Walking back from the funeral home Tom thinks back to the many journals he read while growing up and there was one thing that stuck out in his mind. He walks into a busy cafe and orders a coffee, noticing an old family friend in the corner he walks over and joins them.

Greetings old friend, it's been to long. I hate to start right into this but this is something I just can't contain for much longer.

lights up a smoke and takes a long draw

You remember all those old diaries and journals we used to read, there were the ones about Omerta, family values, respect.

His companion nods accordingly

Well I overheard a few things today that reminded me about one, one that cause quite a stir in the old days. Funerals and respect, long ago the funeral homes were a place that had everything a good soap opera had, there was love, there was hate. Then there were a few who decided that a funeral home should be a place of respect, it was considered hallowed ground.

takes another draw from his smoke before continuing

The debates raged wild, many voiced their support that the funerals should be treated with a reverend respect, that no matter what the person did in life they and their family should be allowed peace to mourn, by the end it was found that disrespecting the dead was something that could end badly for those that spoke up.

taking another draw from his smoke and sighs

Now I'm not going to tell you what I heard and I'm not going to try to tell you I understand why certain things were said. But I have to ask, have we lost sight of who we are? Yes we are criminals, we steal, we kill, we do what needs to be done to ensure we are as strong as we can be. But we aren't just ordinary criminals, what separates us from the nameless thugs and hoods is our code of honour, our code of respect. Omerta

sits back in his chair and casually glances round the room

I look at times now, I see how far we have come in our society. Hell if our great grandfathers could see us now, know what it's like to live in our time they would give there right arm to make the money we make, to have the protection we have, the guns we have. But I wonder, with all the things we have now, has our way of life slipped? Have we lost something that should be at the heart of our very soul?

Personally, I'm all for respect at funerals. I feel you should be able to say what you wish about the deceased providing you stay within certain boundaries. Obviously, if you walk in and spit on their grave and scream obscenities at their grave then you've overstepped the mark.

I also feel that some aspects of society have possibly slipped, but is it a backwards step or is it just the direction of evolution that has changed. When my forefathers first came to these shores people spoke of how things had changed in recent times. Now i look back and realise how much they've changed. Our society is always changing, new blood appears here all the time and their attitudes affect the rest of our society. Similiarly, the Capo Di tutti Capo of the time dictates the general tones of the underworld.

You speak of Honour and Omerta. It seems these ideals are hardly valued anymore. At least not by the majority. Loyalty, is often a term also thrown around loosely. We often see survivors of war or the weak minded jump ship. Whatever happened to going down with the ship? Who knows but it's another change that our society has seen similiar to so many others.

I honestly believe that those at the funeral should consist of close friends or family. Yes pay your respects if you respected the person, but my momma always told me if you've nothing good to say about someone then don't say anything at all.

Your true are society is a fluidic one that is ever changing, but there are certain things that are integral to the life we live and who we are, it's what makes us more than just a common street rat.

Yes I speak of Honour, Omerta. Is it that they aren't valued? Or is it that those who stick true to them are the only ones who actually understand what they mean? Loyalty is something that I've spoken about in other places and I don't wish to reiterate the same thing over and over again like a broken record. But you've brought an interesting situation up, there are many of us in families who will gladly go down with the ship, but then there are those who have cash hidden over the city. Almost as if they are waiting for the cold kiss of death to come, so that their kid can have a slight advantage over the next kid that arrives on the boat.

But well we all know that happens more and more each day. There are many who think that their opinions are more important than the bosses, but here is the kicker. Why you join that family you agree to their rules, become made and your ties just get stronger. Blood in, Blood out is something you rarely hear these days. Your boss goes to war, you go to war simple as that. You made your commitment right back at the start of your career when you accepted that invite. After all your boss has sheltered you, the family has nurtured you, if the shit hits the fan and you turn you back your slapping everyone who ever did anything for you right in the face.

Funerals are a touchy subject apparently

But in my opinion and only my opinion death was the final penalty a mobster pays...whatever wrong they have committed death is the punishment!

if people cant let the dead rest in peace its totally wrong , shouting abuse at someone's final resting place is for sure overstepping boundaries,wheither it was someone who deserved too die or not their life is over and they deserve respect for the life they lead,in my opinion i wouldnt even let my worsed enemies grave be spat on in my eyes its just something you dont do.

