Dec. 1, 2013

The Grade A Walk Alone

From The Sound Mind by Floyd Smith (author's profile)

Transcription

@Golgotha w/The Grade A Walk Alones (Day 2) By: XZYZST

XZ It's my second day out here with the grade A cats here at California death row, this time with a whole new group, sup tall? Let me start shooting the first question in Gunner's direction.

Gunner: Why me? Why the white guy? (Everybody LOL;)

XZ: Crazy ass, yesterday I asked the homies did they see the morning news about the death penalty.

Ocean: What? I didn't see that, what did they say?

Gunner: Some court put the DP on hold, indefinitely because San Quentin can't get their shit right so now, until they follow them around like a little kids.

Dee: Exactly, it boils down to nobody will be executed until they can come up with the drug cartel protocol.

XZ: Cartel? Damn homie, does your Asian accent cut up the world cocktail like that? (All LOL;)

Dee: (Laughing) So, they can't import the shit from Australia, Canada or Germany, so they can't do shit.

Ocean: Same subject, but off topic; but they called Hitler all kinds of shit for trying to discover different ways to execute Jews, like shooting, burning, gas etc...Now the USA is doing the same shit by so-called trying to find a more humane way to kill somebody, man, it ain't no humane way to kill a muthafucka.

Dee: And the shit these fools agreed on, they won't even use it to kill dogs, I've read that before.

Ocean: Hitler was a dog.

XZ: Fool smoked himself tho.

Gunner: Whoever reads this is gonna think we are racist. (Everybody LOL;)

Dee: Hitler did it to a point where all he wanted to do was leave the earth with one race, his race on the earth, but in our situation, the reason they use, is the 'so called' deterrence from crime which is a bunch of bullshit because the death penalty has been around the world for centuries and it ain't stopped shit. And on the other side to that, look at how many innocent people are here on the row right now, this is some bullshit.

Ocean: And, you can't say that this is humane, look at how we being treated everyday..

Dee: Locked up in a chicken coop.

Gunner: And then they wanna drop bombs on other countries and some of them ain't even got the DP.

Ocean: I guess you can say we are fortunate we ain't in China or we'd be gone already, like remember when the USA called over there getting at them about finding large amounts of lead in imported chicken?

X2: Man, what, ummm...toothpaste, children's toys, and...

Ocean: All kinds of shit. The Chinese government found out who was the head supervisor of the places where that shit was coming out of and straight executed his ass, what was it? Fish and everything.

XZ: On the spot? They smoked him like that, same day?

Ocean: No appeal, no nothing.

X2: Couldn't write a 602 (institutional grievance system) (everybody LOL;)

Dee: Lucky to live for 30 days, in a few countries.

Ocean: You see, but they're not in denial about what is humane or about what they do to a fool.

XZ: Let me ask y'all this, since you've been on death row, have you changed? I mean, after all the shit we experience on the daily, how has this experience affected you?

Dee: Hell yeah, good ass question because mentally and physically, I would say positive because you see life at a turning point, like, no grass, no sun, women, it's things we become more aware of now because... I mean, come on homie, no sun?

Ocean: We wasn't thinking about those little things before we was put in this place...

Dee: Yeah, but I was saying like you get to see your family really for the family, or backstabbing friends, words can be powerful, anger, mistrusted words can affect a man's mind... It's just so many things...

XZ: I so feel that because, it's good to know for a fact whose words are the real shit in your life and now that I've experienced that truth, my mind is like, what the fuck? Because the ones I thought was solid, turned out to be the ones that have become invisible, and vice-versa, it's like, all that time out in society, I thought, at least my niggaz was, I don't even know what to say about that no more, I'm like numb to what I thought love was. I get depressed too, but I shine.

Dee: Some people just got that spark, that life, can actually see the end of the tunnel as a bright light.

Ocean: Depends on who's evaluating.

Gunner: Yeah, because everybody don't view change the same way.

Ocean: Right, because what I see as positive can be viewed as negative by another prisoner, for instance, I can get in an argument now, and 10 minutes later, we kickin' it like a muthafucka because I've...

XZ: Matured? That's change...

Ocean: Over time, and some view that as a negative behind these walls because they still expect me to take off like I did when I was younger, but for me, I know that I've made changes in my life for the better, I'm not the same person.

Gunner: What about psychologically? Because it's impossible for anybody to be on death row and not be...

Ocean: And that's real, but, it's different levels of crazy, all of us is crazy, now, on some level, it's just some people can hide it better than others or else how can one view another man's positive change as negative? Crazy!

Dee: Hater shit... (everybody LOL;)

Gunner: I've definitely been degrade in every way, even if I don't want to believe it, I'm not the same person, but I haven't changed into a serial killer or none of that.

XZ: Do you like Captain Crunch? Just fuckin' with you, dog.

Dee: Shit they put us through makes you wanna be a serial killer. (everybody LOL;)

XZ: Alright, check this out, if they kicked you up off the row and back into society tonight, would you be on your way back here, or further away from here?

Ocean: Further away.

XZ: Dee?

Dee: Further away, to the Pacific Islands and enjoy more life, especially with family, family is what I believe will, oh yeah... away from California for sure... but like I was saying, family man.

XZ: Gunner?

Gunner: I've got to go to prison in Missouri, so...

