|
The first issue of the Bella Vista Bulletin seemed to make its way into the hands of many- achieving distribution into the cities of New York, Chicago, and others. It was little more than a test run to ensure the printers functioned as intended. And with that test run lacking any major failures, Rawley saw fit to expand the paper for Issue #2. He coordinated with printers the night before so that it would be available Sunday morning.
Bella Vista Bulletin, Issue #2, Page 1
JAILS FILLED EN MASSE:
"WHAT ABOUT MY RIGHTS?"
The police forces of the six major cities made a show of force this weekend, arresting hundreds- possibly thousands- of individuals and placing them in jail. It's unclear what spurred this event- stirring questions of whether evidence has been brought in or if a pending conspiracy indictment could follow. Those who have been caught up in this whirlwind of justice have described it as "kinda nice," citing it as an opportunity to hone their jailbreaking skills.
Civil rights advocates have protested the actions, saying that indiscriminately locking up anyone who isn't awake or alert enough to resist is not justice, but an opportunistic ploy to fill the nation's prisons. "What kind of policy is that?" Asked Marshall Jones, representative to a local civil rights group. "If you've had your coffee, you're free to go. If you're sleeping off a hangover, you go to jail?"
Others have noted the disorganized execution of the broad mandate. "Many of those being locked up are their own officers," attorney William Morris said, "what are they, caught in the crossfire?" A Philadelphia police sergeant who asked to be quoted anonymously said, "our annual report with recidivism statistics are gonna take a hit."
As this nationwide operation came to a close Sunday night, many were left with more questions than answers. But more importantly, more drug units as well.
LAS VEGAS BLOODSHED:
AN ACT OF DEFENSE?
Earner SpikeS, chosen to serve as deputy to Martin, the head of Paradise, Las Vegas, approached the streets with a controversial explanation for the events that caused the demise of his district's former occupants. Broadcasting this message from the balcony of an HQ constructed atop the graves of the individuals he blamed for the bloodshed, SpikeS meandered between diary-like entries about his father's personal hygiene habits and descriptions of the events leading up to the war.
A collection of young individuals, presenting themselves to be the children of former Paradise leadership, refuted SpikeS's description of the events and seemed to side instead with the pile of corpses that were once their beloved mothers and fathers. The conversation lacked much back-and-forth, as the content of the disagreement amounted to little more than the classic, irresistible "no u".
Notably absent from the speech or the conversation that followed was any explanation for the death of DeadlySpike himself. Given the attention SpikeS paid to the intimate detail of his father's bathing habits, the decision to omit the cause of his death seemed to place its relevance somewhere below a proper count of bubbles in the bathtub.
Nonetheless, despite the setbacks and challenges faced by the current regime to root out and destroy assailants and their collaborators, by all accounts they have achieved a return to the status quo. With several members of the regime capable of achieving the much-desired rank of Godfather in the next few weeks, and despite many losses in the conflicts, the regime represented by SpikeS has successfully consolidated its power and bolstered its grip.
Bella Vista Bulletin, Issue #2, Page 2
TAKING A LOOK AROUND
Fresh faces in the six cities have gotten to work.
One of the most pivotal indicators of the state of our world is the presence of our leaders. When they're committed to being good stewards to their cities, districts, and crews, they broadcast a standard to which they ought to be held. And when they meet that standard, they ought to be recognized and commended. And when they fail to do that, they ought to be seen for what they are. That is why a new section of the Bulletin will feature "A Look Around", where the current state of the crews and crew leaders is evaluated.
New York
The Big Apple is unquestionably the largest city, with over a quarter of our world's population residing within its three districts. With five crews, no other city even comes close. But what about their leadership? Godfather Chairman Allie made her first appearance in the Streets in the past month and a half to lend her public support to city of Los Angeles, which has faced many of its own challenges these past few weeks.
The other leaders in New York set a precedent for activity- with many, both young and old, committing plenty of time to their work.
Philadelphia
The home city of the Bella Vista Bulletin, Philadelphia, is the next-largest with almost 19% of mobsters living within its three districts. With both dons BrassMonkey and Cadhla on the precipice of becoming Godfathers, an air of excitement abounds within the city's borders. While many are still grieving the sudden and confusing demises of Vittorio and Madness, others remain optimistic about the city's future.
The crewleaders themselves are incredibly committed to being active and present for their crews- setting an example of internal networking and public appearances that merits recognition and, perhaps, emulation.
Los Angeles
The city of Fallen Angels has been marked by struggles ever since the "botched" removal of Paradise, the "botched" HQ management of Philip_Ligambi- who has now left Los Angeles to be a left-hand man in Las Vegas- and the "botched" removal of Don Denaro. Despite these struggles, the city has a rich history, a rich supply of young, aspiring leaders, and a rich uncle to finance the operation.
What Los Angeles lacks in decision-making, they make up for in... something. With very few public appearances and a minimal commitment to internal availability (read: "Extremely Low"). Leadership in Los Angeles seems content to coast on the esteemed connections of the former city head, Joe_Ligambi.
