Criminals...Throw away the key?

reply to post by AgnosticX

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So then the mother was not in any need of extra money that she could have used from you while you weren't around?

Sometimes it takes a long time to find work. If you started smoking weed it stays in your system a long time. You may have stopped looking, but you'll never know when a job will open up somewhere. The job I have right now, wasn't hiring the day before I walked in. It opened up and there it was. If I would have had to wait a month for junk to clear out of my system I wouldn't have got it. Someone else would have.

But when you're smoking you may be cutting yourself out of any job that drug tests.

Job searches suck and are hard, but just keep looking and when unemployed don't do anything that would disqualify you from any potential jobs like having drugs in your system.

You probably know that by now though. May help another reader though.

reply to post by tinfoilman

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A month? They sell cleansing products that work in hours...Believe me if someone is a regular user they know this. I hope this doesnt get removed but I just wanted to state that there are ways. I only state this cause I use it for medical reasons even though in FL it isnt allowed but my doctor knows about it and has no problem with it. It sucks when it comes to work but it really helps me medically..I am not advocating doing this I am just stating my opinion.

reply to post by mblahnikluver

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Yes well, I don't smoke weed, but obviously I still have a few friends that do. Who doesn't?

For some reason that method of cleansing has not worked in some of their recent drug tests. I don't know why, But that's another topic.

What's more important is that when unemployed you don't always have money to go get that stuff. But if you wanna smoke weed go it. Just don't complain about the consequences is what I'm saying.

EDIT: Just like the little beer I drink. If it finally kills me I promise I will not complain to anyone on ATS about it.

[edit on 1-9-2009 by tinfoilman]

reply to post by tinfoilman

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I don't smoke anymore. But you can believe all that was thought about during that time frame. If i knew I could have got a job if I could pass a piss test I would have got clean. I mean, look, like I stated before there was no addiction. I could start and quit easily. It was just when my son wasn't around, I'd hang out with the boys more and it was easy access. I mean some of the boys like to sniff blow, that was something I never participated in. I'd like to say I think there is to much focus on the drug thing. That was never the problem the lack of money and opportunity where I stayed was. Like I said not the best decision making I ever made, but hell I was young. Picture a mistake you made when you were young biting you in the ass for years. You get fed up with it you know?

reply to post by tinfoilman

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Once again, maybe I came off wrong. I wasn't looking for sympathy. I wasn't complaining about doing time. I as a man took responsibility for my actions and did my time.

I simply wanted to start a discusion on the absurdity of the system. Also, possible enlighten someone that would have otherwise never even thought about being in a situation like that.

[edit on 1-9-2009 by AgnosticX]

reply to post by AgnosticX

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Well I know you weren't addicted. Not the weed anyway. It's not addictive.

Yeah I made some mistakes and learned from them and paid for them and that's how I learned responsibility.

That's why I think you should be given a chance. Everybody deserves one especially when the stuff they do is when they're a stupid teenager.

I think we see eye to eye now.

Also, noone has commented on the fact that if I could have paid 10,000 I would have done no time at all.

Where is the justice in that? I would have respected it more if they would have just given me the time.

[edit on 1-9-2009 by AgnosticX]

reply to post by AgnosticX

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I said in my very first post you deserve a second chance. It was just way at the bottom. Perhaps with the text my inflection didn't sound like I was sincere.

The only reason I was so critical is because WHEN you get a second chance I hope you'll remember this convo and get it right next time.

There is no justice in that. It's just a money making thing. I want to clarify something I said earlier. I wasn't trying to call you a drug dealer and insult you by calling you a drug dealer. I just didn't have a better word than drug dealer. But from now on I will use the term, product specialist!

When I said I wasn't going to judge you for being a drug dealer I really meant it. I wasn't judging. I just had that one question which sounded mean I know, but was really to make all the thread readers think a little.

Did all the money from being a "product specialist" lol disappear as easily as it came?

You see, I think it should be legal, but because it's not what I have noticed is that the money dealers make, they hardly ever actually GET TO KEEP IT in the end!

It's the government that ends up making all the money off the dealer's hard work because once you've built up a stash. They seem to have a sixth sense. They come in and raid it every time. Every dealer I've known ends up broke or dead in the end. The government keeps all the funds. It's a dead end.

I wasn't judging you for that. I was just trying to make the point that dealing is usually pointless because you never get to keep the money. This is why I would never deal to feed my family. Not because I'm morally superior. But just because I know there's no REAL money in it that you get to keep.

[edit on 1-9-2009 by tinfoilman]

reply to post by AgnosticX

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Thank you for writing this. There are people like you and me who did not get the breaks in life.

You don't see a problem with breaking the law. The law is stupid yes, but it is the law. That is you're situation in reality.

You were unable to take on the resposibilities of an adult because you were still a child yourself. Now the situation has grown beyond your control because of circumstances both in and out of your control.

