To Oncefallen.com:

I have to say that when I first came across Once Fallen.com one time I was actually impressed with what you are trying to do.

However, I am now completely offended at your presentation.

Listen to me. "The Powers That Be" (whomever they are) don't mess around when it comes to making laws to further alienate RSO's.

I mean I actually couldn't believe my ears as I was watching this. Saying F#@k You throughout the presentation???? Are you completely out of your mind??????

I am sooo mad I can't even think right now so you'll just have to bear with me.

Instead of being professional. You are taking something that is precious, which is our right to Life Liberty and the Pursuit of Happyness and you are throwing it down the toilet???????????

How do you expect anyone to take you seriously when you have to use the "F" words every 30 seconds during your presentation.

I would HATE to see what your "funny" awards are supposed to look like. What more cussing? What? Make others think that we are not intelligent?

When you use the "F" word you are telling people that you are not intelligent. You are telling people that we cannot come up with anything better than a cuss word to tell the world that we don't give a "F" what you think.

Are you completely insane????

Well sir I do care.

I am not coming from the standpoint of a Christian right now. I am coming from a standpoint from someone looking from the outside in. If this was my first contact with oncefallen.com by watching the awards, I would equate you with the National Enquirer or The Onion.

It is not funny. Nor will it ever be.

You had some great information in there. And I appreciate that. But you are cutting us off at our own knees with your presentation and nobody will EVER be able to take us seriously.

I completely recommend that oncefallen.com is completely stricken from Daily Strength until they get their act together and until they can use their head and not their mouth.

You do not speak for me oncefallen.com, thank you. I can more than speak intelligently for myself without your help. AND STOP HURTING US WITH THAT GARBAGE AWARD YOU CALL HELP! IT IS NOT HELPING US YOU ARE DOING THE EXACT OPPOSITE!

Sincerely,
In His Steps

I appreciate your passion about that In His Steps and in some ways I agree with you that we should try to present a an intelligent front when it comes to dealing with the other side. However, that being said F... is just a word. For many people it is an adjective to give something emphasis, to others it is an expletive that just pops out. Regardless of its use it is just a word. In addition, these awards are a tradition and I believe they were created by Once Fallen and honestly he can say whatever he wants and conduct the awards in any fashion he sees fit.

Also, we always strive to maintain that not all RSOs are the same - you put a lot of store in your faith and I am glad you have that (although I can not understand how you hold on to it in the middle of this mess) but others see the fight in a different light. I have met several RSOs that take the "in your face" approach like Once Fallen - he has always been a leader in the fight for justice so i am not likely to question his methods. There was an RSO that used to be a member here that actually went to his registration appointment and wore a sign on his chest that said "this is what oppression looks like" and he taped it for all the World to see.

I can tell you that Once has done many things in this fight and has put himself in the public's eye - we may not always agree with everything but he IS doing it. It does seem that you were highly offended by the use of the F word and I know some people are and perhaps Once could put a cuss word disclaimer on the video so those that might be offended can choose not proceed. I think that the laws and restrictions they place on us are much more offensive to human dignity than any four letter word ever could be.

@ Advocate - in response to "(although I can not understand how you hold on to it in the middle of this mess)" I can tell you it is not easy. God has been with me in my life from the time that I was born (I was adopted) and will continue even as I type this and even until I grow to be an old man (God willing)

He is the one that gave me my current job that I thought that I would never get based on my RSO status. God's 5 seconds of favor is better than man's 5 years of favor to get the same job, or whatever "thing" accomplished.

He is the one that protected me from getting my butt whooped by some dude with a mop handle. I will never forget that day. Another inmate found out about my status and he came charging in my room with this mop handle with the mop head still on it while I was completely vulnerable sitting on my bunk. I am also disabled and at best all I could do was to my best to defend myself if it came to that.

All of a sudden he stops and has this very contorted angry look on his face and moves forward and back a couple of times like he was going to whoop me but then leaves out of the cell. I immediately lock the door to the cell and the guards think because it's not time for lockdown they push the button to release the lock. I was like...REALLY??? Then I was able to get the door to lock again and that's when they talked to me over the speaker and I told them that I was in danger.

That was the only time I ever came close to getting hurt. The worst that ever came while I was in Federal prison was a note attached with toothpaste to the inside of the ice galley (it was a small closet type cubby hole that was near the CO's office) advocating to burn all SO's with baby oil. The way that occurs from what I had heard is that an inmate would take regular baby oil in a plastic tub, heat it up in a microwave and then dump it on the victim, scorching them with 2nd and 3rd degree burns.

Thankfully I took the persons advice that protected me and others by saying the note was there. I was able to take it down and just discard it. I didn't even tell the CO about it. I just took care of it by throwing it away.

So yeah... moments like that make me thank Him every time I think about it. I try not to because my prison bit is over, and those men haven't followed me to where I am at. Most likely they are giving other guys with s.o. charges a hard time as well.

However, I will have to say that I don't know whether the guy with the sign on himself and taping for the world to see is either courageous or foolish. I err on the side of courageous.

That kind of "in your face" is fine. For the rest of my explanation please see my main post regarding oncefallen.com.

- In His Steps

I was also raised in a Christian home - and many of those ideals I still hold close at heart. However, I am not one to think that little accomplishments in the face of adversity are necessarily the answer to prayers. In other words, did it ever occur t you that you got your job because you persevered to get it or the person that hired you was a kind person that overlooks human failings and believes everyone deserves a second chance?

