Simpathy for the Devil

Last night Lo and I were watching some show on NATGEO about gang wars at some San Antonio jail. Mexican Mafia vs. Tango Orejon is it? 

This one guy they interviewed was talking about how he was trying to get out of the gang, and how the routine for getting out was getting jumped by 2 to 3 or more gang members.
He said ever since he got out, he has never stopped getting jumped. When they find out he no longer is in the gang, they beat him up over and over and over.
The guy looked like a Copy/Paste of my little brother. He had a black eye, and wasn’t horrible looking.
I know he can’t be considered harmless, as they said in order for you to be a part of the gang, the initiation involves committing a murder, or an attempted murder…

But I felt sorry for him.

They showed pieces where the prisoners assaulted rival gang members, like 3 against 1, and you could see blood everywhere.

I nearly cried while watching that show.
The only reason why I did not was because LO was sitting behind me, and I always hold my tears back when someone is around.

I don’t want to get lectured for feeling sorry for those guys.
I know they committed a crime, and probably bring that upon themselves by being in a gang in the first place.

But how can you kick someone until they bleed? How can you assault another living, breathing human being without feeling SOME KIND OF REMORSE?
 

The prisoners they showed all behaved like animals in cages.
They would flash up their gangster signs and yell their gang lingo when the camera crew got a close up of them in their cells…
They banged on the doors, and really seemed… SOUL LESS.

When I see things like that, I get overwhelmed with emotion because I feel simpathy for them. 
I feel simpathy for anyone who doesn’t aknowledge that there is someone who loves them.
Someone who loves them so much, He died on the cross for their salvation.

How can people take life for granted?

I used to think they were not as fortunate as I was to have loving parents who taught me right from wrong.
I used to think that was the problem, and I am willing to bet that is the case for a few of them…
But not all of them.

How many of their mothers do you think are out there somewhere asking God where they went wrong with their son?
How many of their fathers do you think worked night and day, supplied them with everything they needed hoping they were giving them a better future, only to have them end up this way?

I want to do what that priest on NACHO LIBRE did and slap them in the face and say "WAKE UP! LOOK AT LIFE!"
(The prisoners, not the parents…)
 

I am very weak when it comes to watching people fight.
Not too long ago, we were at a party and somebody yelled and said, "SOMEONE CALL THE POLICE, M’s KIDS ARE FIGHTING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET!" As soon as I heard that, I ran as fast as I could because I really did think it was one of my brothers. When I saw that it was NOT infact my brother fighting, but their friends instead- I was still not releived.
I yelled for them to stop, I yelled at them to PLEASE STOP. I yelled and told them someone called the police. I tried to yell everything I could to stop these guys from fighting, but to no avail.
My legs felt like they were about to give up on me. I started shaking uncontrollably, but I managed to pull myself together to make sure my brothers would not jump in.
Everybody was just standing around, "WATCHING" them fight.
I got as close as possible, and my husband pulled me back and told me to get back, but I couldn’t just sit there and do nothing.
They slammed each other against some vehicles, there was blood everywhere, one of them started choking the other with his belt…
AND NO ONE WAS DOING A DAMN THING ABOUT IT.

None of these guys I even KNEW or seen before, and I was the only one trying to stop the fight.
When they finally stopped fighting, the driver of the car, S, who is also a friend of my brothers, wanted to fight with E, my brother’s friend who had just faught the passenger of the car.
I yelled at him, I called his first name and he turned around to look at me. I told him to PLEASE STOP and he got back into the car.

When it was finally over, my brothers and one of the guys walked back to my house, and the other guys left.

I walked on over there and asked them WHAT THE HELL WAS WRONG WITH THEM?

It turns out it was not my brother or his friend E’s fault. The other guys in the car drove by while they were walking home from the store and instigated the fight because the passenger of the car  had "UNFINISHED BUSINESS" with my brother’s friend.
I understand that he had to defend himself, but Geeze.

We got back and my parents were cooking in the kitchen and wanted to know what happened and what I was yelling about.
My brother explained what happened, and I explained about them fighting and I was angry that nobody tried to stop it.

My dad made me angry and said, "When two men fight, you just need to stand back and let them take care of their business, they are grown men."

I was so upset by this.

Had I not stood there and yelled for them to stop, they would have continued to fight and God knows what could have happened. Had I not stood there and told them someone called the police, they would have continued to fight. Had I not looked S in the eye and told him to stop, he would have also tried to fight E, and perhaps one of my brothers would have jumped in for their friend.

Just as I sat there and yelled all of this to my HARD HEADED FATHER, my brother got a phone call from S.

He wanted to apologize to my brother for stopping by, he said his friend had unfinished business with E, and that they finally had it out, and no hard feelings. Then my brother looked up at me and said, "KARINO, (this is what my brothers call me) S said he wanted me to tell YOU he’s sorry about that."

I said, "He said he’s sorry?" And he said, "Yeah, he wanted me to tell YOU he was sorry."

I will never forget that day. That adrenaline rush, (Not the good kind) and that feeling of desperation…

And if I get hit in the face one day for trying to break up a fight, then so be it.
 

 I hope whoever hit me will learn his lesson.

 

I will have none of that nonsense.

ABSOLUTELY NONE OF IT.