IAmA 35 year old woman who's father was sent to prison at the beginning of the "War on Drugs" when I was 12. He was gone 23 years and just got out.

What do you think about Breaking Bad?

I'm pretty embarrassed to say I haven't watched yet. I am going to very soon, though!

Best show ever made, highly recommend.

That's what I hear. Looks like I'll be making a weekend of it..just asked my friend if I could borrow the first 2 seasons. :)

They're on netflix

I'm a broke ass white girl. Netflix is a luxury. ;)

1 month free trial!

Haha! Good idea..I'll be moving ina few weeks..I should do it when ill be in one spot for a full month.

What is your opinion on the War on Drugs?

Manufacturing meth is probably one of the more immoral drug offenses, considering what meth does to people. On the other hand, 23 years seems like way too much. Do you think your father deserved his sentence?

NOT AT ALL!!! What he did was wrong. But rapists, murderers and child molesters get less time than he did. The family had a lawsuit going because they said the amount of time for the crime was unconstitutional. The day he went to court the lead D.E.A. agent on the case stood up and said, "I feel Mr. Smallwood has shown us no mercy, so I feel we should show him none." 24 years. Bam. The War on Drugs is bullshit. Tax dollars going to waste. My dad was there (prison) for 24 years. He had to be fed, medical provided, etc. He was stabbed 17 times, lost a lung and recovered from that after several surgeries..all paid for by the tax payers. A few months before he was released he was severely beaten, practically his whole bottom jaw is fake, he spent 3 weeks in a coma, and several MORE surgeries. Again..all paid for with tax dollars.

Federal prison seems like hell on earth. I'm incredibly sorry your father had to go through this.

It does seem scary. He still won't tell me a lot of what happened. He was held in some of the harshest prisons. Stabbed. Beaten. And who knows what else...he is home now and that's what matters. It's been hard on all of us. He seems to be adjusting well though and we will see how it all turns out.

Which prison did this happen at? When I bring up prison abuse and rape on reddit I get laughed at. Its a real problem. I wish more young people understood that.

Terra haute Indiana is where he was stabbed 17 times. This happened about 15 years ago. The most recent attack, I believe, was in a California prison. I can ask and get back to you on that. It's a very serious problem! When people like my dad who have been there for years and years tend to start running things. When those head honchos become short timers..even their own crew will turn on them. My dad is white..and admittedly in an Aryan gang. Both times he was attacked it was by black inmates. They nearly killed him both times. Honestly..I am REALLY surprised he made it through the second attack. He has about 30 small scars all around his neck and countless on his chest. Metal jaw and a plate in his head. He has a lot of trouble with pain and stuff from the surgeries on his jaw. He was supposed to be housed in a segregated area because they KNEW the second attack was going to happen. One of the gaurds didn't give a shit. Put him in Gen Pop....lights go out all he says he can remember was a bright white light when the first sock filled with..god knows what, hit him upside the head. Then he woke in the hospital almost a month later.

I think the blacks would have tried to fuck him up regardless of the Aryan relation unfortunetely. I do not know to many, but the ones I do know that have gone to prison have said it isn't about being racist, it is the simple fact that the white man will always stand up for the white man. Same with other races, but if you don't go with your own race, then nobody will accept you. Saying that.

Did he start associating himself with the Aryan gang after he went to prison, or has he always been a known Aryan member?

He's always been racist. He was born in Alabama and our family roots are deep south. When I was growing up..niggers were niggers and you didn't associate with them. Excuse the "n" word but I'm being honest. I don't think he actually joined the Aryans until after he went to prison. Side note..I struggle with not being racist because of the way I was taught. Struggle hard!

Just remember not to confuse culture with race.

Right. Very well put.

Is he still involved with the Aryan groups?

I honestly haven't asked him. To hear him talk to my grandparents..he says no. I always thought it was like a blood in blood out kind of thing. He may not be completely honest with me on that subject if I asked him.

The Aryan Brotherhood (if that's what it is) is blood in (you kill someone to get in) blood out (you can't leave until your death). Now they are a prison gang, so most members who get released are still technically in the gang but out of prison operations are rare. Out of prison murders have occurred though.

