somehow.

Second, this threat of violence -- again, whether explicit or implicit -- against people the victim cares about or against the victim herself just reinforces the fact that he is forcing her repeatedly to do something against her will. It is rape, pure and simple.

Third, the fact that he excuses himself by blaming the victim facilitates his criminal conduct in his own mind, and confuses her enough that she doesn't put an end to it, but rather allows it to continue. Furthermore, blaming the victim for being raped is, in my opinion, another kind of rape. It is a mental rape, over and above the physical rape of forcing her to commit a sexual act against her will. It is a violation of her humanity.

If it has already happened before, there is a very real danger that it will happen again. If this guy isn't doing this to the same girl, he might be doing it to someone else. If he doesn't have someone else to do it to, then she is definitely in danger of being victimized again. This guy is thinking with his penis, and his brain only enters in to justify and excuse him and consider how to get away with it.

This is NOT HER FAULT. She may very well have made some bad decisions and put herself into bad situations, but that in no way excuses or justifies the crime that this rapist is committing repeatedly.

In a situation like this, the victim might want to tell her parents. Certainly it is worth considering how the person's parents will react. In many cases though, although the parents may initially react with anger, and may fall into the trap of blaming the victim, eventually they will (hopefully) come around and be supportive of their daughter.

A good place to seek help is the school guidance counselor, who (presumably) is trained enough in these matters to put the victim in touch with appropriate help. Regardless, the school administration needs to know what kind of a problem there is in the school so they can ensure the safety not only of this victim but of other girls as well. Hopefully, the school administration will do its job here, and not just cover this all up to keep the school from looking bad -- such kinds of things have been known to occur.

Local law enforcement may be of help. Aside from law enforcement, there are crisis counselors available -- I link to a couple, and there might be some in the victim's local community, depending on where the victim lives. In some cases, if the victim is in a rural area, it may be a long way to appropriate help. Local clergy may be of help, too -- that just depends.


A parting comment to you guys that are thinking you would do this if you "knew" you could get away with it....

You can't. You might escape justice on this earth, but the Lord will get you sooner or later. The only way out is to turn to your Creator, acknowledge the bad things you have done, and make a sincere effort to change and do better. Anything short of that, and you will, in the hereafter, find yourself in special place, with a special guy, who will teach you all there is to know about rape....

Hell exists for a reason.

"All over a colored flag and a few dollars."

Here's another story I heard recently. I took out the names and did other minor editing:

"I only had one real uncle.... He took care of everybody in my family, making sure we were always safe. Now he's gone, dead, one bullet to the head. All over a colored flag and a few dollars. [He] knew a lot of people, he touched a lot of lives. He will be greatly missed...."

Yeah, isn't gang life cool?

Alcohol, Sex and Date Rape

I recently got a story from someone explaining how she went to a friend's house and "got really drunk." While she was drunk she had sex with a guy. She said yes, but, she points out, she was drunk. Now she feels terrible, and is wondering if this is rape.

In many jurisdictions in the United States, the influence of drugs or alcohol is considered when determining whether or not a person "consented" to having sex. The effects of the drugs or alcohol can negate the consent, and the act can be considered a sexual assault or a rape. Another factor that generally negates consent is age; a person who is too young, even though the person eagerly says "yes", is considered to not be able to give consent: hence terms like "age of consent" and "statutory rape".

No matter how much alcohol a person consumes, it does not entitle others to take advantage of that person. People have a right to consume alcohol without being raped; people even have a right to make the mistake of having a "few too many" without being victimized by rapists or robbers or others. Even if the person is under the legal drinking age, and thus violating the law by consuming, that still does not give others the right to violate the law by sexually assaulting that person.

The reality is, however, that there are too many people out there who are completely unscrupulous and will take advantage of any situation.

What this story seems to be, though, is one of those stories where the people under the influence of alcohol did some things that they later regretted and felt bad about. If you look through the websites linked to in the panel to the right dealing with rape and sexual assault, you will discover that one indicator that a sexual assault or "date rape" may have occurred is when one (or both) of the people just feels bad about what happened and the way it happened. If someone has that kind of a feeling afterwards, it may have been a sexual assault. It also may have been just two people who made a bad decision in the heat of the moment. It's a fine line between a crime and bad judgment -- a fine line blurred by drugs and alcohol. That's part of why these kinds of assaults have at times been difficult to prosecute, and that's part of why authorities sometimes don't pursue the case.

Just because you are drunk, that does not give others the right to victimize you. The reality is, however, that consuming alcohol impacts your judgment and your ability to react to the situations around you and makes you an easier target for those who would victimize you. Even if you're with a good crowd of people who are sincerely watching out for you, consuming alcohol can increase the likelihood of something happening that people will later regret.

The World of Su Xiao-Zhen

Para los que hablan español, con mucho gusto puedo recomendarles este blog: El Mundo de Su Xiao-Zhen.

Es el blog de una española; se llama Su Xiao-Zhen y vive en Kuala Lumpur, Malasia, que se encuentra por la orilla del Océano Pacífico. Parece que anda de viajes por su trabajo, y siempre maneja un momento para disfrutar de los lugares exóticos que visita y toma una fotos. Luego regresa y pone en su blog sus fotos con mapas y una descripción del lugar que ha visitado. Es muy interesante; ella obviamente es una blogger de bastante preparación.

También es interesante para mí, un gringo, que ella es española y escribe en español castellano. Por ejemplo, arriba yo escribí "recomendarles" (a ustedes), con mi accento mexicano, pero ella escribiría "recomendaros" (a vosotros), de manera castellana. Sale que ella escribe en español muy correcto, no como yo, cuando típicamente escribo vocales sin accentos -- ¡en este post estoy poniendo atención!

Actualmente ella tiene allí La Belleza de Sabah y Un Mundo aparte llamado Brunei. Vale la pena leerlos y lo demás.

For those of you who don't understand Spanish, Su Xiao-Zhen, a young lady from Barcelona who lives in Kuala Lampur, has the blog referenced above. Even if you can't enjoy the wonderful information in the very correct Castilian Spanish that she writes, there are still beautiful photos and nice maps, and I saw a post in English there, too.

Her blogs (she also has Tres Cosas Hermosas) are worth a visit.



Alright -- let me practice a little: á ó é í ú ñ ¡ ¿

Ripples in a Pond

Greta over at Musings has some thoughts about blogging: Echoes in a Vacuum. It's worth a read.

Personally, instead of echoes in a vacuum, I think of it as ripples in a pond. My comment to her post was this:

The pond is big; we don't know how big, neither can we see its edges. When we toss in a pebble, who knows where the ripples will reach?

But it's the same idea.

Cosmic thoughts....