You don't think that God cares about the big things and the little things? God's spirit lives inside you when you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. So you just know all of the times He is there for you. Which it's all the time. He never takes a day off...lol. If He did we would all be in trouble. ;0)

God NEVER forgets us...

Just like a mother with her newborn: 15 [And the Lord answered] Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yes, they may forget, yet I will not forget you. - Isaiah 49:15 (Amplified Bible)

God always provides according to His power and not ours: 14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,[c] 15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— 19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask [OR THINK](my emphasis added), according to the power that works in us, - Ephesians 3: 14-20

As I mentioned before... we really have no power. It's the Christ that lives in us that has the power. The power to face adversity... the power to push us in the right direction... the power that gives us strength when we are weak.

When I got my job God was the one the pointed me in the right direction using my pastor to do it. In fact I even basically told God "No." when I was presented with the idea of working where I was working for. In no way shape or form did I ever think that I would think that the organization that I work for would ever hire me.

To be honest... and in my humble opinion they were desperate for help. I think they found out later after the fact. Because they do background checks on everyone. Did they do one on me? I don't know. In the past I have been told more than once that I have a "trusting look" about me. In my opinion even after they found out I had already established trust with them that I am a very hardworking employee that they can trust to get the job done and on a consistent basis.

Everything...and I mean everything I have is because God loves me. I will never ever ever ever ever ever deny that fact ;0)

- In His Steps

You know, if you don't like a show before it offends you, then don't watch. I'm not going to change things to please one or two people who have sensitive ears. But you need to keep your words in check.

You know, I made a choice some time ago that Christianity is NOT for me. If you want to follow that faith, more power to you. But one of the main reasons I decided Christianity is not my thing is because it tends to make people into self-righteous, holier-than-thou hypocrites who think that passing judgment on others while hiding behind the Bible is an acceptable way to spend your days. It is funny because the Bible calls people to work on themselves before trying to run the lives of others. I know quite a bit about the Bible too, so you may want to reconsider using it as a weapon.

If you are offended by the song, I didn't sing that song. It was a song I found on Youtube years ago by some guy named Scary Dave. Now, perhaps you can stop ASSuming things before you open your mouth. I've used many songs over the years, but I haven't written my own songs since 2009, so I get them off the internet. But if you

So, who the hell are you to talk? Just what have YOU brought to the cause? You've only been a member here one month. I get so sick of people like you who come in and try to tell a veteran on the cause how to do his job. I have done far more for the cause in a week than you will likely ever do in a lifetime, so until I see YOU on TV, or at legislative meetings, or at the Rally in Tally, your opinion means as much to be as Valerie Parkhurst's-- not a thing.

The awards show is an inside joke for those within the cause, and most people in the cause. And, if you don't like that, then go listen to that song again because that is what i'm doing to you right now.

Per, In His Steps request, I have removed his posts. He didn't want to create discord, and had already posted an apology for the way he responded.

I make no apologies for doing things my way.

There are times when playing nice just isn't feasible. When Jesus entered the temple and saw all those "money changers" at the temple, did he quietly labor behind the scenes to make minute changes to Temple law while his disciples complained about the money changers on message boards? No. He chased the money changers out of the temple. You think Jesus was concerned about hurt feelings?

Most people affected by these laws are too scared to fight back. We think grumbling on message boards and engaging in STEALTH activism is the way to change things. Name one movement that succeeded by stealth activism. Feminism? Civil Rights? Gay Rights? And yet, this movement is too afraid to ruffle feathers. We're afraid of vigilantes or of having tougher laws placed on us if we hurt someone's feelings. Well, these laws pass andways and Patrick Drum didn't shoot two activists to death. And don't forget it is easier to dehumanize an unseen enemy. After all, the enemy sees all of you as "freaks and the broads banging them" are "incurable" and "should have a needle stuck in your arms."

MLK was a prominent figure in the Civil Rights Movement, but so was Malcolm X. You think Malcolm X cared about a few hurt feelings?

Quite frankly, if a Shiitake Winner has his/ her feelings hurt by my making light of his/her stupidity, then GOOD. I hope every "winner" feels that way!

The way I see it, we have two choices-- stand a defend ourselves, or pack up and head to those empty FEMA Internment camps just waiting for us on the horizon. What will you choose?

I chose Faith and it works for me and others, we have opinions also and you have a right to yours.

Nice work on the show......oh and who did that song? :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gft5-6klkMA

Here is the source of that song MOST of us like so much.

And for "yousodumb," I say this:

What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

I personally would have used "F...you, F..you very, very much", but that's my opinion...

If I can find more songs I can use without having to deal with copyright issues, then that'd be great.

It is getting harder to put music into Youtube videos because of licensing issues. Last year's awards was flagged because I used a version of the Rocky IV workout theme in the video. I didn't use the actual theme but a knockoff version but even that "matched third party content."

Even my 2012 Conference video allegedly matched 3rd party content and I didn't even play any music. Did you know even if you are recording a video, like a home video, and a song like Katy Perry's "Roar" comes on the radio, your video might be flagged? It is a pain in the ass.

And videos seem dull without the occasional song. Anyone knows any good songwriters?