That's kind of what I figured. As far as I know, he doesn't still associate with any of them but I'm sure I'm wrong. He's pretty secretive. To hear him tell it..he's doing 100% since he's been released. I know better. Shortly before he was released he was attacked, brutally. They almost killed him. Shattered his jaw, skull..he was in a coma for a while. They kept him secluded until he was released. The seclusion is probably the ONLY reason he is still alive.

Just from a monetary POV it seems stupid. Had a guard not been lazy or had they put in decent separation they could have prevented hundreds of thousands of dollars - million even - spent on medical stuff.

Then again, a lot of people are bloodthirsty and imagine the rapes and assaults are part of the sentence.

True.

Did he meet Howard marks (mr nice) in terra haute?

Hmmm..I will ask!

Maybe he shouldn't have sold meth. Just a thought

I'm going to join you on this. My (adopted) brother suffers from pretty severe mental retardation issues because his mother was a meth addict during her pregnancy with him. He will never have a normal life... Meth cooks and sellers are to blame. 27 years and a willing choice? Try my brother's entire lifetime and he doesn't have a say in it.

No mercy from me.

Everyone has a choice, your mother made her's. She did it with a fucking kid in her belly - that kid was the one who had no choice. IMO your mom is at least as much to blame as the meth dealer. But you probably wouldn't be too keen on prison for her.

Agreed! If there wouldn't have been a need for it he wouldn't have made it..he's a business man!

You're an idiot. There's a need for everything. Your father made the choice to make that need easier to fill.

Whoa, whoa. Say whatever the fuck you want about my dad and what he did..but call ME an idiot..and you've gone too far. I have my opinion and if you read all the threads it seems most people agree. Just because you don't..spent make me an idiot, douche.

Rapists, murderers and molesters generally only have one victim. A meth cook however is responsible for the destruction of hundreds of lives. I'm not saying he should have served any time though, I agree the war on drugs is bullshit, and if you're stupid enough to smoke meth then you get what you deserve, but I can see why they try and go for long sentences for manufacturers.

My opinion is that it's quite the opposite. Most predators are predators their whole lives. What I'm trying to say is people who rape and molest usually start showing signs of sexual aggression when they are young. Some of their victims being too young to describe what happened to them. For example..when i was 7, one of my dads friends came into my room and ejaculated on my face. IAs a young kid i had no idea what cum was. I told my dad he poured conditioner on my face. Of course my dad knew what happened and proceeded to stab him in the dick with a bbq fork. :) They may start by molesting and move on to full on rape..if there really is a difference.

I meant regarding the crime they're actually arrested for. I'm aware that there is usually a history of perversion and prior offences, but they generally are arrested for one crime. Like you said a lot of the priors go undocumented and/or unreported and thus the sentence doesn't reflect those events.

Ahh..then I agree. :) I dated a guy who got drunk one night and told me he had sex with his sister when he was 9. They used Saran wrap as a condom. His cousin a year later. "That one didn't count because I only got the tip in and Id do it again today to show her its even bigger than before." - Him. He then brought up a website of young girls who .. and this is important..they were NOT naked. They WERE in panties and tank tops posed in sexual positions. I got up and stormed out. I just kept repeating.."that's fucking wrong dude..that's fucking wrong dude." He chased me out of the house screaming, "its N&N" Since I'm not a child molester I had no idea what that meant. It means..Not Naked. The website supposedly says its legal..that's what he kept screaming.."its legal!! Its N&N!" So..I think it all started with the whole sister thing. Saddest part of that whole story. .. he has a 5 year old girl. :(

I only got the tip in

...

Yeah...he was a real nice guy. (Sarcasm)

Ramble ramble ramble..I'm tired!

Excuse my typos..I'm on my mobile.

Meth is not a victimless crime. If you've ever seen the Peekaboo episode of Breaking Bad, where Jesse goes to the meth heads house, you will realize the horrors of meth and what it does to dependents of meth heads.

Meth is addictive and extremely dangerous. This is common knowledge. If you don't want to be a meth head, don't fucking do meth. Don't blame self control problems on smart businessmen. I smoke cigarettes. I know it's dangerous, and I would never refute the assertion that I am addicted to them. That said, I also recognize that I am completely responsible for my addiction, not tobacco companies.

