God’s Gunner’s, Booty Bandits, & Bad Boys
By R25288 ( c ) 2006
Chapter Ten
Violence
“And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.”
The Gospel According To Matthew
11:12
Prison was my tsunami, and I survived. I pulled a dead child from below the surface and gave him the breath of life. There was another in my midst. It was all with the grace of God, and with his blessing, and due to his protection for all involved, only one perished.
Some choices in life are an either/or situation. Some choices in life are forced upon us, and we must choose, or lose, and sometimes both. The tsunami engulfed me, the moment I saw it coming. I was able to escape the yacht’s cabin that would have been my tomb.
I heard my younger brothers’ voice trapped within one of the various chambers of the cabins, but I was too afraid and weak, and I did nothing but yell, “Where are you?” I heard no reply, and he suddenly appeared from under the water, he was helpless, in the arms of a strange man, being taken away. I only had one pair of arms, currently holding the child, and he said, pleadingly, “You are my brother.”
I knew then I only had that moment, or we would both be lost to each other for life. So, I set aside what could have been, for what I knew, had history with, and needed me more. I took him out of the arms of death. I cry.
He wrapped his legs around my waist, as I held him and tears fell hard. It was only a moment, like a lifetime. He bravely told me of the loss of the one-his wife. I did not know until then, and I cried harder, for it was my loss also. I cry.
The struggle goes on for those of us left to struggle. Choices and moments continue. I awoke. I cried. I wrote it down. The struggle continues. Prison was my tsunami. What I learned from it, I share with you. Some tsunamis destroy us, some we survive, but some we can avoid. The tsunami of prison ain’t no game. Avoid it at all costs. Your life and your humanity may depend upon it. God saved me from my tsunami. It was pain and joy, and I left my brothers in blue behind, many who will not survive the tsunami of prison. I cry.
“His mischief shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealings shall come down upon his own pate.”
The Book Of Psalms
7:16
Question 46/a, asked, Do you consider yourself a violent person?,and, What is the most violence you have done to another person, and received from another person?
Question47/b, asked, What is the most violence you have seen in prison?
Question 48/c, asked, What is the most violence you have seen on the streets?
For a variety of reasons, not every question was asked or answered. NN = nothing noted in my notes.
” O God, the proud are risen against me, and the assemblies of violent men have sought after my soul; and have not set thee before them.”
The Book Of Psalms
A Prayer Of David
86:14
This is some of the violent sides of my brothers in blue. It is not meant to excuse their actions, but to help you better understand that if you were beaten as a child, raped as a child, burned as a child, beaten with 2′ by 4’s as a child, taken away from your families as a child, then perhaps you too, might grow up into an angry young man, and want to hurt others, for what you have suffered, and there but for the grace of God go you or I.
“The horrors experienced by many young inmates, particularly those who are convicted of nonviolent offenses, boarder on the unimaginable. Prison rape not only threatens the lives of those who fall prey to their aggressors, but it is potentially devastating to the human spirit. Shame, depression, and a shattering loss of self-esteem accompany the perpetual terror the victim thereafter must endure.”
United States Supreme Court Justice Harry A. Blackmum,
in Farmer v Brennan
1.a. No. Pushed partner on the streets, down the stairs. Punched in chest by__(partner), after I spit in his face.
b. Someone get hit in the face with a lock on a belt. ( a common weapon in prison is to attach a lock onto the end of a belt, and use it like a whip).
c. My Mom’s second boyfriends wife fought by me-over affair.
2.a. No. Killed someone. Been jumped on the streets-no hospitalization required.
b. Somebody get stabbed.
c. Other than me killing somebody, that’s about it.
3.a. Potentially. Shot two others. Jumped on by three blacks, on the streets-no issue.
b. Officer get beat with a curling bar-don’t know issue.
c. When I shot the people-she twice, him three times.
4.a. Yes. Kill some. Stabbed.
b. People raped. People killed.
c. People shot.
5.a. I can be, when jit (younger-often teenager), whipped, beat, kicked up on some basers(crack heads-cocaine drug users)-may rip you off. Fighting with Baby Mama (described below), hit me with shit-grabbed a butcher knife.
b. Ain’t seen none.
c. Motherfuckers get shot-beat up.
6.a. No. I was slammed into the concrete once. Assaulted by police in handcuffs-punched in back and legs. Fistfight done to me.
b. Murder ‘98, Dade, black on white, unknown reason.
c. Murder ‘82, white on white, unknown reason.