Now you have to live with it. It sucks big time.

I know what you mean. My first relationship was with a guy who was an adult when I was 14, he sold pot, came from a poor family that cared more for alcohol than food, 6 kids. My mom abandoned her kids (4 of us) and left me with my boyfriends family. I KNOW what I'm talking about.

After many years of relentless struggle, I finally clawed my way out.

If you want to rise above these circumstances, only you can do it. I believe in you. But that only matters if you believe in yourself. You cant be a proper parent until then.

Edited to add:

There is no justice in the law. You only receive justice when you have enough money. Its a racket, not justice.

[edit on 1-9-2009 by Hazelnut]

reply to post by AgnosticX

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That is insane! 10k and you would be free? Its like they know who can and cant pay. I get so mad when I see celebs get away with what the normal person would be in jail for and it's because they have money. Nothing is really fair in the judicial system if you ask me. If you have money you get out of it and if not it's like they say too bad!

reply to post by tinfoilman

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I got a good laugh out of that "product specialist".

Anyway to others I appreciate the support. I appreciate the haters , too.

No, I didn't get to keep the money...And I really thought they wouldn't look under the dresser.

After everything was said and done the system soaked me for about 30,000 dollars.

Edited to add- It actually was alot harder andtook alot longer to make it. It definitly dissapeared quickly.


[edit on 1-9-2009 by AgnosticX]

reply to post by mblahnikluver

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yeah, check out donte stallworth. He's a football player that ran over a man driving drunk at 3:00 in the morning. I don't think they gave him any time at all, and he killed the guy. i think they just revoked his liscense for the rest of his life.

You really have to work at being sent to prison these days. Prisons are so overcrowded it's pathetic. I don't know if there is a little more to your story or what, but I know of a few guys my sons grew up with who got busted 2 or 3 times before the judge finally was pushed into getting serious with them. If you were given a felony on your first drug bust, you must have been manufacturing or something, I don't know what. Anyone in the early 20's who gets busted would normally be given a chance at a couple of years of probation, and if that was completed successfully, the felony charge would be dropped. It might show up later that you were charged with a felony but no conviction.

Secondly, this is illustrative of the pitfalls of having unprotected sex before you are prepared to be a proper parent.

You just have to ask yourself what you learned from the experiences of your youth and go on and make a better life for yourself, instead of miring in the past and feeling sorry for yourself.

reply to post by Bombeni

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Yeah, I was charged with distribution. An informant set me up with his "friend". His friend being the police. After dealing with him a couple times they had me. There was alot I left out it was more less meaningless. Plus I was trying to slim down 5 or 6 years into the post so I left some things out.

Yeah, basically now my main focus is getting back into my son's life. Thats all that matters to me. I'm far away from that period in my life. It's still hard, custody courts don't like fathers to begin with in disputes like this, and they definitly don't like people with a record. I'll get by though. I'm focused now on whats important. I just wanted to share my story, once again to point out the absurdity of it all. And maybe give people a chance to learn from it without going through it themselves.

reply to post by AgnosticX

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I might make a suggestion; in some circumstances, you can have a felony expunged. It depends on many things, and it requires that law enforcement employees who were involved in your arrest, conviction and imprisonment are in favor of it. If it was your only major offense and you didn't have the money for your own lawyer at the time, it is a possibility. Start by contacting a good lawyer and the DA office.

reply to post by Bombeni

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Yeah, thats on my to do list. I think in the state I was convicted you have to wait either 3 or 7 years from when you were released, but either way I still have some time to go.

reply to post by AgnosticX

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I think you are on the right track now, I just hope you know and realize you are still very young, so make the best of your years to come. It goes so fast, I look back at when I was 25 and it seems like yesterday but it was 25 years ago.

reply to post by AgnosticX

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One other thing I wanted to mention regarding having a felony expunged; if you would go to even a Vocational Technical School and get a 2 year degree in something you are interested in, such as auto mechanics, airplane mechanics, or to a Community College and get a degree in computer maintenance, just whatever interests you, this would be play a major part in having your felony conviction expunged. You would plead that you have turned your life around, gotten an education but the conviction prevents you from reaching your potential. Well hope that wasn't too much info., I work in higher ed and there is a double advantage in it for someone in your sitation, but you have to really want it and work for it.

reply to post by Bombeni

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Yeah, I really wanted t go to school for sociology (I need a degree in that to join the international red cross, which is what I'd like to do) but since I'm convicted of what I'm convicted of I can't get any financial help/grants/loans.

You know if I would have been convicted of murder I still could have got help to go to school? The only charge you can't have against you is narcotic dealing. Just wanted to add that fact, I bet alot of people don't know that.

I'm doing things now to better the situation. I do a lot of volunteer work, but finding a full time job just don't seem to be happening.

Anyway, I appreciate the advice. I was somewhat aware of it. Definitly something I'll check out though. Thanks.