One of the reasons I am glad Cory got the idea to create a forum like this for masons that it (and pardon the movie reference) allows us to band together as brothers.
On a local network site in my hometown (Asheville) a college student working to become a writer posted an interview that he did with a local gang member, a 'Blood'. Oddly, and I didnt know till now, though I did know we had gangs, Asheville has corporate gangs. My future father in law (living in a rural part of Hickory) tried to tell me this several months back, the Bloods and Cripts (sp?) are corporate, they have their own lawyers, they conduct business... yeah they also kill people (I knew that part). But back to my point, a service like this allows us to band together as brothers. There is no reason we should have gangs, whether its city or country and even so oddly cow/corn country. With the new year comes the new vote to bring Prince Hall and Grand Lodge together. This forum brings those same brothers together. I'll hope you will join this forum so that we can discuss repairing and preventing damaging additions o our community in WNC.
The fellow that posted the interview that I read reported that when asked why the young fellow was a member of a gang, after having told us how he gets beatup constantly by the brethren of his gang, how you can be beaten or even killed for associating with people from other gangs, the young man said he does it for respect.
Its not respect, its fear. We need to teach these kids the difference (before, during, and after this occurence) and these bonds will help.
Okay, I am starting to ramble, its after work, I am tired, I'll leave it here.
Cory Sigler
created this social network on Ning. 