Scandal In Colombia

It did not need to happen....but it did. Mistakes were made. Foolishness reigned. I know people are not perfect. However I guess that most of my adult life, I have always held the Secret Service, that guards the President of the United States of America, to a higher standard. There are many, many men who are capable of doing those jobs who do not get drunk or visit prostitutes. In particular, the man who refused to pay the prostitute what he promised to pay her was arrogant and cavalier. I assume he actually thought he was superior to the woman with whom he made a business transaction. The customer of a prostitute is called a "trick. "He (the "trick") was disrespectful of a business person. Yes...a business person. A business person who provides a service for an agreed upon price. A pledge is a pledge. A contract is a contract, whether it is verbal or written. Men need to stay away from prostitutes anyway. Particularly men who are guarding the President. What about the possibility of contracting a sexually transmitted disease? What a "cool gift" to take home to your wife. I guess some changes have been made.

A Message For National School Security Services

This is a short letter I sent to National School Security Services after they sent me a letter regarding bomb threats in schools throughout the United States.


I know you may think I am talking crazy. I am not. I am a witness of the power of God. I taught school for 30 years. The students did benefit from my secular knowledge and from my ability to disseminate it. Please do not perceive my words as bragging. I give God all of the glory for any good that I accomplished in the classroom. The students did benefit from the Holy Spirit that dwelled (and dwells ) inside of me. The Holy Spirit (or Holy Ghost) is an explosive power inside of a person that exists for good. Good is all that it does because it is impossible for it to do anything else. If that were not the case then the Spirit would not be Holy. It would be something else. Bomb threats represent hatred, confusion, and ignorance. The Holy Spirit is also like a bomb. It is not a threat. But it is considered a threat by the forces of evil. Bombs produce death and destruction because they are powerful. The Holy Spirit "bomb" produces fruit. They are virtues. They are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness and self control. They are called virtues because they are powerful. There is so much more to say about this subject, but I will finish my words with these quotes: "But you shall receive power after the Holy Spirit comes on you." (Acts 1:8) These are the words of Jesus after His resurrection, in the book of Acts. Jesus is the Holy Spirit. "Christ in you, the hope of glory." (Col. 1:27) Incidently, the book of Acts is the most accurate history of the primitive or early Church you will find anywhere. God bless you.

The BEST to all of you.
(God sent His BEST.........Himself, in the form of a man. Jn. 3:16)

Robert

Little Gangster (Part 16 J) No More Gangster

Toke was transferred from the prison infirmary to the county hospital. He stayed there for three days. He was offered an option to be allowed to officially be discharged from prison from the hospital grounds so that he would not need to face anyone at the prison. The media was not to know anything about what happened. Guards brought his personal belongings to him. He had a little money, but he was truly devastated. He went home to his mom, but he could not bear to stay in the neighborhood. His image was destroyed, but inside of him a great deal of pride lingered. That pride drove him to leave town and never, ever be a gangster again.

Little Gangster (Part 16 I) Betrayal, Mistake, Humiliation

One week before Toke was to be discharged from prison, Ruli brought back Toke's shoes, not only were they unshined, they were scuffed, scraped and had excrement on them. Toke was irate. And then, he made a serious mistake, he started yelling at Ruli. Toke had fallen for the bait. This is what Ruli wanted. The fact is that Ruli had several distinct advantages over Toke: Ruli had nothing to lose. He was never going to leave prison. He was a more seasoned convict. He was much angrier, he felt much more bitterness, and was extremely jealous of Toke. All of these factors were motivators and played major roles in the plan and process. "Don't yell at me, p*to, I ain't shining your shoes....but I'll tell you what: in the "east yard" there is a bato waiting for us. (the east yard was an area that the guards tended to leave alone, "disagreements" were settled there) He has two knives, one for you and one for me. I'm going there right now. I'll wait for you." The two waited and waited and waited. Toke never showed up. Ruli had already prepared for this to happen. Very quietly, six convicts grabbed  Toke's legs and upper body, they held his arms, taped his mouth and eyes and carried him to the east yard. They did not stab him. They beat him, stripped him and raped him repeatedly. They kicked him when he resisted. They left. They left him seriously injured and naked. It is not really known whether the guards saw any of this. When the guards found him, Toke was barely conscious. He was taken immediately to the prison infirmary. Because of his pride, Toke felt destroyed, and he actually wondered why he was still alive. Toke was so limited in moral guidelines he felt destroyed because his image was so tarnished, and to him, image was everything. But he felt a certain comfort in just being alive.

