Sabrina had just returned to these shores after a long break. she looked around her and noticed some desolate area's that used to be populated. She steps out onto the streets and decides to ask the general public their opinions on a few things that had been plaguing her over the last 24 hours.

Good Morning my fellow mafioso. I have come out here to ask your opinions on a certain issue that i feel needs a bit of attention.  I have just returned after a very long break and was reading some of the recent threads in the streets. one of my core beliefs as a mafioso and as a lady, is how i present myself in the eyes of the public. I have seen some people make some pretty nasty comments and threads bashing others and have watched it escalate. I was always taught that they way you present yourself is a direct reflection of your family. Am I being to harsh in your opinion or is there people out here who share my opinion on how you should present yourself in the streets? I believe personally that if you cant be respectful in public you should take it elsewhere in private. I have even seen some very sexist comments made on one thread that made me raise my eye brows. I would like to hear what you guys have to say on this if you guys dont mind.

Sabrina steps off her platform and lights a cigarette while waiting to hear from others on this issue.

The point to remember is there is always freedom of speech, we can never and should never discourage it, to do so, would be a crime against the very fabric of the thing of ours. The problem freedom of speech is, people think it gives them a free hall pass to say what they want to whom they want and as you rightly said, no matter of what stature you hold in this world, you will be judged every single time you step out here.

With the burden of this judgement comes the weight of your words, they carry a certain prominence towards the district/family you represent and rightly so. Obviously there is a hierarchy and for me this should continue within the streets and for most parts it does. You do have the acceptation that think these  rules simply don’t apply to them, not going to mention any names, but I think its safe to assume we can all name a few names.

The trick is to get your points across in a valid respectful way, easy than some think though. Also know when you’re beat, some people have the knack, for the lack of a better term, of being active in the streets, they can argue/debate valid points and do it with decorum, with risking their lives or the lives of their district. 

It’s a tough one though, because what we don’t want to do is discourage people away from the streets, or have this marshal law, were everyone is to scared to venture out here because of said actions, there is such a fine line on what is acceptable and what is not.

I don’t believe in “taking things private”, unless it’s of a sensitive nature, to be blatant, most activity in the streets comes when we have contentious subjects or we have a person (not naming names) or likes to argue or rile people in the streets. I believe that, certain amounts of this activity are good for our community, policing it correctly is the trick here. 

What is apparent though is this, I think the current stronghold have a lot more patience and condor when it comes to being attacked in the streets, age gone by, what we have seen recently wouldn’t have existed, is this a good thing, for me yes it is, of course it is.

I don’t believe in “taking things private”, unless it’s of a sensitive nature, to be blatant, most activity in the streets comes when we have contentious subjects or we have a person (not naming names) or likes to argue or rile people in the streets. I believe that, certain amounts of this activity are good for our community, policing it correctly is the trick here. 

I should have digressed on that Louie, and i do apologize. I wasn't saying that all heated debates should be handled in private, just the ones that get so heated that you start to bring a bad image to your family/district. There is a fine line between having a really nice and entertaining heated debate, and just outright being blatantly disrespectful just because someone said something you don't like, or because you think you can get away with it. There was once a time when the way you acted in public could easily have gotten an entire city killed.

No apologise required, I can not argue with you about that point, in fact I agree whole heartedly, its where decorum and condor come into play, same have mastered the art, some have not. Again, I agree, about the times gone past but I’m just very thankful that we’re out of that stone-age logic and way of thinking; we currently have a set up of people who can actually retaliate with their skills in the art if talking instead of just shooting. 

That’s not to say it can not go back there, because lets be blatant if I monopolised this place and I wanted to enforce a policy that if you disrespect any of my made man, even if you looked at him wrong I would kill you, see that’s the thing that makes the streets what they’re, its so subjective to a certain time frame and set up etc.

But I’m rambling off point, it’s my old age, it happens to the best of us. There is so much negative stigma surrounding the “death of the streets” but I feel its more the streets are reserved for those elect who know how to operate themselves correctly because of times gone by, but I do see that we’re slowly dispelling such a logic and people are coming out here to try to point points across etc.

Louie has the answer straight away. But just a few small points where my opinion differs:

There's no such thing as free speech in our streets. Sure, it may be guaranteed to you on a technicality through the constitution, but we're not the government and we're not know for following the letter of the law. You are only allowed to broadcast your thoughts on these streets with the implicit permission of the greater powers of our business. They absolutely can impose censorship upon you any time they like. Failure to comply is punishable by death.

That isn't to say that one should fear to speak their minds in the streets, only that they should do so with the knowledge that any particular misstep can find them wrapped in a tarp on the side of the turnpike.

Yes, your words certainly do reflect upon your Family, and indeed, your district as a whole. But the funny thing about that is that it's more a comment on your leadership than it is on you. Sure, we all understand that associates and wiseguys are prone to self-inflation and stupid posturing. Kids will be kids, and loudmouths will be mulch. It comes with the territory. But once you earn your proper spot in the Family as a Made Man, you also come into your own as a personality in our world. Suddenly, your opinion means something. Your words carry weight. That's when you absolutely should be speaking your mind, and your boss shouldn't be answering for the stupid things you say, but why you say what you do. Because by handing you your button, your boss vouches for you before the eyes of our entire society. They should know who you are, and be prepared to accept it.

That said, you're absolutely right in highlighting the importance of tact and diplomacy. Sometimes it's all too satisfying to bury someone in public and know that, technically, you're untouchable.

That isn't to say that one should fear to speak their minds in the streets, only that they should do so with the knowledge that any particular misstep can find them wrapped in a tarp on the side of the turnpike.

