Hickey, you are a Don for Detroit, I can respect that you would be defensive towards a speech that has not made any clear accusations, but whose context is clear.  To that point, I will be happy to put things in the open, as it seems to be a driving point.  A few nights ago, the Bonaserita incident occurred and caused New York a great deal of loss.  Immediately following that incident, Godfather Premeir suffered a very public insult by the Consigliere TheGreenFairy of Detroit on New York's management.  She was summarily dealt with and the issue put to bed for the time being.  Not 48 hours later, the RHM of the entire city of Detroit made a very similar attack on New York's Godfather and the way he operates HIS city and found himself buried next to TheGreenFairy.

This speech could easily have pertained to that specific set of events, but it didn't.  I've worked with both New York and Detroit long enough to know both city heads, and that the issue was handled amicably and with respect to each other.  I'd imagine this speech was a result of witnessing those events and other punishments for disrespect that have sprung up recently, and being genuinely curious where our current state of our standards resides at.

I did the very same thing the other day after the Bonaserita mess occurred.  I took one event and asked a generalized question of whether or not we as a community are too quick to jump on top of somebody based on past actions instead of waiting for the facts to reveal themselves.  This is the same process many of our speeches have been formed under for generations, and while I'm glad to see a Don step up for his city, I think once the question was answered it was probably best to remove yourself instead of keeping up with the inquisition.

My question at the start was mainly directed at Lovegun since she made the thread, she had given me the answer. I think we'll it at that.

After TheBigEasy's nightly stroll through the park he decides he wants to sit down and have a cup
of tea at his favorite spot, whichever one has the most ladies. Once he notices a lovely female
pirate giving a speech to a crowd he knows that this is the spot for him. After a few intelligent
comments he quickly realizes this isn't the place for him, even the drunken pirate is obviously more
intelligent than him. He slowly tries to make his way towards the exit as a dull draws over the crowd.
As if they were hungry for blood they sniff the air for the next to talk. A man pulls TheBigEasy's
arm into the air and pushes him towards the front. "We have a speaker" The man yelled.

I uhh...he takes a deep breathe

I'm not good at this sort of thing. One loud "boo" cries from the crowd.

We must unit! He exclaims as he slams his fist against the wall. After noticing no reaction he
fixes his suit collar and tries again.

I'm a man of simplicity. Meager means and even meager...he pauses and rolls his eyes up...I just
want whats best is what I'm trying to say. If what we have now isn't the best, then what is? People
keep mentioning "the good ol days" but what of the people that never lived through them? Isn't today the best we've had?

Change. It has been in almost every statement here today. I'm not opposed to new fresh idea's but
in order for that to happen we need to have new fresh people. The problem with new people, lack of
morals. They don't know the correct ways and when they are taught them they don't have the patience
or discipline to enact them to our standards. Where does this leave us? Here, I guess. The same people
doing the same things. Though, is there anything wrong with that? My father always told me, "If
it isn't broken don't fix it. Either that or get a divorce, marriage is the root of all evil."

To make sense of all my ramblings: I don't understand why there is cause for change when, to the
simple minded, everything appears to be great. If the necessity of the change is beyond my understanding
then what exactly can an individual, that hasn't lived in the "glory" days, do to make what they've
always known as normal better?

I'd take a stab and stay that a significant part of the reason that standards have somewhat dropped are because of the never-ending rat race that consumes each city in their efforts to compete with others.

While growth hasn't necessarily exploded, the criminal community has indeed gotten larger over the years, prompting each crew to deploy their own little recruiters out to the docks, babying each one that comes by, ever willing to offer help with no expectation of a return aside from the possibility that the person in question will join your family. Society has shifted from the no name member on the streets earning respect and proving his worth to earn an invitation to people of rank attempting to woo every unsponsored member that moves. Obviously, people are doing this better than others, which explains why a good portion of crews have only filled half of their capacity. We've also noticed some returning bloodlines now almost unabashedly expecting perks to rejoin their old crew; in the effort to keep these members, and their other ones, for that matter, happy, the community has done a reversal of what was usually expected in the old days of business.

Crews are looking for their bottom line, which is essentially cash, bodyguards, and forming a decent troupe of hitters in the infinite race to stay relevant to their competition in our society. When you take out the pervasive personalities, games, banter and everything else that makes this community what it is - that bottom line essentially boils down to a spreadsheet and numbers. With that logic, if their bottom line is expedited by quicker promotions and advancement due to lax standards, is it really that surprising that people perceive our standards as dwindling?

Jimmy stepped off his airplane.. it has been a rough couple weeks for business with the loss of friends, expenses and problems both at home and on the streets where he was conducting business.. Jimmy could hear all the talks about standards, changes and where our world is at.. Looking around he took a seat next to a window and started to scribble some thoughts onto a piece of paper while waiting for his connecting airplane

Our world has grown and changed, with both new leadership and old leadership combined together to create what you see today. We live in a society right now where money prevails and those in charge are quicker to pick up a pen and fix the issue, rather than pick up a pistol.. and because of that I think a lot of people are alive today who might not be in previous times and a lot of people are lucky because they never lived in an age where rules were cutthroat and lack of being with the norm would get you a body bag and your city burned down and although we love the action and miss the violence - the simple fact of being alive and consistent business practices is key and important.