Chicago
The Windy City has benefited from the peaceful status quo established and maintained by the regime. Among its population which composes 14% of our thing are renowned superhero Omni-Man and less-renowned street-speaker Ronnie- who has approached the streets in an attempt to crowd-fund his crew's HQ fortifications. An up-to-the-minute assessment of this initiative reveals that it is: not going well.
In typical superhero fashion, Omni-Man seems committed to being available internally and externally- though we at the Bulletin think we'd like to see more of him. Ronnie and DeadlySin, however, have adopted a less strenuous regimen to guide their leadership.
Las Vegas
The City of Sin has rebounded quickly after an abrupt change in leadership. With leadership roles originating from several different cities, Las Vegas is seen as a patchwork city led, in large part, by the young RH to Paradise's new leader Martin.
With three districts, Las Vegas has more room to grow than both Chicago and Detroit. Given the recent constructions of their headquarters, it's clear there is still much to do in Las Vegas to restore it to former glory.
Detroit
With the delayed authorization of apparent Russian immigrant Bogdan, the Motor City has turned over a new leaf. In a city otherwise dominated exclusively by Italians, Bogdan's got his work cut out for him. While Bogdan's is one of the newest HQs, he's had seemingly minimal difficulty filling it, as he now has more members than two of Las Vegas's three leaders.
All that to say, it may be too early to judge Detroit- perhaps the allure of the all-to-lucrative Cocaine prices is doing more work than the leaders themselves.
Breaking ground in the business district.
In addition to evaluating the leadership of our six cities, the Bulletin's writers have seen that, in some cities, a revitalization of the Business District has been fueled by entrepreneurs- young and old. Members of the editorial board have begun traveling around the country and visiting these establishments to see which ones are worth a stop.
Today's reviews come from the Windy City, where BeefStroganoffer and Ganymede have each created unique experiences that can't be found anywhere else. At Beef's Buffet, Stroganoffer makes available the best the Pickle Packers have to offer. What makes Beef's Buffet special is the service- attracting thousands of hungry patrons every single day.
At The Turkey Club, Ganymede brings an artisanal take on a classic. One may think they are asking for a routine deli sandwich, perhaps, but instead Ganymede delivers something that would belong more aptly in a horrifying German short film. Checking it out yourself is the only way to see if it's worth the visit.
Bella Vista Bulletin, Issue #2, Page 3
MESSAGES FROM THE EDITORIAL BOARD
Stewardship and Standards: The Oldest Argument Ever
The stories and subjects in this issue have alluded to a "standard" that ought to, in some way, be applied to today's leaders. That standard includes things like activity, public appearances, not dissolving your own HQ on accident, but it also speaks to a broader principle that perhaps isn't being fully or faithfully represented elsewhere. It is perhaps the oldest possible argument this world has, the question of whether leaders are "good enough" to lead.
Founding a crew is no more a path to fame and money than it is a path to headaches. It has always been about what one does with that bold suit than the suit itself, as whatever "power" is found in that role is disproportionately met with targets on one's back. Many times, leaders can feel like little more than customer service, relegated to explaining the same things over and over again dozens of times while doing their best to stave off oblivion for the frustratingly un-herdable little sheep they tend.
Stewardship is the standard. That's not to say crewleaders are, in some way, a "public servant". They're not. They're not elected, they're chosen. Stewardship is about enmeshing one's interests with the interests of their city, district, or crew, and representing those interests faithfully- and ideally, with a vision.
While the content of this paper may jest about the removal of Paradise- most of the characters in that story were doing exactly what's described here. Joe_Ligambi and DeadlySpike were not stewards of Paradise. But Petah was. And Petah responded to the removal of that district the way a steward would- that his own interests had been violated. While it was a tragic loss of life, it actually amounts to things operating largely as they should:
- DeadlySpike, a steward of his city and his regime, predicted a looming strike from Las Vegas.
- Joe_Ligambi, a steward of his city and his regime, acted on those intuitions and sought the removal of Paradise.
- Petah, a steward more of his city than his regime, retaliated against those who attacked Paradise.
One can faithfully argue whether these actions were ones of credible suspicion or plain paranoia- and I'm sure many have and will- but the actions themselves follow this principle.
The question now becomes- does that stewardship extend beyond just eliminating threats? Is there a vision beyond simply wanting to remove those one deems hazardous to their interests? Or is it just a status quo?
It is the position of the editorial board of this paper that this world and its cities deserve a vision. For if there is no vision, then there's no appeal to stewardship, either. Any effort to be a steward is a potential disruption to that status quo. But every single leader with a crew today has been empowered to decide, for themselves and their crew members, what that vision is or will be. We just hope it's more than simply existing- otherwise, what's the point?
What comes next?
The context and content of this paper will continue to adapt and change as this world changes. Its vision, however, is to present information such that you, the reader, can choose for yourself what to think or believe. As such, the creators behind this paper would like to extend open invitations for feedback and interviews for those who feel there's more that ought to be shared. But, furthermore, we also encourage those individuals to make their thoughts known in their own way, their own style, and their own message.
|
