*TheKing walks up to the street corner carrying a crate he just lifted from the grocer down the street. Setting the crate down at the street corner he hopes up on it and begins speaking*

Ladies and Gentlemen, I come before you all today to speak about the path we all walk and the ways we go about getting there. Some of us have a rich and old bloodline and can use that name recognition to get put on the fast track to success. While others are of new bloodlines and have no such luck. This is neither good nor bad in my opinion and is not exactly what I come to speak about today.

What I come to you all today to ask is this? When you have the chance to be put on the fast track do you always accept it and if so why, and if not why?

Woodstock over hears this discussion and speaks up

If I was older to the place with a name that was honorable then I would take the fast track. It's all about the advantages, If someone handed you a million dollars with no strings attached because they know you because of a past ancestor then you would take it. Unless you aren't lazy and decide to decline the persons offer then work hard and hope it pays off in the end. I don't have much to contribute on this because new but its my opinion.

Woodstock takes his leave

Woodstock, I value all opinions in this or any other debate. I personally have taken advantage of this fact and others of my bloodline have taken the fast track as well. It is a great way to advance in this thing of ours.

However, sometimes my ancestors have tried to take the path less traveled and do it all on their own. Usually just to see if they can do it, and to prove that they don't need to use connections of their forefathers to get ahead.

I am not saying either approach is wrong, I simply want to find everyones opinions on this matter.

Paisley shows his approval of Woodstock's words

A man would be a fool not to take the fast track when he can. But I don't think taking the fast track should stop people from working hard. It just makes things easier, but no one gets anywhere without work. If I had wealth and an old bloodline, I would take advantage of it to make life easier, but I would never use that as an excuse to be lazy and consider myself superior to those who don't have that luck. As Woodstock said, if someone handed you a million dollars because of a past ancestor, everyone would take it. But even then, I would work hard to earn more.

The Fast Track is fine, and should be taken if available. But don't forget the essential thing behind all success : work.

Sorry If I missed the point, i'm still quite new to all this. Still learning the trade.

Shankly looks towards the other people around the crate, awaiting to hear other opinions on the subject.

I strongly believe that opening a topic to debate from as many possible people and sources as possible is the greatest way to learn new knowledge. In order to do this I simply take whatever is on my mind at the moment and bring it to the streets.

I agree with your remarks, I don't believe taking the fast track should mean you stop working. In fact you should work even harder to achieve even more. I simply think that sometimes its refreshing to take a new outlook on life and try to do things differently, you never know what you might learn.

Paisley nods

That I totally agree with. It's always good to do things a different way when you can.

Well my bloodline isn't known for greatness by far but we are known and when we work hard we tend to achieve a lot. I think the fast track is part of life. Here and in real life (OOC sorry). Anywhere you're known you're going to have it easier in some cases. Some places will make you work just as hard but maybe give you the benefit of the doubt on certain things.

Here it depends what your qualities are. Most crew leader's know my bloodline and most would give me a chance but few would believe that I would have made it this far I'm guessing. Which I don't blame theme. Usually there's about 6 bad apples to every 3 good apples in my family. (6 bad accounts in between a good couple).

Fast track or not, get use to it because it's always around you in someway.

In my case, I prefer to make it on my own merit. Some people know me and some don't. Either way I don't use past ties. When my Mother raised me she always wanted things to better for me than she had them, I'm a lot like her. When my child, if I have one, comes of age I hope she is better than I. My mom taught me to the best of her ability, but in the end its Me, Myself does the work in this life.

Using past Bloodlines also opens you up to past problems you may have had. Why leave that as a legacy for a child? I prefer to stand on my own merits.

Brandon listens to The-King, before stepping forward to add his opinion to the topic.

I understand where you are coming from, and people with long bloodlines generally have a lot of connections and do have it slightly easier, but i have to say that working hard pays off.

I have no bloodline to speak of, but by working hard, being diligent in my position in deimne's family, and just being the best I can be for the family, was enough for deimne to see the qualities that were needed to run my own family.

Brandon smiles as he realizes he is rambling a little.

What im trying to say is, wether you have an old bloodline and your family has been in the crime business for years, or you are a new young chap, fresh to this way of life, working hard for your family, and just doing the best you can will pay off in the end, whether that is just a "nice job" from your boss, or someday maybe running your own family, working hard is what matters in the end.

Brandon tips his hat to the ladies in the crowd, before stepping back and lighting a cigarette

Absolut clears his throat and snuffs out his cigarette.He mutters to himself "Christ, I need to quit these things!". Realizing that he's thinking allowed again he straightens his tie and perks up.

