<font color="#000000" face="Calibri" size="3">Miklo leans on the front quarter panel of an old Tin Lizzie</font>

<font color="#000000" face="Calibri" size="3"> </font>

<font color="#000000" face="Calibri" size="3">Odale – I have been thinking ese and reading my family journals and I start thinking:</font>

<font face="Calibri"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font><font color="#000000" size="3">“miklo, maybe there is a flaw in the system ese”</font></font>

<font face="Calibri"><font size="3"><font color="#000000">Here me out, by appearance it would seem me have more High Ranks and Leaders retiring than before. I might be going back a very long time, but my familia told stories about Don’s being the highest rank ever and few leaders. Back then very few people retired because well Vato very few people lived long enough too. It was because of the shorter life expectancy that made rank more valuable and harder to achieve. </font></font> <font color="#000000" size="3">Now we have it seems, a lack of respect for Rank and Life. But why should we respect rank and life when it really isn’t that hard to achieve? Perhaps it is too late to undo some of the changes our gods made boosting defense and making harder and harder to hit your mark puto.</font><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font> <font color="#000000" size="3">But let’s be honest yeah, if it took more to reach some of these ranks and life was more fragile perhaps people wouldn’t be so willing to lay down and enter the old folks home without a fight.</font></font>

Miklo stands up straight tearing his zoot suite pants on the rusted quarter panel

Chinga Tu Madre - Pinche Rust Bucket

I must be drinking.  I for one am totally confused.

I've managed to decipher your speech through all the gibberish, unlike my drunk friend.

Ronnie nods and winks at Thetowndrunk who grunted and took another swig of whatever alcoholic beverage he was desecrating this evening.

Now, in my opinion, it would seem that you are mistaken with the reasoning as to why some mobsters choose to retire. They are not taking the easy way out, or 'laying down' as you said. They have just made friends in this world of ours and see no point in going out in a hail of bullets, possibly endangering those friends. They have decided it is their time, whether that be from outside pressures or not, and wish to go peacefully. Which isn't all that bad.

Becoming a high rank is quite an honour still, in my opinion, and is not taken lightly by the majority of those who inhabit our world. I don't see it the same way you do, clearly. Ranking is still a process that takes time an effort, and a little luck and skill to avoid possible life-threatening obstacles. It is not something that is just handed to you, and I don't agree that people are just throwing their lives away for no good reason, just because it's 'easy.'

Ilammo was enjoying a nice glass of milk when a random stranger started speaking. Ilammo tried his best to make sense of what he was saying but to no avail. Shifting slightly from his seat, he cleared his throat.

"Can you speak louder! I can't make out what you're trying to say."

Memento_Mori was standing by, overheard the speech and the crow. He put his palm over his face and sighed.

I'll translate for those of you who are so easily distracted that that is all you can see.

Miklo leans on the front quarter panel of an old Tin Lizzie (a car)

Odale (mispronunciation of Orale - a word with multiple meanings, primarily okay though)– I have been thinking ese and reading my family journals and I start thinking:

“miklo, maybe there is a flaw in the system ese”

Here me out, by appearance it would seem me have more High Ranks and Leaders retiring than before. I might be going back a very long time, but my familia told stories about Don’s being the highest rank ever and few leaders. Back then very few people retired because well Vato very few people lived long enough too. It was because of the shorter life expectancy that made rank more valuable and harder to achieve. Now we have it seems, a lack of respect for Rank and Life. But why should we respect rank and life when it really isn’t that hard to achieve? Perhaps it is too late to undo some of the changes our gods made boosting defense and making harder and harder to hit your mark puto. But let’s be honest yeah, if it took more to reach some of these ranks and life was more fragile perhaps people wouldn’t be so willing to lay down and enter the old folks home without a fight.

Miklo stands up straight tearing his zoot suite pants on the rusted quarter panel

 (The ending bit was entirely vulgar and pointless.)

Memento turns towards Miklo and lightly flicks him on the forehead,

We're men of honor, not common criminals. You can speak your mind but please have the presence of mind to remember you represent me when you speak and pointless vulgarity turned an acceptable speech into something that I had to come out and speak against. I would've much rather preferred simply speaking on the topic at hand but this is something I and all leaders should make an active effort to remove and is part of the respect issue you're actually addressing. It's a lack of respect for many things that makes things such as rank lose value, such as the missed concept that there is a time and a place for cursing and this was neither the time nor the place to do so.