7.a. Extremely-went after a dude with an ax for hitting a child-kidnapped when I was three years old-abducted-mean woman and man-with five other kids-put rips (cigarettes) out on us-twenty years in federal institution-tied us up-two and a half months.
b. Seen two murders-Union CI, ‘86, black on black-selling out-knife-leaving out of the kitchen. White on white, ‘87-’88, Union CI, over poker game-homemade knife.
c. Shooting and cutting, at redneck bar, in Lakeland (FL).
8.b. Someone get hit in the mouth at Liberty.
9.a. I pistol whipped a couple of people. Hit a guy with a beer bottle. Guns put in my face.
b. A guy hit in the head with a lock.
c. I saw another 974 get shot and die. 974=Imperial Ganster Disciple(I=the ninth letter of the alphabet, G=the seventh letter of the alphabet, D=the fourth letter of the alphabet). IGD originated in Chicago in the 1980’s-in Texas, California, and Nevada…(further explained in gang question # 63).
10.b. Nineteen murders: inmate on guard, guard on inmate, and inmate on inmate-ACI, Avon Park CI, Martin CI, UCI, and Cross City.
11.a. No. Four assault charges. None to me.
b. Dude stabbed at FSP (Florida State Prison) twelve times-threw to bottom tier from the second tier-killed him-over skinning (card game).
c. Nothing.
12.b. Kick to neck-crushed man’s windpipe.
13.a. No. Fight-surprised with some punches in jail-no issue.
b. Fights.
c. Car accident.
14.a. No.
b. Rape-black on white-Mayo C.I.
15.a. Absolutely not. I can’t stand violence.
16.a. No.
b. Dude getting hit over the head with a lock at Liberty in 2001-going into F dorm-black on black-don’t know the issue. (Dorms at Liberty C.I. were labeled A through I, J=medical, Y=disciplinary confinement-A through H held two sides with approximately seventy-one/two per side).
17.a. No, Once I got cut up with a machete by a Haitian guy in ‘87-thirty stiches-I invaded his privacy-he was staying in a vacant house-I went through this window, looking for a place to rest. I’d been smoking crack all night. Another time I was stabbed by a chicken head(crack addict) woman-I wouldn’t buy her no more dope-stabbed in my lung-’90.
b. Seen stabbings-throat cut- six to seven people killed-black on black, white on white, one, a white tried to rape a black, and the perp(perpetrator) got killed.
18.a. No At times. Never done nothing to a person-nothing never done to me.
b. Bitch got hit with a lock.
c. Dude got shot in his head, and his eye popped out-white on black-police shot him.
19.a. No. Shot someone. Someone shot me. He shot at me and missed-issue drugs.
b. Dude get raped-black and white on white-Martin ‘99. Someone stabbed-Brevard-black on black-riot over basketball.
c. Someone get their brains blowed out.
20.a. No. I shot up his truck-stupidity-best friend’s dad’s truck-bullied my friend around.
b. Riot-’97-Baker C. I.-officers and inmates-officer demanding respect-didn’t deserve-staff and inmates hurt-two officers killed-0 inmates-was part of lock down for one week-better changes came about-officers started showing more decent respect toward inmates.
21.a. At times-about my money.
22.b. I saw someone die, hung himself-black. Two stabbings-worst at Cross City C.I.-people getting stabbed.
23.a. Abrasive-not violent or aggressive. I shot someone during a robbery. I beat someone unconscious in prison over a debt.
b. Beatings and stabbings-cuttings-guy getting hit in the head with a pipe.
c. Murder. Hispanic on black-shotgun blast-arguing over french fries.
24.a If pushed-nothing-murder-killed a person.
b. Seen quite a few stabbed-one in the eye, with a lightning rod-lost his eye-Hardy C.I.
c. __(friend) shot a guy in a bar with a twelve gauge shotgun, and killed him.
25. NN
26.a. No, not that I couldn’t be. I avoid it if I can.
b. I saw a murder at Tomoka, ‘92, Spanish inmate-two got killed over gambling-never determined who did it. Black Cubans rumored responsible-saw bodies being taken out in the ambulance.
27.a. No.
b. Guy hit in the head with lock-alright-respect.
28. NN
29.a. At times. I beat a dude with a locker in prison-over putting his hands on me violently.
b. Got jumped by six dudes-white long hairs-they didn’t like the word, “cracker.”
c. Lady get decapitated by semi-truck-traffic accident. 357 buddy blew his brains out-old lady left him.
30.a. No. I beat a guy up-no weapon.
c. A police dog had my hand in his mouth, and I woke up to it, while I was laying in my bed, in my apartment, sleeping. I have nightmares about that. I saw five people get shot-one died-gang related stuff.
