First off I’m not going to sit here and deny that bloodlining for little to no reason happens. Of course it does. There are some people that cannot let go of the past and need to continually punish people for their predecessors’ actions. Is it quite a sad state of affairs when words you speak now or an action taken could result in your son’s or daughter’s (or great grandchildrens’) death or punishment ages from now.

But I did not come to out here to talk about that, I came here to talk about people who falsely claim to be being bloodlined when in truth they have brought it on themselves by carrying their parents’ grudges with them and allowing generations’ old disputes to cloud their ability to progress as their own individual. There comes a point in time that people cannot allow others chances, others who proven time and time again that their family line does not deserve a chance.

I am sure there a very few bloodlines who have joined this thing of ours for more than one generation that could say that at some point someone has hurt them, slighted them or stabbed them in the back. Carrying these grudges forward does nothing for this thing of ours and is even less beneficial to those who cannot move past them.

I am not saying forgive and forget. There is always a part of our parents in each of us. Some people have the ability to not follow in their parents’ footsteps, some do not. With time everyone’s intentions are easy to see and those who are repeating past errors will come out in the wash.

It’s the repetition of past mistakes I do not understand, those whose bloodlines insist on roguing against others, harming others or just plain out right being assholes. What is the point of carrying grudges throughout generations? It seems these bloodlines reproduce at the rate of rabbits, there are always another relative to take the place of the last. Do they believe that their actions are going to not follow them? When one after another this family line comes to our shores and causes havoc because a grandparent was wronged at some point, how do they not see that the only people they are hurting are themselves and their grandchildren? After so much repetition, is it not the communities right to start bloodlining them?

At some point enough is enough and even close friends have to distance themselves from these types of people. It must be a very lonely life to have to hide in fear of being persecuted or to hide so you can carry out your evil plans in hopes of hurting someone else at some point in your life, if you even live long enough to be able to attempt to carry out your plans.

The age old adage of “rank up, build up and do something” about the current leadership or state of this thing of ours of course will always stand. How many times can someone attempt to do that before no one will trust their family line? How many others who have stood by them as friends for generations will then be hurt by their actions? One good organized attempt might lead to respect even from foes, multiple attempts is going to lead to shunning and of course bloodlining.

Grudges are bad for business, for the community and for individuals. Digging your family name out of a hole that has been dug by yourself is a lot harder the deeper you get. A two foot deep hole can be stepped out of; a 10 foot deep hole is a lot more difficult. Once you have alienated everyone, there might just not be anyone there to toss you a rope.

Interesting topic that you bring up.

I do think if you want to discuss one you will automatically get the other side as well since they go hand in hand.

Zephyra paused momentarily. She had always been speaking in the streets but this subject hit close to home so she had to reign in her thoughts a little.

This does work both ways. Sometimes an individual can try to get out of their hole only to be tossed back in. Past mistakes or actions do haunt you. Very much so. Thing is I have seen leaders claim that they have given chances but in reality that is far from the truth.

My ancestors have dug themselves into holes. One of which I still very much pay for their sins but I am holding no current grudges. I have worked by my leader and have tried not to rise to the bait of many others.  Point of this part of my speech you might ask? To show that it is not always the case that particular individuals do not want to work hard. Some just don't want to work with the leaders that hold the grudges or the past to them.

Saying all this do I believe anything should be forgotten? Never. It holds lessons to our lines and future children. I agree that it is not good for business on either side of the fence. Both sides clearly can hold skills that may benefit the other if they dropped their hatred towards the other. Thing is, it rarely happens. You see lines that will take jabs at any point (and I reckon there will be a few over my speech here).

Thing is leaders need to be aware of those trying to do better, and the rest that get bloodlined should try to show that they are smartening up. The lines get blurred though. If one individual is so badly beaten into a certain type of reputation sometimes they don't feel the need to try any harder. Sometimes they just give what people expect because why fight against it? Society often asks us to go with what majority wants, so if majority wants to believe someone is something they aren't. They will get what they asked for.

So those that may seem to never do well, maybe they do that because as you said a hole gets so big they don't see a way in which they can dig themselves out. Or they don't have the effort to fight what others see them as.

Grabbing her flask Zeph takes a sip to warm up in the chilly air.

Do not mistake my words for bashing any side of the fence. I think both sides need just as much work. Those at the top that hold the grudges and those at the bottom.  As far as ranking up and doing something, I hate that line. Once you do something you can be sure that you will be bloodlined for it afterwards. People always say that and then pitch a fit when someone does just that. I think we need to find another phrase that is better suited.

