"Boss Man, My Daughter and American Football"

I’ve had allot of folks commenting on the “Boss Man” ( our prison cat), and I appreciate that. So, I thought that I’d ride his popularity for as long as I can!! and maybe tell a story or two about him.

We had a Hurricane hit Texas last week, tore up some property and sent devastating floods into Houston and Beaumont. Because of the impending uncertainty, we, of course, were locked down, which meant we didn’t have any way to look out for Boss Man. But, gratefully we, here in Three Rivers, were spared the brunt of both the winds and the rain, very little of either.

So, of course one of the first things we did when the yard opened up was to look for his little hairy butt, and, of course he was fine the whole time – sleeping as always, and even a little pudgy, so he was eating something while we were away! No problems there.

I saw him yesterday and he was walking like an eighty-year old man, something is wrong with his hind quarters or maybe his back, he was seriously walking at a snails pace and kinda catawampus (American slang for crooked). I have no idea what happened, but its been a topic of conversation. Best we can figure is that he must have fallen off the roof of the prison – yeah, he gets up on the roof, I’ve seen him walking around up there, on the edge like he’s in a circus or something. Hell! I don’t know how he gets up there…WISH I DID! Like I said, he musta fell, and its a two story fall, too. That’s all we can do is guess what might have happened. But I assure you he’s a tough prison cat.

This one time he showed up with a gash down the back of his leg, yeah, horrible, from his butt to his foot. Again we didn’t know how he got cut so badly, but like the roof-walking, we’ve seen him pass through the razor-wire and go outside the fence, so we figure that he got hung up and sliced in that way. He was a mess at any rate; could hardly move around.

After a few days, one of the Paisa’s ( illegal Mexican Gang Members) spoke up and said that he used to work on a farm and that he doctored animals all the time. So the next day we crept up on the ol’ Boss Man and threw a towel over him, and that Paisa took a needle and thread and sewed his butt and leg up, cold turkey, no pain killer! Whew, man he hissed and put up one hell of a fight, but you know what, he healed up just fine, and didn’t even seem to hold a grudge about it either. (chuckling) Yeah, its hard in here, even on the cats! And for the record. I’ve seen more than one guy in the Penitentiary in Florence get sewed up the same way, cause they couldn’t go to the cops about how they were injured.

“My Daughter”

On the 21st of August, my daughter Azteca, turned 40…which is weird, because I’m only 45…hummm, anyway, I love my girl. She’s special, in fact, she’s the reason God made this universe.

“American Football”

Well, the American Football season is finally here. Let it be said that I love Football and my Dallas Cowboys. In prison, we literally wait all year for this…but for me, this year is different. For my readers in Europe and elsewhere ( thank you Conny) let me explain.

Last year a few football players decided that they were not going to stand for the National Anthem. Their reason was, they said that American Law Enforcement is unfair to black people.

I will say that, in my opinion, this is not the truth. I will add that, if you quit listening to CNN news and check the statistics and facts in the matter of each case, my claims will be proven. Yes, there ARE injustices – lots of them – but the Media makes it appear as if it ONLY involving black people, and, that its a rampant occurrence. Yes, I am victim of an unfair Justice System, but on the other side of the coin, I am man enough to admit that I created my own misery. It was MY choices that put me here. MY FAULT!!! And I contend that in most, not all, but in MOST cases, the men and women who run afoul of the legal system are also responsible, in someway, for that encounter.

Last year during Football season, I kept quiet…I love football. This year however, it has escalated and we now have football players not only refusing to stand for the anthem, but some are now raising their fists in the air ( a sign for Black Racists) during the Anthem.

I ask you this. Why is it a sin to even say you believe in “White Racism”, but it is totally acceptable to promote, on TV, Black Racism? Aren’t they both “Racism” in its purest since of the word? And aren’t we against racism? The answer is unequivocally, yes!

In truth I have long since quit watching the racial propaganda being force fed to us on TV and in the movies. Truth is, if I sit down to watch something and it begins with all that propaganda, I get up and change the channel. And I want to make you aware that your children are being taught by a group of people who somehow profit from pitting whites and blacks against each other. And they will not stop until YOU and I make quit buyung their products.

With that let me add what the “Legendary” ex-football player Jim Brown recently said on this issue, “They need to decide if they’re Activists or Football Players. As for me, I love my flag and I think its wrong to disrespect it. (paraphrased)” Other prominent black athletes such as Former Heavyweight Boxing Champion George Forman and Basketball great Charles Barkley have also been very blunt in their critisism of these activities, so I’m not alone on this. I applaud them for having the courage to stand up.

I guess what I’m trying to say is this: In spite of the fact that I love football and my Cowboys…I am not going to watch it or support it financially (magazines and such) until the National Football League stands up and puts a stop to this non-sense. Yep, I’d feel like a hypocrite if I myself wasn’t willing to sacrifice, for what, I, believe in.

Peace be with you all. Mark

Three Rivers, 9-3-17