T-Bone is a massively-built spiritual ex-Marine, who uses fighting skills to stop prison rape. T-Bone’s latest letter from Arizona prison:
I was moved to a new cell. The kid I am living with is always smoking spice and into all kinds of devilment. Three of them rushed in on a guy the other day. They beat him down because he owed a few dollars for some store items he got from another guy, who is calling the shots for the gang bangers. They really hurt the guy, but he held his mud, and didn’t say anything to the guards. I know it’s deep in his heart what they did to him, and he’s only waiting for an opportunity to get them back. He’s sharpening his shank as I speak.
There is a Crip gang member in here, who has all of the guys uptight because everywhere he goes, he causes race riots. Everyone is watching and waiting. Behind his tough act, he’s just a guy who walks in total fear. There are about forty Crips on this yard, and this guy is trying to organise them into a unit of bulldogs.
I had to set him straight because he tried to take my faith as weakness. I told him that it takes weakness to follow wrong. For about two minutes, he stood there with his fellow thugs smoking spice, and finally replied, “What do you mean?”
I told him that I get my strength from God, to do right and to help those in need. I sat the kid down and talked to him, to try to help him understand.
He asked me if that was why I had helped an old man the other day. I said exactly.
All of us must realise that we have a certain amount of influence and we must use it for the right thing.
I looked south today, and saw the snow on the mountains. It was so beautiful. It took me away from this place.
Shaun Attwood