Joel walks up to the soapbox, clears his throat and  starts to speak

Hello one and all, My name is Joel. My father died recently and
please don't worry, I am not about to bore you with my family history
and tell you he was a great man or any other shit like that.I however, 
am here to make a speech about a few questions that have been causing
me a lot of thought and there was no better example than my father to
initiate it.

My father died a few hours before the War that has ripped through our
world recently for shooting a child, someone who did not yet have a
chance to find a Family that would protect him,and no, I am not here to
defend his actions or call him a saint and curse the person who killed him, he was a good dad but the stubborn ass shot someone he shouldn't have and he died
for it.

But.......

He pauses for dramatic effect

I
wish to draw your attention to one major detail-There was someone
higher up in the food chain to kill my father for the cardinal sin he
committed,there was someone who could act as the avenging angel for
that child because my father was not a person to be reckoned
with,because he did not wield any real power in our world because he
did not have any real clout,but what if he did? What if my
father or anybody accused of killing a child for that matter was a crew
leader feared throughout all the eight cities or worse yet what if my
father was a Godfather above whom there is no other authority? please
do not misunderstand me here,I am not saying that any one of our
beloved and feared Godfathers or Godmothers would attack a child but
then we have seen Godfathers attack and kill Crew Leaders with no
reasons, so then what if the person they chose to pour their wrath out
on was a child, new to these shores. What then? Who is strong enough to
pass judgment on to these giants of our world, if and that's a big if
they commit this sin?The 'gods' don't do it,as they intervene only when
it is
someone very young.Again I tell you, I am not justifying what my father
did but it is just that after his funeral I  sat down and thought for
sometime and I came up with these questions. I just want a few answers
to these questions that have been plaguing me for a pretty long time
now.

He then moves to one end and waits for a few answers

There's a very basic concept you need to understand.  This thing of ours is based around a power structure, not on a set of uniform rules.  Those with the power decide what those who follow them must do.  Your questions indicate that you believe everyone is held to the same standard.  Just knock it the fuck off right now.  That is an idiotic assumption.  You are in the mafia, not in some chess club with a set of rules all must follow.

Also, quit referring to Gangsters as children.  You are going to make me bleed out of my ears.  Your father should have been killed for that reason alone.  There are no children here.

...attack and kill Crew Leaders with no reasons

There's always a reason...

> He looked at me funny
> He didn't say hello
> I was bored
> FP made me do it

All potential reasons for killing someone. I'm not saying they're good reasons, but they're more than enough to cause someone who can from killing someone else. If there is nobody around willing or able to punish them for it, then it's a perfect reason and more than enough to justify it.

...so then what if the person they chose to pour their wrath out on was a child, new to these shores. What then? What then? They'll probably go knock over a 7-11, grab some dinner and make it home in time to catch a nap. If someone can work their way to the top of the foodchain, they're just that. They can do as they please. The fact of the matter is that anyone with the potential and ability to get to the top of the foodchain won't be some idiot who gets their kicks off killing unsponsored gangsters (it's way more fun killing CL Don's, honestly).

FlyingPig beat me to it....can we stop immediately with any reference to these people being children. They are not. They're fully formed (excluding brain deficiencies) adults who have decided already to pursue a life of crime.

Thank you all for your answers,they helped me in cleaning up any confusion I had,as for referring to the younger mobsters as children,well I was just following the trend set by  the late Scipta Rourke in her declaration of the existence of The Honored Society .

Funnily enough, The Hono(u)red Society came about because some who apparently had the power to get away with it, refused to kill a guy who'd earnt his button for shooting a -48. That's an example of the difference between your father doing it and someone who carries a bit more weight. Now of course, things are a bit more concrete when it comes to that aspect and unless you are one of the larger city leaders, then I wouldn't fancy your chances.

Also stemming from that period, I believe that the gods - to use your term - have made it detrimental to shoot someone who has been on these shores less than 48 hours. So apart from anything, it's pointless killing them. ( http://mafiareturns.com/comm/thread/80905 )