I think this is a very interesting and relevant topic as there are so many who come to this world bearing the burdens of revenge from their parents, grand parents, or even further back. This is particularly silly when they want a clean slate but will not give others a fresh start from their new perspective of this new individual and this often leads to the new person end up dying for their parents sins but only because they brought them on themselves often (not all the time).

* Applauds Heavily*

I would have to agree with the spoken wise words of the lovely Whatsername.  The idea of bloodlining is can be a good or bad thing.  Unfortunately I hate to see a genuinely nice person be condemned to the their past.  I've had multiple interactions with some fellow mobsters which I've unfortunately or stereotypically I did not want much involvement with them because of their bloodline.  Bloodlining is so bad to the point which we sometimes deny acceptance to our family.  

It should not be the way but they also did do that to them self.

Zeph chuckles. Amused by some of the wording others spoke.

Brought it on themselves? I suppose if you believe everything you hear for the most part the rumours become truth to some. That is the only case of brought it on themselves that I can think of.

I do believe it takes more than one individual to create a situation in which a person tends to "fuck up" if you will. As MalcomReynolds pointed out, attitude can be quite an enormous factor. The attitude of both parties though. I know it is hard to allow things to go and most will not. It is impossible to forget what an ancestor once passed along about certain people, however it is a learning experience.

Through time you will learn to remember but not to allow it any disruption in the life you choose to lead. Others may not forget but you cannot choose how others react, only how you, yourself will react.

So I don't really think anyone can bring it on themselves. I think that exaggeration, the person's actions and attitudes of all parties involved or in future encounters really plays a role in the bloodlining aspect. Either way it is still not good for business in any regard.

Aliens stepped from a small hubster and smiled at the crowd gathering around the Don from New York. The fresh air from the street filling his little lungs and as he exhaled he picked a cigarette out of his pocket and lit a match. The red ember glowed on the tip of the butt and he inhaled the toxic fumes. Ahhh, nicotine. An aliens best friend.

He stepped towards the head of the pack and began to speak. Waving his hands about at certain points to make a strong emphasis on his words.

Grudges are like assholes, we all have one and they all stink. For whatever reason we can carry those grudges to our graves and our children will return to these shores and carry them even further. That is not to say you shouldn't learn from experience when dealing with certain individuals. In this line of work it's quite easy to trust the wrong individual and end up in a body bag down at the city morgue.

That being said, learning from wiping the slate clean and being able to move on is what makes us mafioso. This world is about two things, and two things only. Power and Money, true power cannot be bought or sold, but anything and everything else is. You'll find that as experience has taught us bloodlining doesn't handle the situation at hand nearly as well as it should. It's far wiser to keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Instead of bloodlining an individual as my line has done on countless times. Befriend them, invite them into your home and learn to work with them. The closer you are to them, the less they will be able to harm you, as you will control what information goes in and comes out.

It took my line far too long to learn the above lesson, far too long. But it is one worth learning. I applaud you for coming out into the Streets on this fine morning Don Whatsername. Far too little activity is seen here by our world's leaders, it is a refreshing change indeed.

Tetley finally stirs from his seat at a nearby cafe after half listening to what other people have to say on the subject of bloodlines.

"Now I'm not going to talk about grudges here, more the type of people who continually do the same dumb shit over and over again I mean it's like someone literally took a shit in their gene pool. These are the sort of people that I would actively avoid bringing into any family where I am crew leader or hand.

Now the first type of person is fairly common, the old timer expecting everything on a plate. These are people whose bloodline has not done a single thing for the family, no earnings, don't chat & just sit there doing their own thing putting all their cash into bodyguards to protect their own worthless life & then they start asking "Why can't I get made into the family, I can carry 30 units of drugs" well congratu-fucking-lations you're not getting made into the family because you haven't earned it and your bloodline goes back far enough to know that asking for promotions earns another black mark against you getting that promo you desire so much. This goes double for those who start asking about running their own family when they can't even be a decent member of their current family.

As for the second type of person that I despise, it's the idiots whose bloodlines sole purpose it seems is to stir up shit and act like a fool. These people I just don't get, if that's what you want to do go join a circus not this thing of ours. The same can be said for those that want to be 'Gangsta' and just run around shooting at everything that moves."

Feeling like a weight has been lifted off his chest Tetley returns to his seat and takes a sip of his tea.