31. NN
32.a. No. I was raped when I was eleven years old, by my sixteen year old babysitter. I never told. It beame consensual (sex with minors is never consensual). It happened nineteen more times.
b. Punched.
c. Someone got shot-robbery-black on white.
33.a. No. Plead the Fifth-child abuse-Mothers boyfriend burned my body-my mother got her ass kicked, too.
b. A guy die from chemotherapy.
c. A guy shot in the head-skull cracked-fingernails burst out of his fingers, and his toes burst out of his shoes-black on black-murder for hire.
34.a. Maybe if enough money involved. Beat a guy over $50.00 with a baseball bat. Hit with a lead pipe in hand and face-disrepect to father.
35.a. When I have to be.
36.a. No. Beat up a dude in high school-he walked in front of me, and didn’t say. “Excuse me.” A guy beat me up for having sex with his Baby Mama (Baby Mama means wife, girlfriend, mother of their child, often a mental and/or physical baby, giving birth to a baby-but still old enough to produce the eggs, necessary for birth) stabbed and still won the track meet-110 yards.
b. Dude get stole (unexpected hit, cheap shot, as in sucker punch) playing chess over fish steak.
c. Me and __(friend) beating up on skin heads.
37.a. No, I shot someone in the back in’95-38 Special-didn’t know him-lived-never charged- I got shot in ’96-shot someone for some money-they robbed me- 5 Kilos of cocaine, and $2,700.00 cash,
b. Somebody got raped-jit camp-three blacks on a white gay guy.
c. Somebody’s head got blowed off by a shotgun.
38.a. No. Knife both ways.
b. Rape-Marion C.I.- three blacks on a young white-first timer in prison-they fucked him in his ass. They slapped him down, and were taking turns on him-had him in cell-medical and police found him-he went to an outside hospital, and was then transferred. The three got charged for it. As a gay human being-I had low self esteem, and I didn’t have the courage, or the balls to tell. I feared for my life.
c. Man ran over by a car-head squashed by tires-walking out of a bar-accident.
39.a. At times.
40. NN
41.a. No. Murder. Dudes cut on head-no stiches.
b. __(friend) stabbed a dude at Sumter C.I.-black on black-knife pulled over TV-lived.
c. Dude shot dude through the mouth-died-black on white-robbery issue.
42. NN
43.a. I have alot of personalities, and if I have alcohol in my system, nine out of ten times, I’m going to get into a fight-straight as they come-but I get along with all of them. I don’t prejudge a man, whatever he wants to do is alright with me.
b. When an officer threw a dude over a rail at Lake Butler C.I.-three whites on one black-they killed him, ‘84, no one ever charged-brushed it under the rug-you just keep going-you see and you don’t see in prison-whole floor saw-he had “reckless eyeballs”-looking at a white woman (in cell block T wing-rail=second floor to first floor). Lake Butler was different then-had to deal with racism then.
44.a. No. I whipped ‘em-I shot at ‘em. I’ve been shot at.
b. Seen some of everything-dude getting whipped with belt and lock-dude getting stuck-dudes jumping dudes.
c. Dude got shot in the stomach with an AK, and his stomach flipped over his face-black on black-beef.
45.a. No. It’s more of protection of inmates from guards-abuse-getting beat up asleep-killed-kicked. I was beat up at Zephyrhills C.I. Five guards, in ‘98, beat the shit out of me-in my muscles-so no bruises or blood-confinement cell-no witnesses.
46.a. No. If you violate me, then shit, I’ll try to handle the situation accordingly. I can get down with the best of them-no rules-however it comes will determine how I handle it-you get stupid, you act wild, I’ll be wilder than you. You come as a gentleman, I will be gentle. You come as a monster, I’m going to be Frankenstein.
b. Officers ran into room-use of electric shields, at Henry C.I., in 1999.
47.a. No Hit __ (friend) once.
b. __(inmate) hit dude with a lock, (while dude was sleeping).
c. Car accident-three year old boy died.
48.a. Yes.
b. Four black guys raped a white guy-Santa Rosa, ‘98, not gay or effeminate-because after that, not reported-he stayed.
49.a. No, but if sombody makes me mad, I can get violent, especially when I’m drunk.
b. I saw a guy get raped in ‘98-Polk C.I.-black on white-straight-five blacks raped him-new and small on compound, and he had a big mouth-not gay, but had a little feminine side, and alot of small guys don’t make it in the chaingang these days-went to hospital and got stiched up, and on PC(protective custody).