This comes with some good and bad just like anything else in our business, but when we look at it from an outsiders view it looks like standards have slipped when in reality they have changed and molded and are not really right or wrong but just how they are right now and as with the tides of our world things have always changed. A lot of things being done in every city even if it is not made public, and you can believe that when you see a small issue get handled diplomatically and the issue is squashed quick and business resumes to normal within hours. Communication is key, both for those who it effects and those who just want to watch but just like everyone mentioned above, communication must still be done with respect because although we live in times of money and progress.. we live in a nation with the most guns in the world and people who are not afraid to use them but we have matured enough where we don't need to as often

We must constantly strive and sometimes even be reminded of who were are, where we are and what we want to accomplish.. because we must remember when we get tired and are about done.. there is 1500 other mobsters wanting to take our place.

Jimmy sighed a little bit and watched a few airplanes take off.. flying into the sunset..not knowing exactly what else he wanted to say he folded up the paper and slammed it against the wall.. where it stuck

Hearing the words of several well know and respected mobsters Paul feels he must speak his mind.

Standards hmmm yes standards. We have chosen to be part of our own little sociaty thats apart from the normal sociaty the nine to five slaves live in. We do this for many reasons but common for us all are we have the courage to carve out our own fortune and live a life of wealth and excitement instead of going to the threadmill of a normal job.This must or should atleast mean we are hardass that are ambitious and strive for the top and who are not afraid of jail or death. So how to set standards for this sort of men, how to make em respect not only the leaders but the very essence of this thing of ours...in my mind a gun wont work nor will threats of no promotions or fines...This sort of people must be lead by example, they must be inspired and most importantly they must be made to feel apart of something bigger than just a lose group of people doing post office jobs and drug deliverys. That is to me the essence, the feeling of belonging to a family, if you have that feeling youll respect your boss and go to the grave for him with a smile...so thats very the work should be put in. Communication making people feel apart. So are the cls now party arrangers or clowns that should make their crew happy by any means NO certainly not, but alot of work should be put into making that family feel and to making sure that the talk goes and a bigger thing is buildt than the sum of the people in the crew...marietta was mentioned here...my bloodline came to these shores and grew up in motor city, and i do know that this was just what i felt...Part of something bigger, respected, inspired to respect other and seen and heard. That being said i agree with the prior speakers argument that the ways thing are done should not be just like it was done in the past succesfull or not. But the essence is that standards are set by the way the leaders behave and treat their men...not by stricter rules 

Watching for a while as the tone of discussion rises and falls, he sits on a box crunching into an apple.

New abilities, competions and features of society bring query, caution  and concerns from some sectors of our society but sometimes i think is the only thing that keeps our society alive.  I have read the journals of my forefathers about the  difference between numbers of members back in the day, bodyguards, rank speed etc which all have had an impact on our societty.
My family line comes from a day of bustling streets, earner to made man crew leaders and shock when people made capo or boss.  I found more people wanted to talk to others and was a feeling more to work hard, being a caporegime in a family was a place of honour and was people had more loyalty to a family.  I know when i set up recently i had to mail leaders of more then one family whose members were offering themselves to me if i gave them a position, a similar problem that occured when i served as lil-waynes right hand man.

Building a person up with strong values starts at the base recruiting the right people, or recruiting people who can be shaped into the right people in my opinion.  Training the people so they know what they are doing, and then when authed making sure they are ready for it, but giving the right support at each stage.  The person who then started as a student is now closer to the masters level and can then implant his knowledge on others as something you can only learn when working your way up and learning where your hired goons keep their information.
I have noticed how much more time i have devoted to my new family since I went in to business for myself.   At the same time I am building relationships in and out of the city I find myself drawn away from the streets.  I find little things like building and analyzing members suddenly more important as want to run a tight ship.  Does this mean my respect for the streets has gone, no, but does me i have to aportion my time differently.

I have been lucky we live in a time where most members of our society have a higher standard of self preservation, intelligence, ambition and patience.  I watch as i see people become more then they thought they could, and the rewards to themselves and I in the process.  I believe when a rule is broken though the punishment has to fit the crime, if someone is newer to the world you dont shoot them for a mis-post, or something spoke in the wrong alley; where a matter of family business  or dangers to the family are created  then the people die in mysterious circumstances but they need to learn why so the next of kin doesnt repeat the same error.

I have had my fair share of misguided mails recently which were not supposed to reach my mail box, but am not gonna question someones leadership simply because i still learn and build when working for myself and know at the end of the day how tired i can be and how easy it is to press the wrong button, or put something in the wrong outbox.  When  person repeats a mistake over and over and refuses to learn, when its the end of their careers and ties to me.

Although to a degree some standards have dropped, others have rose.  The hard work of members, the willingness to donate i have found, team work and communication have been great since I set up shop plus is a lot more room for respectful discussion instead of accusation and insult as i have seen in the past.  Though problems still exist we dont suddenly join an enterprise and become perfect, and even with training and time, their is always something we can work on.  In any other enterprise this is the same, so although we are often coming into this world more capable and enthusiastic, we have to be careful we dont get ahead of ourselves with what we say in that confidence and enthusiasm.