Ocean: What about if they drop that shit too?

Gunner: Well, I still got to be on probation.

XZ: Goddamn, homie, what tha fuck is you, a career criminal or something? (everybody LOL;) OK, let's say, you get a clean slate?

Gunner: Further away.

XZ: Damn, I'm trying to keep this as short as possible because Piankhi wants these shorter so I won't be able to put down everything we chop it up about.

Gunner: Alright... I understand.

XZ: Gunner, a lot of people don't know this but California Death Row at unit east block have 8 group yards, at least 80 people on walk alone small cage yards for people that is on grade A which is the highest grade, my question to you is, most of these 80 people are black, Latino and Asian, you are white, the minority, what's up with that?

Gunner: Most whites go into Classification Committee and become another person, but they hit the yard and now they are Indian all of a sudden, I don't play that bullshit...

Ocean: Gunner and whites like him is the new negro to these cops, he ain't gonna change for nobody, they treat him different than the other whites, Gunner is the new kind of white and they not used to... Serious. (all LOL;)

XZ: Dee, do they treat you different because you are Asian?

Dee: Yes and no, I just don't like the committee like, look man, this shit is all backwards, they got yards full of serial killers, but I'm the threat? What kind of shit is that?

XZ: Real talk, I be like, man, I ain't no more dangerous than the next muthafucka and fools don't want me on the yard?

Dee: They should knock some gates down so we can run some full court basketball with the homies and be like a regular prison, most of these, anyway, it's all backwards here, 7 dudes on one group yard and 80 dudes on walk alone?

Gunner: I know, huh, I've been to a regular prison, and this shit is not it, it's backwards.

Ocean: Like I said, this place wasn't built for regular muthafuckas, it's built for those that got crazy ass crimes...

XZ: That's what we've been saying, they don't know what to do with this generation of cats up here for street crimes, and now look, fools is on the yards telling the administration not to put certain people on the group yards with them and now the walk alone cage are overflowing because it's only 32 cages and over 80 people on walk alone cages like we are pitbulls, or animals and...

Dee: I don't give a fuck man, this is still a prison no matter what yard I'm on, all of it is the same.

XZ: Here's the thing tho, it's people that's been here so long, that they look at these yards like their home, so what is prison to us, is home to others, and that's where we will end this cipher, some sun sure would be nice tho, huh?

Gunner: Yelling; rollin', rollin'.

That's a universal heads up to all that it's yard recall... here comes the Babylons.

The end!

Favorite

Replies (5) Replies feed

bpaige50 Posted 10 years, 10 months ago. ✓ Mailed 10 years, 10 months ago   Favorite
Hey baby brother. I don't know if this is the right website but I sure hope it is. I really miss you too. do you know I cry every time I get a letter from you. No babe I don't work at the casino any more. I quit that a long time ago. I went back to school and graduated in 2005. And guess what? Brinetta went with me and we both graduated. I now work or the County of Riverside and have been there for 9 years. Brinetta is the manager of a group home. Brittnay just graduated from the same school Brinetta and I did. She will start working soon. (I hope.) My youngest Briana went back to school this year and will be graduating in February as a LVN. Now Lil' punkin, that's another story. he aint doing nothing right now. he gave me a grandson. he is 4years old now. Man I wish you could see them kids now. Brinetta is 28, lil'punkin is 25, Brittnay is 24 and Briana just turned 23 on December 27th. Please email me @
brigittepaige63@yahoo.com if you can. I work everyday. for the next week I will check my email to see if you wrote back. Angie is doing just fine. Mom don't play the paino anymore. yes her hand have cramped up on her now. all that playing caught up to those old hands. Please write back.

bpaige50 Posted 10 years, 10 months ago. ✓ Mailed 10 years, 10 months ago   Favorite
hey Floyd is other peps gonna be in our conversation?? if so tell me how to chat with only you privately.
love ya

Floyd Smith Posted 10 years, 9 months ago.   Favorite
(scanned reply – view as blog post)

bpaige50 Posted 10 years, 2 months ago. ✓ Mailed 10 years, 1 month ago   Favorite
Hey Floyd,
Just a note to say Hi and Miss you so much. I hope you got the stamps. Im still learning how to use this blog stuff.I will check this website in a few days to see if you got my post.
Love you
Your Big Sis
Brig

bpaige50 Posted 10 years, 2 months ago. ✓ Mailed 10 years, 1 month ago   Favorite
Hey bro,
I thought I sent you a response but I guess I didn't. I miss you Hey I was looking at your profile and I saw you posted the cutest picture of your younger self. I thought that was so cute. I was surprised to talk to you on the phone that day. I cried because it was so awesome to hear your voice. I got the message from Glover, I also sent you some stamps. I hope you got them. I don't know if Glover told you but Angie is back with the family. She is living and taking care of mom. Wow that woman is a hot mess (mom) anyway. I have to go and hope to read a response from this message soon.
Love and miss you much
Your Big Sis, Brigitte

We will print and mail your reply by . Guidelines

Other posts by this author

Subscribe

Get notifications when new letters or replies are posted!

Posts by Floyd Smith: RSS email me
Comments on “The Grade A Walk Alone”: RSS email me
Featured posts: RSS email me
All Between the Bars posts: RSS