50.a. No.
51.a. Absolutely not. I’m a peacemaker.
b. Fight at Liberty-barbershop-bloody arm-didn’t know the issue.
52.a. No.
b. This is the most laid back prison I know. I just deal with it. I put myself here.
53.a. Not at all. Knocked the hell out of someone-nothing.
b. A fight.
c. A car accident-death.
54.b. In Illinois prison, I saw fifteen blacks jump a white guy, and stabbed him. He died. They used him as a pin cushion. I was in Minard, Illinois, in the ‘87 riot-it was a hellhole-3,000 inmates. It was called, “Kill Whites Day.” -retaliation gangs-I was fotunately locked in my cell-guns going off-tear gas everywhere-not a nice place to be. I was a small town boy, threw into a street wise gang run prison. My knees knocked when I got up to stand. When transferred , gang members were on both sides of the bus.
They try you right off the bat. I didn’t hook up with a gang, that’s why they didn’t like me-everyone paid extortion-every cell owned by a gang-you pay every month, or you go to PC. I paid three packs of cigarettes a month.
55.a. No. shot someone-jealousy over a woman. Shot at -robbed.
b. Someone stabbed to death.
c. Someone shot to death-don’t know why.
56.a. No more than the next person. I killed seven times on different streets, in NY, NC, and FL; robberies and revenge. Three in NY, three in FL, and killed little bro in NC. I was shot and cut-abused as a child by mother-I left home when I was thirteen years old. I was beat with bull whips, and 2 by 4’s.
b. People getting killed-numerous in NY.
c. Guy’s brains splattered on me in dice game.
57.a. I’ve been stabbed twelve different times. I use to be a very violent motherfucker. I got tired of it. It gets old. This will be my first Christmas I’ve spent with my kids since they were born. __(homosexual partner) lying on me in here to justify what’s she’s (regardless of the name or pronouns used, there are no vaginas in male prisons).
b. Riots and stabbings in MD-helicopter next to prison.
58.a. No. I hit a guy with a lock. I was hit upside the head with a breakfast tray.
b. Guy get stabbed at Martin C.I.-black on white-white stabbed by black lover for cheating on him five times, and broke his jaw. I saw a rape at Martin-four blacks trapped guy in his room. He checked in the next morning (to check in is to request PM or PC, protective management or protective custody, which are the same).
c. Nothing.
59.b. Guy got stabbed at another C.I.-in stomach-hospital-don’t know why.
60.a. No. Hit someone, and been hit.
b. Other people hit.
c. Someone shot.
61. NN
62.a. At times.
63. NN
64.a. No. Shot and got shot-person lived.
b. Stabbing.
c. Person get killed-bad dope deal.
65.a. No. Pacifist.
b. Guy broke jaw here.
c. Someone getting punched.
66.a. No. Absolutely not. Murder-intentional. Guy didn’t deserve to die. I can’t get into it.
67. NN
68.a. No. Me and two other white friends, when we were fourteen years old spray painted a black kid. I feel stupid about it today. At age thirteen, I got my first tatoo of a swastika, and was wearing a white power T-shirt when four blacks broke my leg in four different places.
b. Stabbing at DeSoto C.I.-black on black-gambling.
c. Fighting.
69.a. No. Got shot. Kicked someone in the face.
b. Stabbing.
c. A man beating his girlfriend.
70.a. Yes, and no. Robbery is said to be a violent crime, but I try to go out of my way to see no one gets hurt. Do I pick on people? No.
b. Fight.
c. Person pistol whipped.
71.a. Sometimes when necessary
72.a. Mellowed. I can be violent-fight-stabbed in my left hand.
c. Shot at on the streets.
73.a. No. Never felt threatened in prison-was pushed around-but never felt really threatened-say they were just fooling around.
b. Heard rumors regarding sexual assaults, but I never talked to anyone that was.
74.a. No. Hit dude with a bat one time and broke his jaw-white. Caught at a girls home and got roughed up-my eye split once.
b. Cross City C.I.-card game-black on black-guy shanked(stabbed) and killed.
c. Motorcycle crash, with dude decapitated, ‘82, Tampa.
75.a. Only when pushed.
76.a. No.
77.a. No
78.b. A guy burned a sissy’s face up-threw stuff on her face and lit it-Orlando C.I., 2002,-after he beat her with a padlock on a belt buckle-I knew her-she was giving away his food that he bought for her, and fucking them-two other guys -she got air-lifted out of there.
79.a. No.
80. NN
81.a. At times, killed a person-fight.
b. Person got beat.
c. Person got shot-homeboy shot in head by dad after fighting dad over beating mom.
