Hello:

Hep me out here.

I'm a felon. I'm the WORST kind of felon out there, because I RE-OFFEND, I do it daily, and I'm NOT remorseful at all. In fact, I PROUDLY offend, and most of you know it. If YOUR federal government prosecuted me for my crimes, I'd NEVER get out. Your state might call me a 3rd striker. Moreover, I admit my felonious behavior on these pages whenever the opportunity presents itself.

Yet, you chat with me. You're friendly with me. You laugh at my jokes. You're not afraid of me. You DON'T think I'm a bad guy (most of you anyway). And, as far as I know, NONE of you have snitched on me.

Why? People like me are ROUTINELY arrested in YOUR community. When you talk about criminals you're talking about ME. People like me can't live in public housing with their family, can't get student loans, can't get government grants. We FILL your jails to overflowing.

Why not ME?

I don't want you to gush - too much. I KNOW I'm liked here. I want to know HOW you can befriend someone LIKE me, and in the next breath talk about criminals?

excon

To me its not about what you might be doing. After all this IS the internet. But your not running around bragging how you just knocked over a 7-11 or how you raped some woman.

If your offences that you partake in are of a violent nature then that has to stop. If its just a matter of toking then I don't really care. You think you're the first felon I have ever come in contact with? They are people too and some do change. The root of the problem is to separate the violent repeat offendes from the rest and those that refuse rehab so they can contribute to society are the ones that need to stay locked up.

You served your time. You are attempting to make peace with the world around you. What's not to respect ?

Excon I don't have issues with felons that are non violent in their crimes. I too commit crimes when I smoke. I like reading your posts as you are honest, I find I don't have to guess at what you are saying or meaning to say. I don't always agree with all of your posts but that is okay too.
I have issues with the ones that hurt others: child molesters, drunk drivers, abusers, etc.
I will admit I do act differently around people IRL but that is my anxiety. I am scared of lots of things and lots of different types of people. I also beat myself up about it too as I hate being like that. I do better with people online (interacting).

Hello again,

You are both very kind. There SHOULDN'T be such a dichotomy between real life and what the government pretends it is. It HURTS us.

excon

I like the fact that you tell 'criminals' how to fight for their rights, even in the face of adversity and horrible POs. I do wonder if more than about 2% of them have your tenacity, but if even one does, you have done a good deed.

I don't know what your 'felony' is that you do every day. I don't need to know. I have committed 'crimes' in the eyes of the law but I have never considered myself a criminal. And if I ever sound holier than thou when responding to someone who can't even get through one week of probation without doing something that will get a violation, then hopefully you are there to counteract me.

I have a close friend who just lost her son to cancer. He got caught with drugs (why not, when you are dying) and thrown in jail and even though they knew he had cancer, he got no treatment and it took them 2 months to let him go home to die, where of course he died much sooner. Ugh ugh ugh

All my life I wanted to be Bonnie without the Clyde. What more can I say? On 'good'days, I wanted to be Annie Oakley.

Exy, I think I know you enough to know that you've done some bad things, you paid the price, and you may continue to do some things that are not legal. But, you don't hurt anyone.

I don't always agree with what you're posting, there are times I want to slap you, there are times I want to kick you, there are times I just want to tell you to shut up. I'm sure that you feel the same way about me. Heck, I can say the same for everyone on this site, and I know they can say the same about me.

You're you. When you post I don't see "Exy, the excon, he's been in jail, he's done things that probably many of us have done, and he got caught doing it and paid the price". I see Exy, my friend. I see a man that stands up for what he believes in, a man that's doing his best to make a difference in the world. I see a man that's a great person.

If we only judge people on one or two mistakes they made in their lives, then really, who are we to judge? I could write a list of crap I've done that would likely make every one of you cringe, and question whether I'm friend material. Those of you that know me well, already know my secrets, because I'm not that secretive. We all make mistakes. We all pay for them. We don't all pay for them in prison. Some of us live free, but have a lifelong sentence nonetheless.

You're really not as unique as you think you are Exy. :)

I have no problems with you (other than your damn political views!) because you have never done anything to me to give me a reason to have a problem with you. I don't know what you did. I don't know what you do. I base my opinion on what I see here and how you treat me and others. This is why I consider you a good guy.

As a side... I was good friends for years with a felon. He had spent quite a few years in jail due to some things he got mixed up in as a member of a biker gang. Most people didn't want to get to know him but once you did, he was actually a really good guy. I don't care about past crimes. For the most part, I don't care about current crimes. As long as you're not hurting someone, especially children, I really don't give a sh*t.