Little Gangster (Part 16 H) Ruli's Plan

His name was Ruleto. They called him "Ruli."(roo'lee) He was a lifer. He had killed 4 men. At age 41, he had already served 16 years. He was a loner. Nobody messed with him. He had already been in many bloody battles in prison. He had been in the "hole" many times. It appeared to many that he was neither afraid of solitary confinement or death. It was rumored that in addition to the 4, he had also killed two convicts. Ruli was a "bad dude." He felt a sense of freedom. Society was no place for him. Prison was his "home," his real home. Ruli had a plan, a devious plan. Ruli never did like Toke. In 4 years they had barely spoken. Toke had one month left in prison. Ruli started to work on a cruel plan. He told absolutely nobody about it. The plan was full of cruelty and deceit. It was evil.....and so was Ruli. Toke was a short-timer and he was happy. This particular prison situated in the Southwestern part of the US issued "hot dogs" to convicts who were soon to leave. Hot dogs were black shoes that laced up to the ankle They were actually smooth leather work shoes. They took a very good shine. In a very phony but convincing way Ruli approached Toke in a humble manner. "Dejame bolear tus kalkos ese, I'll shine them like a mirror, so you look good when you get out." Toke agreed, and Ruli shined Toke's shoes every day for 3 weeks.

Little Gangster (Part 16 G) A Leader In Prison

Toke was 20 years of age when he went to prison. With his tattoos, strong voice, muscular build, and power of presence....he wielded power. His pride increased because he had following, and although he was tough, he always had the protection of those who were near him. They were family. They communicated. They took care of "business." As odd as it may sound, Toke was successful in prison. He didn't really like prison. He just dealt with it. He missed his friends but he made new ones. He missed his mom, but she visited him once a month. He had never had a girlfriend so he didn't miss one. Toke, as it turned out, was to do only 4 years in prison. But something happened.........something serious.

Little Gangster (Part 16 F) Busted, Going For No. 3

They knew where to hide. They had 10 cans of brown spray paint. They did 4 things: they sprayed their green car brown, they rested, they ate, drank beer, and planned for "number 3." For a group of guys who did not like to work, they were industrious today. It was Friday afternoon. The second robbery was worth $1140, which brought their take for the day to $1840. They wanted more. Maybe they didn't, but Toke did, and he was their leader. They obeyed. Although the take was $2000, a serious mistake was made. A clerk was shot and killed, and it was Trini who had pulled the trigger. It was liquor store number three. All 4 were arrested, tried, convicted and sentenced. Because nobody was able to identify the shooter, all of them were sentenced for only eight years. They all went to different state prisons in a state somewhere in the Southwestern part of the United States.

Little Gangster (Part 16 E) Two Liquor Stores

They were together...not all 10. Just the four of them. Toke was calm, but inside he was overcome with hostility and bitterness. He said: "Today, we are going to do great things. We are going to f*ck some people up. I want to kill somebody today, but I want to make it worth my while. We want to make big money today. We will make 3 hits, maybe more. I want to hit 3 liquor stores in a row. We will keep on going. We won't get caught. We are smarter than the cops. We will go away and be safe somewhere. We will have fun. The action itself will get us high." Maybe it was Toke's lucky day. The first liquor store was easy. Tony was the driver, the other three went in. They wore masks and brandished their guns. There were no customers in the store at the time. The take was $700. Not enough for the risk, but it was better than nothing. They wanted more. They drove across town, to another section of a large city in California. They had in mind another liquor store. They knew which one. The adrenalin rush was severe but good. They did it again. This time Toke wore a black beard that covered most of his face. He took goods to the counter, and when the clerk opened the register, Troque and Trini came into the store and robbed all of the patrons, while Toke emptied the register. When the clerk resisted, Toke shot his shoulder. The clerk immediately went down. Tony drove up to the front of the store, his license plates covered with mud. The three got into the car. They sped off determined to try for number three.

Little Gangster (Part 16 D) An Angry Young Man

I guess you could call it a coincidence, but the names of the top 4 gang members...the inner circle of Trece, all began with "T." Toke, Troque, Trini and Tony. The other 6 were faithful "soldados." None of them had a name that began with a "T." There were 10, and all 9 admired Toke. At 19, he was 6'1", he weighed around 230 Lbs. He had a strong voice, a presence, a plan, and some new tattoos. He had never been locked up. The irony of this is that he was smart for never being locked up, but he was foolish for wanting to continue this life of crime. One thing that Toke kept very private was the fact that he had some connections. His friends knew about it, but they didn't pry. They did not inquire much about it because they got cheap (and sometimes free) drugs from Toke. It was mainly marijuana. All this helped Toke keep his following. Toke was driven. What caused this drive? He was angry. He was an angry young man. He tried to keep it hidden. In the privacy of his small bedroom he practiced martial arts and the use of a knife. He would stand in front of the mirror and point a gun at himself, just like a little kid. Toke continued to lift weights. He felt an urge inside of him......to be violent. Toke was a mixture of anger, violence, and in constant pursuit of an image. An image fueled by a need to comply with an imagined mystique of how a person from his beloved neighborhood should act and be. He also had a great deal of respect for money. Perhaps too much respect.