It's business. If you don't want to accept the consequences of doing something, don't do it. And if you're dumb and do it anyway, don't blame someone else.

Thank you for putting that so eloquently! Exactly what I would have said if my dad would have put some of that money away for college! :)

Not a victimless crime by any means. What he did was wrong and he probably caused damage to hundreds of peoples health. At the same time though..he never forced them to do it. That's the only reason I think his punishment was a little harsh.

exactly, are we going to imprison tobacco manufacturers because they mde a product people wanted and their dependents have to watch them die in a hospital

Exactly. The word "victim" has several different meanings. Not only were his customers victims...which I don't give a shit because they chose to be victims..I was a victim..my mom was a victim..his whole family was the victim! We never had a choice.

seems like you were a victim of his punishment more than a victim of his crime

Exactly. They truly thought they sent a message to drug dealers when they gave him such harsh punishment. They didn't. We both know Meth is out there now more than ever!

The same can be said about the D.E.A. charging your father for his crime and seeking such a long sentence. He chose to produce meth for however long he did, which he knew was illegal. So, they didn't "give a shit" when he was sentenced to such a long incarceration period.

It was very clear that they didn't.. "give a shit"! They were frustrated as hell! If I would have been an agent I would have pushed for the same thing. I wouldn't give a shit about his young daughter losing her daddy. But as his daughter..I think its a little excessive. I have never said I didn't think he shouldn't have been punished. Maybe I feel that way because..that little girl who lost the best years of her life with her daddy, grew up. The damage it has caused to our relationship is probably beyond repair.

Reading more of your comments gave me an insight on your perspective. I understand where you're coming from. Seems like you needed to vent your frustration.

Yes..definitely. And thank you for reading and being open.

Your Mom certainly had a choice to stay with a man who was manufacturing narcotics.

They split up when I was 2. From random comments from my mom..mostly snide remarks..I'm assuming that's about the time he started cooking. I know they had all done drugs..jeez..who hadn't in those days!? I think my dads habit grew more than his cash flow. He got a recipe and bam..he doesn't have to buy it anymore! He stopped doing it shortly after he started cooking. Made a lot more money that way!

Right, and there's so much money in it, due to drug prohibition. Legalize drugs, take most of the money out of it, and your dad probably wouldn't have been doing that, and certainly you wouldn't have been fatherless all these years.

That is 100% true. I know for a fact he was trying to get straight. We may never know what he might have done if he had the opportunity. He was a VERY smart business man. His first company made all the t-shirts for Sea World when they opened in S.a. and he also had a patent on these wall signs you hung around the bottom of your walls to point your way out during a fire. They glowed in the dark and they had smurfs crawling, pointing the way. I assume he had some contract with the Creator of "The Smurfs" or he would have been sued for copyright infringement.

Aso he printed all the glow in the dark t-shirts for NASA when Haley's Comet passed by!

The meth he made ruined more lives than any murderer, rapist, or child molester.

Maybe that's true. Again..the people who did his Meth CHOSE to do his meth. I don't know of any kids who would pay a 20 to get molested. Or anyone who's ever gone done to the corner to buy rape..or get murdered. People make their own decisions. He can't be held accountable completely. He enabled. He did not force.

He wasn't held accountable completely.

I'm sure plenty of the people he sold to spent time in prison for it as well.

Thats true..and if they didn't most of them were either murdered during bad drug deals, heart attacks or just plain drinking themselves to death.

Your dad CHOSE to make meth. Nobody forced him to make it and he knew of the consequences. He got what he deserved.

Again...your opinion. He was a business man and if drugs weren't illegal he would be a millionaire. If there wouldn't have been a market for it..he wouldn't have made it,

Don't manufacture drugs, otherwise be prepared to miss your daughter's young life.

Exactly. The only grudge I hold is the fact that he missed out on so much....I don't even mind that he put my life in danger everyday making me live in a meth lab!

Not to be "that guy", but have any proof?

