John squeezed his fingers one by one to renew the circulation against the harsh Chicago winter. It was so cold that he felt it in his bones. A sudden shudder overtook him and he chuckled a little when he realized that it wasn’t from the chill in the air. Stepping away from the light pole he was propped against, he made his way into the center of the street.

     "All the dead are buried, for most I dug the graves. Whether you called your home New York or Chicago what has been done has been done. I have said payers over many bodies in my short time here, all of them were equitable in my eyes, and all of them are still dead, so we know that I am no messiah. At the end of the day, justified or not, all that matters is that each one of us stood on our honor.

     It’s a funny little word that few can truly use in a definition of themselves. It means that you were true to your beliefs and loyal to your cause. It means that if you were beaten that you came back, put your head down and your nose back to the grindstone. No man or woman here is bulletproof and not one of you can say that you haven’t done the same to someone else. The only innocents in our world are children and I see none in our streets. No one is owed anything in this life and if you were born with anything more than your name then step forward at tell us all how to become so fortunate. 

     In the end we all trade on our honor. So set down your pointed words and scale back your acid tongues. Today’s heroes will be tomorrow’s villains and you will have another war to fight. I will pray over the bodies and I will dig the graves and I will watch as you yell across the street at each other."

Often war is what shows our true colours more then peace which is always of great interest to me, whether jumping ship mid war, or trying to bribe to stay alive is a fascinating thing.  Many need a hero and a villain, but will always be opinion i guess as you mentioned, for me my fathers death left me with tasks to do before I potentially disappear into the shadows.

Having heard JohnRodham speak, Maria smiled, filled with pride at the sight of a member of the Suburbs stepping forward with such an eloquent first speech. Tucking her hair behind her ear, she inhaled the last of the cigarette she had been holding, before throwing the end to the ground and stepping on it. Exhaling the smoke, she began to speak.

"The circle of life, John. It governs our world, it carries us all. As much as we may wish to believe that we are immune to this, there remains a simple truth: all men die. All things must one day come to an end. Quite often those endings are sad. Even among victors there are losses which must be mourned, bodies which must be buried, children who must take the place of their fallen parent. Focusing on what is best for business doesn't make the loss of a friend on the "other side" any easier, either. But it is the way of our world, and fighting it is useless. We live and we die, our children take our places, and that's... that's how it works.

Discussion is good. Discussion is healthy, discussion makes our streets busy and full of life, keeps the presses of our printers churning out the latest news, keeps us all honest and holds us somewhat accountable - it encourages us to justify our actions, to open our decisions up to judgement. But bitterness, hostility, anger... it fuels very little, other than the loss of honor and respect.

A very insightful speech, my friend. Thank you."

Curtis listened to the Capo speak. He was impressed and found himself nodding while being taken with the lyrical speaker.

"John. A beautiful speech. Poetic and lyrical as well as poignant and philosophical. Your view is both mature and dignified, your expression flawless. I have nothing but respect and admiration for what you have said here today and the way you have said it. I hope you are fully appreciated by those who employ you."

Walking over to John he shook his hand warmly.

Standing at the front of the gathered audience, Paul to the words of his Left Hand Man. He was captivated by his words. Once he had finished his speech he stepped forward to reply.

"An exceptional speech John; all the more impressive that it is the first time you have spoken. You deliver your words with astounding eloquence.

"As Godmother Maria said, all things must eventually come to an end. Discussion among mobsters on these streets is of course highly valued and important, no more so than in the discussion of conflict. The victors will of course always write the history books, and it is their stories and justifications that will be brought to these streets to be discussed, and picked over.

A long time ago, I spoke about this myself; it was the first speech I ever made on these streets. There will naturally be a degree of bitterness from many who have seen their loved ones perish at the hands of another mobster, but I find a great number of their next of kin approach this sensitive issue with dignity. Many of whom recognise that this is a sad consequence of this life, and look to follow in the footsteps of their esteemed parents.

Once again, thank you John for the thought-provoking discussion today."

With a great degree of pride, Paul stepped forward and shook John's hand.