People often respect their enemies deep inside its one of the reasons they hate them

(OOC- good discussion btw )

I have to say, I find it mildly amusing when I venture into a rogue's funeral and find that anyone publically mourning the deceased rogue, they often are reprimanded over it for "showing support" to the rogue's cause. Simply by being at their funeral must clearly tie you into their wrongdoings!

I tend to steer clear of funerals just due to the tetchiness that comes with any venture into them. In that train of thought, I agree with Method's statement that funerals are a touchy subject. In all honesty, I do like the idea that a bit of pride and dignity should be held at funerals and if you can't keep a civil tongue then just don't attend. We have to seperate ourselves from the riff raff and remain the idols of Organised Crime.

The reason for this is quite simple. A good percentage of the community has lost it's value of human life. This is nothing new,it has begun happening a long time ago. With people living longer and advancing in their careers faster than before,the value of a life in these streets means nothing anymore. Basically if you see someone disrespecting another in a funeral,this person has no value for a live person in these streets let alone that they might give two fucks about them after they are dead. Usually disrespect at a funeral gets you dead quickly,but if these people have no value of the lives of others, they may not give a shit about themselves either. Is there a solution? We as a society can make as many rules and guidelines as we want.rules will be broken and the sun will come up tomorrow. Just kill the fucks who break the rules and carry on.

Yes that was quite a few words from someone who doesn't give a fuck.

~ Apathetic by name, Apathetic by nature ~

Christian, I have to say I agree with you. So what if you visit a rogues funeral to pay your respects. Yes what they did may have been wrong, but if they are an old friend no matter what they did your still gonna want to say goodbye.

turns to Apathy and laughs

That has to be the most you've said in a long while. Oh I do love to hear you as well, for you a spade has always been a spade and nothing else. However maybe your right, maybe our ability to live longer has cheapened the lives we have. Maybe it's the fact we know that our kids can quickly rise up through our society that cheapens the lives we have so much.

This is the circle of life. As we grow stronger and wiser in some areas it can be debated that we grow lazy and careless in others. Just because a man drives to work every day doesn't mean he's forgotten how to walk. If a man speaks disrespectful at a funeral it does not mean he is not respectful.

One funeral out of fifty has disrespect in it does not mean we, as a society, are devolving. It means just the opposite. Now if many funerals were littered with disrespectful words then we'd have a problem.

Respect isn't one thing, it's many things to many people. Personally I'd feel it disrespectful to have people attend my funeral that I had never met, talked to or knew and only mumble a few words about my soul resting. What's the point of that? Just to say they did? I'd rather have the people that didn't like me or didn't like things I did to say their final peas and continue on with their lives. At least it'd make a splash.

Now, that's my opinion, but it's still a fact that respect comes in different shades for different people. It's all in the way things are presented and perceived. The same situation could be viewed as respectful and another could see it as a disrespectful.

Miss Murdock, I agree with your sentiments that having a string of people you have never met attending your funeral and saying only a few words is not welcome. However there are many in our society that garner fame and notoriety. They reach lofty perks and there are many who know of them, respect what they have achieved but have never had the opportunity to convey this respect in the person life. So they attend the funeral as it is a chance for them to say what they have always wanted. To me that would be an honour, having people I've never met come to my funeral and pay respects to the life I have led.

But the flip side of that I would not want people there who would be disrespecting of me, sure making a splash is good. But the final resting place is somewhere for my friends and family to come and I would not wish for them to feel aggravated by someone who would wish to disturb the peace of the graveside.

Going to a funeral to disrespect the dead, causes no pain or suffering for the deceased. But it does cause it for those who are there to say their final goodbye.

After speaking to a few of the people involved I think they are regretting what was said too. Funerals are a place for loved ones to grieve. No matter what they did in their lives, it has now ended. If people had such a problem with this guy it should have been dragged out in the coffeeshops or even better... here, in our fair streets for all to see and comment on. But also on the flipside... praising someone for effectively being a rogue? That, in my eyes deserves the death penalty.

As for the rogue in question, the reason for his actions were IDIOTIC, he crossed a line that should NEVER be crossed (mixing up coffeeshop talk and this world). He deserved to be spat on, shat on and ridiculed, just not at his funeral.

I do believe we have lost something from this world that at the moment I think will not (not cannot) be replaced. We need people to step up to the plate is all. I know that there are mobster out there with the capabilites, they are just struggling to get motivated at the moment.