Little Gangster (Part 16 C) Getting Some Guns

Time passed. Toke and his friends had managed to commit 7 robberies without getting caught. He was not even a suspect. He was pleased with himself. He had $6000 in cash. He was 17 and 8 months. He had a 90 Chevy Impala. He no longer went to school. His mother still loved him. She defended him. Toke had some female admirers but he trusted nobody. He was a little shy around them. He needed more maturity in that area of his life. Nevertheless, he was careful not to be rude to the girls. But he guarded his image. He was careful to only listen to certain kinds of music. He was careful to only dress a certain way. He was inhibited. Lifting weights was his therapy. By the time he was 18, he had 22" biceps. He was guarded. He was secretive. He was ambitious. He had a following. He never went to Walmart by himself. He never went to the Walmart in his own neighborhood. One Saturday afternoon he offered some gangsters from a neighborhood around 10 miles from his house $250 for 5 guns. The gang was known as "Manos Rojas." He had heard they had a cache of weapons. They knew Toke. They knew "Trece," but Trece only had 10 members. Trece stayed under the radar. They threatened no other gangs, but they committed crimes. They were planning to commit more. The police knew about Trece but they did not know about the crimes. The guns that "MR" had were stolen weapons. They considered it a bargain to let them go for $50 per piece. They got their money and Trece received the weapons. They sealed the deal with some beers, and MR included some ammo with the guns. The guns and ammo were kept at Toke's house. Berta did not know about them.

Little Gangster (Part 16 B) Crime and Money

During the Fall of 2000 Toke turned 16 years of age. This was a turning point for him because he felt he no longer needed to go to school so he dropped out during his junior year of high school. He started to hang out in two main places: his house and the park. In the park he mmet some older guys who saw some positive personality traits in him. Toke was dedicated to an idea. He was dedicated to a mystique. He was dedicated to a personal idea of an image from which he did not want to deviate. He smoked weed every day. He drank a little beer several times a week. He lifted weights every day. His mom gave him money. Her name was Berta. She had a couple of male friends who often gave her money to supplement her monthly welfare payments. Berta bragged about her son. "He's such a good boy," she would tell others.
One day Toke and two of his friends were discussing ways to make money. Getting a job did not enter into the conversation. "Doing a job" did. One day Toke, Felipe, and Sonny saw a well dressed man in his forties walking through the park by himself. They assaulted him with a bat and kicked him. They knocked him out and took his wallet. He had $160 in twenties in his wallet. The man suffered a severe concussion. Toke and Felipe felt powerful, nervous and experienced an adventurous feeling that they liked. They kept it a secret for a while. They contacted some more friends. They had an informal meeting at Toke's house. They planned some more attacks. Toke was an intelligent person. He had reached the age of 16 and had managed to keep from getting arrested. Toke did not like school. His only experience with religion was when he was baptized as an infant. That, plus his tattoo of Jesus on his left arm. Plans were made to rob some more people. Plans were made to sell drugs. Plans were made to make easy money. But no plans were made to get a job. Plans were made to drop out of school. Within Toke's universe, plans for glory were made. Toke was possessed by a spirit. It was a spirit of image. It was a spirit he could not overcome. It was a desire for glory. He was a leader.