82.a. Not at all, extremely docile-slapped in the face-pulled hair-been beaten severly.
b. Not seen-couple of little fights.
c. Haven’t.
83.a. No.
b. Assault at another C.I.-bloody nose.
c. Assault.
84. NN
85.a. No. Stabbed someone-arguments-streets-gambling-stabbed-tried to jump homeboy-dope-steal-streets and prison.
b. Someone get stabbed.
c, Someone get shot.
86.a. All in all, I’m a harmless person.
87.a. I can be. Stabbed a couple of people-lived-immature at the time.-Beaten regularly-in an abusive relationship-first love.
b. Few fights.
c. Someone shot in the head, and died-owed money-black on black.
89.a. No. Coked up-hit best friend with fist-then he started swinging back.
b. Fight.
c. Someone killed-beat in the head with a hammer-white on white-don’t know.
90.a. No. Stabbed in prison in NY over poker game.
b. Someone get killed-NY-black on Hispanic-died-knife-cross each other over turf.
c. Somone gettin shot and killed in NY-white on black-drugs.
91.a. No. One fight in whole life-hit a guy with my book bag at the school stop-I had been pushed.
b. Guy hit another with a lock on a belt-black on white-food-infirmary-I-dorm.
c. Fight in a club.
92.a. Not no more. Ass kicked in another state-shot up guys neighborhood-shot someone.
b. Seen people get cut up, and held down and dick rubbed to their face-face sliced with razor.
c. Some shot-killed-no comment.
93.b. Someone get stabbed-Lake Butler C.I.-black on white-white stabbed-lived-don’t know issue.
94.a. No. Only you start something, I’ll finish it, except, like Gold, they brought it to me-deserved it, except the one that died. I was shot in the head with a machine gun-one bullet-back of the head-had monopoly-now he’s doing sixty years in prison. I was stabbed in the neck, in ‘96-bar fight-black on black-over bitch.
95.a. No. Beat up a dude in middle school-nothing done to me.
b. None.
c. Homeboy got shot-died-drugs-gang related-black on black.
96.a. I don’t know, Chris, I can be violent, if provoked to be violent.
97.a. No.
b. At another C.I., alot hurt-don’t know why.
c. Someone getting shot-don’t know why.
98.a. No.
b. Stabbing-Hispanic on black and Hispanic on white-here, 2002-misunderstanding.
99.a. Not by any means.
b. Ice pick stuck in guy’s forehead, close to his eye socket-Gulf C.I., 2000, lived-man stuck by homosexual lover of dude he was messing with.
100.a. No. Beat a dude at age fifteen over money he owed me. Twelve blacks jumped on me over dude I beat up at a card game.
b. Stabbing-black by Hispanic-riot.
c. A neighborhood fight.
“Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God.”
The Second Epistle Of Paul The Apostle To Timothy
1:8
“From the compassionate point of view, peace (like freedom or any other value) without equality constitutes a state of structural violence which may justify some revolutionary violence, if this later is considerably less than the former so that a net gain in violence reduction can be achieved. Compassion requires a commitment to nonviolence as a means of achieving its values. However, where a lesser violence has a reasoanable probability of ending a greater violence, the commitment to nonviolence requires a very careful and highly circumscribed use of violence (preferably limited to property and not extended to persons even at the risk of corrupting compassion in the process. While revolutionary violence involves a risk, structural violence (such as the differential infant mortality rates of blacks and whites) is a sure thing existing now and slaughtering innocent children day after day in the here and now. The revolutionary will dirty his hands by turning to violence to put an end to this violence, in the hope that the net gain will be less violence. But will the absolute (?) pacifist keep his hands clean by standing by while the innocents are slaughtered? This question in particular and the problem of peace in general create more cognitive dissonance for compassion than any other question or problem I can imagine. It is difficult, if not impossible, to answer this question in the abstract. The only authentic answer probably has to come from concrete situations, guided by the principle of coherence and the value of compassion for all they are worth.”
Compassion, by Dr. William Eckhardt
Father to Edward, Steven, and Christopher/R25288
Breaking the cycles of violence you read about above will never be achieved through the building of more prisons, but through the building of more schools, and values education, peaceful conflict resolution training, spiritual development, vocational training, for all of our children, including our abused children in our prisons today, living in adult bodies.
“Justice is conscience, not a personal conscience but the conscience of the whole of humanity. Those who clearly recognize the voice of their own conscience usually recognize also the voice of justice.
Alexander Solzhenitsyn