Kilgore dear,

That alone would prevent some from even coming to the streets let alone put the fear of God into anyone who wanted to give the streets a try. In my humble opinion, you are as good as saying, say the wrong thing and ill shoot you myself.

“That alone would prevent some from even coming to the streets let alone put the fear of God into anyone who wanted to give the streets a try. In my humble opinion, you are as good as saying, say the wrong thing and ill shoot you myself.”

I honestly do not think we’re at that point any more, I think we have since move vastly past it, you only have too look back through the last month or so, the wherewasi bloodline repeatedly bashed everyone and anything that stood before him. He shunned god fathers, crew leaders and made man and he had ne regard for their rank or respected position.(im not slating line and don’t want to get into a discussion about him)  I’m simply using his behaviour as an example. He lived for these repetitive “sins” his head wasn’t asked for every day, he did however get demoted, 0n his own request I believe.
For me this proves we have evolved (enough) to try to encourage activity, of any kind. Because on the flip side, the people in power cant be seen to be killing everyone who would disagree/slate/call names, don’t get me wrong they can, of course they can, tis the nature of our beast, but I think a continues effort has been made (since the roman days) to drive away from killing people who speak their minds, respectively. 

A prime example is myself, I am long in the tooth around these parts, I have never had a street presence, simply for the fear of saying the wrong thing, but now I’m confident in the current set up, that we’re past such behaviours and I think more people are of the same opinion.

I believe that we should put our best foot forward every time we make an effort to speak in the streets. Many of us are a representation of prominent families, and those who aren't, hope to represent them some day.

However, at times people get their priorities mixed up - be it in the heat of the moment, a sense of entitlement, or lack of knowledge - and say things that aren't exactly appropriate to say. They hide behind the old "freedom of speech" amendment, or attempt to minimize the issue by saying, "It's just a question/opinion". This has the potential of getting them in trouble, because fact is, you are being watched. If someone happens to hear you say the wrong thing, you could be reprimanded or in extreme cases, killed over it. But since we don't see that happening as of late, people are taking more and more liberties with what they say, because in their eyes, there are no consequences for their actions.

I believe personally that if you cant be respectful in public you should take it elsewhere in private.

The thing is, people come out for the disrespectful comments, because it entertains them. If you try to stop their source of entertainment, you may find yourself at the center of attention (for bad reasons).

That alone would prevent some from even coming to the streets let alone put the fear of God into anyone who wanted to give the streets a try. In my humble opinion, you are as good as saying, say the wrong thing and ill shoot you myself.

It is up to the family to teach members what is and is not appropriate to say in the streets. People may be hesitant but if they come to the streets with other family members and they support each other with their words, they find that the streets, and what they say in them, is nothing to fear at all.

Also, I agree that people shouldn't be killed by mere name-calling. However, if this is commonplace for certain people, and not an exception, they tend to say more things that can potentially cross a line. Then they get confused and say, "I'm not allowed to say what I want - I can't call someone a name!". It can be a slippery slope at times if people are not careful.

Kilgore dear,

That alone would prevent some from even coming to the streets let alone put the fear of God into anyone who wanted to give the streets a try. In my humble opinion, you are as good as saying, say the wrong thing and ill shoot you myself.

Sabrina honeybaby, 

In essence, yeah, that's the basic idea. Though, it's not as direct a threat as you may think, there's no use being surprised and upset if or when it happens.

My friend Louie is, once again, correct. The simple fact is that, following current trends, you most likely won't get murdered for speaking your mind in public. Use that knowledge to your advantage. But at the same time, don't think for a second that it can't happen. After all, even though it may have fallen into disuse, it's still a defining truth in our world, and one that can be dredged up from its dormancy at any given moment without notice.

That said, I still don't see it as a reason to be discouraged from speaking in the streets. There was a time before when terminal censorship was enacted quite freely, with an iron fist, and somehow our forefathers managed to get by. Learn to be smart with your speech. Use your words as a weapon of skill, rather than a bludgeon. And if you've really got some ugly truth to spill and you just can't sit on it? Well, there's a time when you've just got to say fuck it and dive in.

In our line of work, catching a lump of hot lead in the brain stem isn't a question of if, but when. Either way, it is going to happen someday. Would you rather that lonely gunshot come as the final punctuation to decades of ducking, hiding and weaseling about, or a few years of standing up in the hard wind and keeping your principles?

We don't know how or when we'll die (a few borderline personalities aside), but it's up to us and us alone to decide how we live.

In gracing this streets I have but few standards..and that is...what ever is say or how ever I act must reflect positively to not only me but the crew that I belong to.

...I will only say this. I was gone for 2 years and upon returning I realized that most of the Mafioso running around may possibly believe they are gangsters..... This is sad, but a fact. I leave it at that.

Shakes her head and wanders away to do business.

times change so do people, and where disrepect and freedom of speech cross is always a concern.  Personally i think a point can be made well without the petty name calling and childishness that occurs sometimes but depending on the family i guess depends on the rules regarding respect on the streets.

Personally i look at it as a smear on one's own family especially if a made man or above droppin to pettiness and my advice to people sometimes is don't drop to others levels.  Is easy to get under someones skin, and the hard part is not being dragged into an early grave through it.

I completely agree. Everyone here has made some great points and i respect every opinion i have gathered. Thank you to those who took the time to give their opinion on the subject.

One thing i always try to do is avoid the petty arguments and name calling as it does nothing for both parties involved except piss each other off even more. I wonder sometimes if those petty arguments and name calling is nothing more than a dick measuring contest between the two people involved as it sometimes goes on for like three or four pages.