The only thing you attached to the OP doesn't identify you as related to the person in the case cited, and while an interesting read, you could just have easily found this information and are claiming to be his child.

Hmm... not sure how to go about proving that one...maybe posting a pic of my I.D. with my last name? Tell me what you want, and I'll do it!! :)

definitely don't post that.... send it to the mods, ask the mods how to prove it.

Will do.

That would suffice, also you could send me a photocopy of your social security card for more proof.

How about a drop of blood for DNA?

A blood sample would be good, but could you include a few strands of hair as well? Gotta be thorough.

Sure, address? :) I can deliver personally.

That went from 'Along for the good-natured joking' to 'initiate the REVERSE TROLL' really fast. Well played, OP.

HAha! Thanks!

Did you ever experiment with drugs ?

When all of this was happening I was too young to be trying drugs but once I hit about 15...yeah, I tried everything I could find..except heroin for some reason. I did get hooked on meth for about 2 years but am clean and sober now and will never EVER touch it again.

How is your general health now after 2 yrs of Meth addiction ? Does it have any long term adverse effects ?

I actually feel pretty lucky not to have any known lasting effects. I see some women who have stopped after several years of use and it seems like they are still on it even years after they have stopped. I call it perma-tweeked.

Do you see your drug use as related to drugs being around when you were young/ your fathers imprisonment.

That's a hard one to answer. I think if I would have been brought up by my grandparents, things would be a lot different. Being raised by my mom..I was around a lot of drugs and alcohol growing up. A LOT. I think being around it when I was young possibly opened me up to drugs... If I would have been raised by my grandparents I would have been sheltered and probably not know how to deal with real life very well. Does that make ANY sense whatsoever?!

[deleted]

Lol thanks. I tell my mom often. With him its a little more strained. I agree..I'm lucky to still have both of them. BTW.. M ain't ducks.

There is an AskReddit going on right now about people coming out of prison after long stints, and their adjustment to new technology. Have you noticed your father being in amazement regarding smartphones, flatscreen TVs, CPUs and such?

Edit: Grammar

Definitely!! When he went in, the cell phone he had, had to be carried in a big case..like a purse! Technology and the highway system is what messes with him the most. I live in a big city and the roads were a lot different 24 years ago!

Interesting! Care to elaborate on how the roads are different? I use them everyday so gradual adjustments are lost on me.

Edit: Thanks for the reply as well!

The highway systems are all different. We have whole new highways that weren't here when he went in. Wurzbach Parkway in San Antonio, Our 410 loop is the same but everything is built up and the huge loop 1604 that goes around our whole city..used to be scenic. Now all you see are Jim's restaurants and Chinese buffets! Let me see if I can find an aerial view of S.a. then and now.

Wurzbach! I miss Mama Margie's...So many drunken nights...and fights.

Mmmmmm.....Margaritas!

That would be phenominal. Wow, thanks for the efforts!

I am trying my damnedest to find an image showing exactly what I am talking about...I am not having much luck.

Oh Lordy, I am very glad you have chosen reddit to share with. I read most of the posts and comments and can just say...at least marijuana was legalized in a couple states. I believe it is cruel and unusual punishment to lock people the way it is done. I mean...especially for non violent offenders. How long have you been sober?

I truly believe its all about money. The prisons get budgeted by the amount of inmates they house. Texas law is retarded!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incarceration_in_the_United_States

This just astounds me. How many people have been encarcerated in last 20-30 years.

Why was your dad encarcerated for 24 years, I saw he was sentenced to 20 in the link you gave.

I just got a chance to check your link..damn. I knew it was high..but not that high! THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE INPRISONED IS TOO DAMN HIGH!

Omg especially since about 1980... All of a sudden the amount of people encarcerated increases like a mofo. Before, for 50 years its not nearly as bad

1982 is when Bush started the war!

There is another smaller case not mentioned. Where he was out on bond for this case. They came looking for him, kicked down my bedroom door, held a gun to my face and TRASHED our house. They tore holes in the walls, the floors..even dug up the backyard with a backhoe. My dad was in Louisiana. He wasn't supposed to be out of the county. His girlfriend at the time had a 20 of dope in the house. Instead of letting her do a little bit of probation..he took the blame for it..they just tacked that on consecutive. Edit: grammar.