As for your subject, I agree, a lack of respect for the rank is part of the issue. I do believe there are much larger influences than this, but this is definitely a contributing factor that needs to be addressed. Rank lost a bit of meaning years ago and we as a society have seriously struggled to recreate the purpose and meaning of it. It may never return to what it once was, so those of us who do wish to see respect restored need to be more active in our approach within our own families and behaviors, and then hope that it spreads outward from there. A little more pride in everything we do would be a very large step forward.

Memento then turns towards TheTownDrunk,

Thank you very much for your input, Mr. TownDrunk. It makes little sense to me, though. Would you mind clarifying it further for me?

Memento now turns towards Ronnie_Kray,

Good evening Mr. Kray,

My belief is that the lack of respect and value in rank is hinting towards a lack of a will to live and work in this profession, a distraction from outside influences. He is correct to say that they don't have the level of value and respect for the rank that he would like to see, but many of us have seen said distractions and understand it. That doesn't make either of us right as to how much we put into this life. As for my opinion I'm closer to believing the ultimate choice comes from a number of factors such as the ones you have listed and the one he has listed.

Memento turns towards Ilammo,

I believe you may need a hearing aid or some more practice speaking the English language with people outside of your inner circle, because his speech impediment really shouldn't have been that hard for you to interpret and there are lots of immigrants in our line of work that you're going to be asked to communicate with and it's actually extremely offensive and alienating in some areas to ask someone with a speech impediment or some issues communicating in English to speak louder. Please be more careful with your word choice in the future.

Ronnie smiles as he listens to Memento adding his input.

Ah, yes I would agree with you then. It has been a couple of years since my bloodline has seen these shores, therefore I do not have much experience myself with the more recent nature and general concerns regarding the lack of rank appreciation. I am sorry to say I may have spoken without enough knowledge on the topic at hand. From what I had seen in my short while back, it appeared to be similar to when my father left; however, given everything you have said I am inclined to agree that things have changed.

I just prefer to live by the old ways in this effect, and have a lot of pride in my newly-acquired button, and will be honoured with any rank bestowed upon me in the future - if it is permitted. The fact that there is a general lack of respect for rank throughout our world saddens me greatly, as it is such a crucial part of who were are and how we carry ourselves in this world, in my opinion.

Anyways, appreciate you coming out and addressing this. Good day to you, Mr. Mori.

Ronnie smiles once again at Memento and tips his hat before carrying on down the street.

<font color="#000000" face="Calibri" size="3">This</font>

<font color="#000000" face="Calibri" size="3">language</font>

<font face="Calibri"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font><font color="#000000" size="3">is</font></font>

<font face="Calibri"><font size="3">rather</font>

<font color="#000000">difficult</font>

<font color="#000000" size="3">I</font>

<font face="Calibri"><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font><font color="#000000" size="3">must</font></font>

<font color="#000000" size="3">say</font>

Also, you ended your speech by telling all of us, in Spanish

ahem

"fuck your mother, fucking rust bucket"

I guess no one has taken offense to that?

I think he might be referring to "Miklo stands up straight tearing his zoot suite pants on the rusted quarter panel"

I think it's pretty obvious from listening to the speech that's what he meant Castielle. You see, when people pick, and choose (or not listen to the speech in it's entirety for that matter) what parts they want to comment on out of context you are left with this from what. I don't, and I don't think anyone else takes offense at someone cursing at a car. I know I've done my share.

Miklo looks back at What still steaming over his new suit being ruined 

Are we in church ese? I am out here on these streets scraping to help mi familia... I am not sitting up in a nice office having to deal with politicians and judges homes. Maybe, if I can I will have that office some day - rubbing pinche elbows with the other Jeffes. But for now, I am a street punk making my bones and doing my work and will act as such.

But hey check it out ese, your out here talking about me good, bad, right or wrong. So I did something right regardless of my vocabulary. 

Kicks the car

Funny you talk about lack of respect for rank and life and then go on to offend basically everybody who visits your soapbox. Getting talked about is not necessarily a good thing. 

Catches Mosley comment and turns to him 

Mosley, homes who have I offended or attacked? I yelled at a rusty old car ese for ripping my pants. You don't curse when you tear your new suit or slam your fingers in a door, catch your virga in your zipper etc? 

There is a time and a place for everything, I am on the street not in an establishment disrupting patrons or in a meeting with executives. I would argue your point about respect or my lack there of vato. I am using vernacular common with my heritage in a manner common with how any of us would act given the situation.  Right now some of you are coming at me for my language towards a car when we have hire ranked soldatos yelling "Fucking Cops" out on the corner. Explain to me, how that is different carnale? 

I don't think a car has a mother though. Personally I'm an old man and my mother is pretty much only a spine and a head, but in any case it's not a very great way to end your little speech, I'd say. I agree that me saying offended wasn't quite right, yes.