Little Gangster (Part 16 A) The Vision

His mom named him Procopio when he was born. As he was growing up in the neighborhood, his nickname evolved into Tok-yo.(just like Japan's capital)Sometimes they just called him "Toke." He was an only child. His mother loved him very much. He had never met his dad. Tokyo grew to be a pretty good-sized teenager. He enjoyed being with his friends. He did not care for sports or school, but he got by. He was constantly dreaming of doing great things and being a leader, but he did not really have any examples in his neighborhood. His friends looked up to him. His circle of friends developed into a small crew. He realized he had some leadership qualities. At the age of 15, he decided to get a tattoo. The barrio he lived in was called "Trece." He got his friends together and told them he was going to get a tattoo with a big number 13 on his left arm. Under the thirteen, he wanted a picture of Jesus in agony with a crown of thorns. There was a total of 6 young men. They decided to get some weed and go to an abandoned house to get high. They took some needles and ink with them. "Tintas" was also 15 years of age. He was an outstanding artist. It only took him 4 hours and 22 minutes to ink the "Trece" and Jesus on Toke's arm. Toke was a leader. He had a vision. He and his friends kept on smoking weed and talking about the future. The future discussed did not necessarily include working somewhere or attending college. It was mainly about power, obtaining easy money, meeting girls, having fun, getting high, pride, image and driving a stylish car. The conversation was driven by dreams, fantasy and the vision of Toke. Toke was a leader who had too much charisma for his own good. He started lifting weights. He really devoted himself toward developing some big arms and chest. He succeeded. He succeeded because he was driven......driven by a fantasy. Even the high school varsity football coach was interested in Toke going out for the team. Toke wanted no part of sports. The only concept he wanted to have relating to a team was the concept of a gang. He was obsessed with his image. He was obsessed with himself. He was obsessed with having people follow him. He was obsessed with the idea of being a gangsterHis mom named him Procopio when he was born. As he was growing up in the neighborhood, his nickname evolved into Tok-yo.(just like Japan's capital)Sometimes they just called him "Toke." He was an only child. His mother loved him very much. He had never met his dad. Tokyo grew to be a pretty good-sized teenager. He enjoyed being with his friends. He did not care for sports or school, but he got by. He was constantly dreaming of doing great things and being a leader, but he did not really have any examples in his neighborhood. His friends looked up to him. His circle of friends developed into a small crew. He realized he had some leadership qualities. At the age of 15, he decided to get a tattoo. The barrio he lived in was called "Trece." He got his friends together and told them he was going to get a tattoo with a big number 13 on his left arm. Under the thirteen, he wanted a picture of Jesus in agony with a crown of thorns. There was a total of 6 young men. They decided to get some weed and go to an abandoned house to get high. They took some needles and ink with them. "Tintas" was also 15 years of age. He was an outstanding artist. It only took him 4 hours and 22 minutes to ink the "Trece" and Jesus on Toke's arm. Toke was a leader. He had a vision. He and his friends kept on smoking weed and talking about the future. The future discussed did not necessarily include working somewhere or attending college. It was mainly about power, obtaining easy money, meeting girls, having fun, getting high, pride, image and driving a stylish car. The conversation was driven by dreams, fantasy and the vision of Toke. Toke was a leader who had too much charisma for his own good. He started lifting weights. He really devoted himself toward developing some big arms and chest. He succeeded. He succeeded because he was driven......driven by a fantasy. Even the high school varsity football coach was interested in Toke going out for the team. Toke wanted no part of sports. The only concept he wanted to have relating to a team was the concept of a gang. He was obsessed with his image. He was obsessed with himself. He was obsessed with having people follow him. He was obsessed with the idea of being a gangsterHis mom named him Procopio when he was born. As he was growing up in the neighborhood, his nickname evolved into Tok-yo.(just like Japan's capital)Sometimes they just called him "Toke." He was an only child. His mother loved him very much. He had never met his dad. Tokyo grew to be a pretty good-sized teenager. He enjoyed being with his friends. He did not care for sports or school, but he got by. He was constantly dreaming of doing great things and being a leader, but he did not really have any examples in his neighborhood. His friends looked up to him. His circle of friends developed into a small crew. He realized he had some leadership qualities. At the age of 15, he decided to get a tattoo. The barrio he lived in was called "Trece." He got his friends together and told them he was going to get a tattoo with a big number 13 on his left arm. Under the thirteen, he wanted a picture of Jesus in agony with a crown of thorns. There was a total of 6 young men. They decided to get some weed and go to an abandoned house to get high. They took some needles and ink with them. "Tintas" was also 15 years of age. He was an outstanding artist. It only took him 4 hours and 22 minutes to ink the "Trece" and Jesus on Toke's arm. Toke was a leader. He had a vision. He and his friends kept on smoking weed and talking about the future. The future discussed did not necessarily include working somewhere or attending college. It was mainly about power, obtaining easy money, meeting girls, having fun, getting high, pride, image and driving a stylish car. The conversation was driven by dreams, fantasy and the vision of Toke. Toke was a leader who had too much charisma for his own good. He started lifting weights. He really devoted himself toward developing some big arms and chest. He succeeded. He succeeded because he was driven......driven by a fantasy. Even the high school varsity football coach was interested in Toke going out for the team. Toke wanted no part of sports. The only concept he wanted to have relating to a team was the concept of a gang. He was obsessed with his image. He was obsessed with himself. He was obsessed with having people follow him. He was obsessed with the idea of being a gangster.