[deleted]

We are trying..Slowly. :)

You said you don't think your father deserved 24 years for his crime. What do you think would have been an appropriate punishment?

I am nobody to judge...but IF I had the opportunity to choose his punishment I would have sentenced him to 10. Why? Just seems fair.

Fair compared to what?

I would say..rape, murder, child molesters, people who kill people while drunk driving. Just to name a few. Again..he had his victims too but they were VOLUNTARY victims..they chose to be dopers. He was just their enabler. He hurt people in a different way. In Texas, which I used to think was the best State in the world..they are very lenient on more violent criminals and go balls to the wall with punishing drug violators.

Wait...you're in Texas. Yes, I find your fathers sentence to be lengthy, but for Texas not unfair. Plus, you have to calculate how much meth your father was in possession of at the time.

Also, some rapist, child molestors, and pedophilies are getting anywhere from 30 years to life sentences here. However, drunk driving cases are being given far too lenient sentences. But, our state prides itself on the justice systems corporal punishment. Your father, if prosecuted today for the same crime(s), probably would have served far more than 24 years.

We've had more than 50% of this countries executions for who knows how long. Murder is definitely not taken lightly here. There is on some occasions were a light sentence is given due to circumstance. i.e. an abuse victim Those cases are still prosecuted.

This being the state it is if you're caught manufacturing, supplying, or in possession you can expect to serve a lengthy sentence. If the officer is in a bad mood, they just might give you a few days or weeks in a county cell for having your prescription meds out of the bottle.

It's not always fair here proven by the number of inmates released on appeal due to insufficient evidence and wrongful convictions. It's Texas, there's not shit anyone of us is going to do about it.

If its one thing my family knows now is that your last sentence is 100% true! They fought the whole time he was gone to get him out. After each attack they thought they had a better chance but no dice. Thanks for the info on the other harder crimes..it should make me feel better but it doesn't! :)

I don't think children of meth users volunteered

But their parents did.

Religion is a touchy topic on Reddit, but I want to ask anyway. Was your family religious before your father was sentenced, and what is his religious outlook now?

I have personal ties to several people who have had similar (though never federal, and never that harsh! Good god, it seems ludicrous to me!) convictions. People don't realize just how bad a felony conviction is; just because his jail time is over doesn't mean he can get back to trying to build a life. Felony means nobody will hire him. Felony means everything he does is scrutinized more. Felony means most people will turn their backs on him at the worst times.

The few people I know who've managed to stay up-and-up and return to life after their felony are mostly people who've leveraged ties to some form of religious group or organization for assistance. For all /r/Atheism's ridicule, religious organizations are the only groups that will even give a felon the time of day sometimes, and seeing as how 'forgiveness' is a core tenet of most christian religions, they tend to be more willing to accept felons than the general populace et al.

You're exactly right..and honestly, religious or not, criminals really should take advantage of those programs. I've seen them go as far as house people. Luckily for my dad..he comes from money..he's a mommas boy and she is going to open him a business. I almost wish I knew a million dollar idea that needed backing! He's looking into buying Yankee trucks and hiring drivers to jail oil.

Oh..and as to whether they are religious or not..they go to church every once in a while. I wouldn't call them "faithful Christians". All of them are judgmental. Just at different degrees of evil bullshit. Admittedly after my outburst with him..he keeps his mouth shut. :)

[deleted]

For real!

[deleted]

Nobody is real sure what happened to the money. There was a large sum of money a boat and a truck missing after all was said and done. We used to joke that my dad might have hidden it. He's been out for a year and he is still broke so I guess it's gone. :) My childhood...I could be a whiny little bitch and say that sometimes I had to go to school in dirty clothes or wearing my moms clothes because once my dad left my mom had no help from anyone. I won't complain though, I never went hungry and I always had a roof over my head. I did get to go visit him once when I was 16. While he was still being held in Texas. Since this was a Federal case they sent him out of state. Once he left Texas I didn't see him again until last year. We are working very hard on our relationship. When he came out, obviously he had to acclimate. I took him to dinner and he stole the steak knife from the restaurant! He tried to be the father figure..telling me that I need to get my life together, lose weight and find a "good" man. We are supposed to start seeing a therapist to help us through but honestly, I don't know how much good it would do at this point.