Sorry for that, been struggling with a cold as of late. I agree with Ms. Phonic and Mr. Heat on this one. Hard work will always prevail over someone making it off their ancestor's. You can think of it as if a hitter died and his kin wanted to take up the family business. Does that young mafioso have the ability to drop great targets like his mother or father without practice? Ofcourse not.

I think Ms. Phonic has given quite the best reason though. If you write a name for yourself on each character then you're not tied down to past circumstances. Learning to let grudges and feuds go when you die and you step in your parents shoes is the best thing to do.

Carrying over past problems only causes more problems that no one wants. My only advice is to play from your strengthens and the weaknesses that you may have, try to make them better. For instance my bloodline is known for being hardworking strong rankers, but we've never had good street presence. Not that they haven't spoken but they aren't great at giving the advice and speaking in the proper way. Unlike them I've been slightly more drawn to the streets working on how to represent myself in a respectful way.

Everyone is different - it's up to you though to determine who you are and how to make it better.

My ancestors have been very wealthy in the past. They have always left me some money and because I have such good friends they always help out my bloodline. I do take the fast track but only to a certian point. If I was offered lets say...

28 Bodyguards to get straight to Extremely Well Protected (Just like I was when I came to this world as this name) I said No. Simple reasons...

Paying for their training also, You don't see a Thug walking down the streets with 28 Bodyguards. It doesn't happen. Maybe getting on for... 7 Bodyguards maybe because they might have friends to protect them. I will take Bodyguards as my offspring have done but I will only take upto 7 at a maximum. I don't like to have an head start from any other the newer mobsters to this world but.. because my ancestors have worked hard, It allows me to but.. I always help the new mobsters with cash aswell.

Everytime I see a newcomer into my family the first thing I do is ask them if they require a little amount of cash to help them start up instead of having to petty their way up. Ok in the process of them pettying their way up I gain money from the tax, I would still prefer to help them out so they can start buying drugs as in the longer run its more profitable for us both. If a newcomer ever comes to you and asks for more then $50,000 to buy drugs then I always say no. Simple reasons because I know for a fact to buy some decent Cocaine or Heroin it only comes to about $30,000-$35,000 if that. So Yes I do like the fast track but I always help others onto the money side of it aswell also I will only use the fast track side of things so far then I will say NO.

Also just because my ancestors have worked hard that doesn't mean I just sit back and get my promotions easily because I don't. I always do what my ancestors have done everytime. That is.. To still work hard. I never sit back and let my promotions or money come in easily. Even now I don't Im still working hard and pushing myself to my limit.

These are all excellent points, especially HydroPhonic's point about bringing up old grudges when you accept the fast track due to your family history. The main point I seem to see is that regardless of which path you choose you will still need to work hard to succeed in this thing of ours, and that is of course how it should be.

I welcome any other viewpoints into this matter, if you have something to share don't hesitate to add it.

Who do you respect more the father who built everything up from the bottom, or the son that gets everything because of who his father is? One of the most important rules to this lifestyle is respect or that is what is being taught to me. That being said, does respect go both ways. Do the people making decisions respect the people being passed up? Just my thoughts and I do not really understand the importance of family as much as some of you that have travelled this street much more than I.

The father who builds his future by his own hand is a very respected person, there is no doubt of that. However, we all strive to leave a legacy to our children so that they can build from our position. There is nothing wrong with that.

As to your remark about the importance of family, that is the only thing that truly matters in this thing of ours. Why else would we name our organizations Familes?

The fast track has an allure. You mother, grandmother, great-grandmother put in the time why should you not reap the benefits? But, as a desendant of family who has used the fast track and also family who has started fresh as if their lineage meant nothing, I must the the later is much funner. Although I let it be known that I am not the first of my bloodline to be on these shores I do not race aroung looking for old family friends to give me a hand up. I like to start with nothing and built, prove that this generation is worth as much as the one before.

I understand King and agree, my point was that you would understand the importance of it far more than i will having only been here a short while.

Ah I misundestood what you said then Matt, I appologize for that. In that case it seems that pretty much everyone uses the fast track and some of us like to sometimes forge our own path. This has been a interesting discussion and I look forward to starting a new one.

Anyone who gets the chance to be fast tracked and declines, should have a serious assessment of themselves. To purposefully disadvantage yourself for foolish romantic notions and ideals is horrifyingly stupid.

~T~

Horrifyingly stupid or an egotistical fool?

Yes, the fast track may be fun a few times, but the merry-go-round gets old after awhile. Why not start from scratch again, why not get back on that roller coaster?

Having everything handed to you is boring. Where is the challenge?

Yes, my bloodline has followed in the footsteps of the previous kin by stepping up and being a right hand, but that was those plans were set in stone even before I was born or had any say in any of it. To do it over and over again, doesn't it take out the reason to live?