See, this is the real problem here. I mean, the prison sentence was harsh... too harsh in relation to other (violent) felonies, for sure.

But being a federal case, moving him from prison to prison, outside of visitation from his family? Too much.

As for therapy, just... go into it with an open mind. If you're already deciding that it's a waste of time, it's not going to do any good. You seem to be well-adjusted, though, and from some of your other responses here, it seems your father is a decent man who took a wrong turn and got his whole life destroyed for it. Just be there for him, and remember that as big a change it is for you, it's a much, much bigger change for him.

Definitely. We don't spend a lot of time together but its better now than it was when he first came back. See..he pretty judgmental...and that shit pisses me off. He told me I should remove my tattoos. I have a half sleeve of hibiscus flowers and other various tattoos. HES COVERED IN ARYAN GANG TATTOOS!! WTF!?!? I kinda just broke down and told him..it doesn't matter what he thinks or wants. He lost the chance to be my "father" a LONG time ago. Things got a little better after that. :) As for him acclimating..yeah..I couldn't even imagine. I recognized the severity of it when he stole a knife from the restaurant..he wasn't used to being able to have knives! That shit was a commodity!

[deleted]

I used to be angry too. Eventually you will learn that they aren't all the same person. I hate tweekers but I know some of them still have souls..somewhere.

23 years is a long time! Im really happy you got the opportunity to reconnect with your dad. Do you think you guys will be close now?

We are trying. I think he is more concerned on getting a girlfriend. For some reason..that seems to be the most important thing to him right now.

I guess you kinda can't blame him for that. If I was surrounded by nothing but chicks for 23 years I would be on the prowl for a male companion. Whats he going to do for work now?

True. He had a real hard time with women in the beginning. He was using dating sites and most of the women would end up Googling him and finding out about his past. The girl he is dating now is actually one of the informants from the case. When I asked him why the hell he would date someone who ratted him out..he said, "it was a long time ago and they threatened to take her kids." That kind of upset me..she got to keep her kids and I lost the most important years of my life with my dad. Luckily for him, his side of the family comes from old money. My grandma has offered to start him any kind of business he wants..he's looking into hiring long haul drivers to haul oil.

Does your dad know of your previous drug addictions? If so how did he react? How surprised was he about much different the world is?

He does now. We had a lengthy talk when he got out, he said he figured that's how it would have been for me. The biggest change for him is cell phones!! When he went in he had a cell phone that he had to carry around in a big case! He is still very frustrated with technology!

He does now. He didn't really have any reaction other than he kinda knew that's how it would be for me.

Looking to reconnect?

No..I should have been more clear. We know where he is. :)

[deleted]

Haha..no..but that would be awesome!

[deleted]

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. If you think that's would have been fair..so be it. It doesn't matter what either of us think...he was sentenced to 24 and did 24. Well..he served 23 and the last year was spent on a very strict parole. They treated him like some kind of king pin, really.

What is his favourite TV show and meal?

Don't watch too much t.v. but I guess..Dexter..and BBQ.

Did you get to visit him?

I saw him a few times while he was still being held in the county jail, here. After that he left state and only briefly was held in Brownsville...while traveling to another prison. This took place when I was 16. That was the last time I saw him until he was released.

Was that an akward conversation?

It kind of made me mad at him..the whole time he talked about how I would be a "knock out" if I would work out and just dress more like a woman. I was 16. I was atomboy. That is NOT the conversation I wanted to have!

Oh snap!

Yeah..

What about now? Have you talked to him since he's got out?

Yes but it's not very often. We have a pretty strained relationship.

What was his first meal that he had after being released?

I honestly don't know. He was kept in a halfway house for 6 months after release. Then he moved to my grammas house. If I had to guess the first meal he ate probably consisted of..West Indies Salad, shrimp gumbo and chicken and dumplins. Those are the things that she would say he missed when my grampa would go visit.

MMMMMMM Shrimp gumbo and chicken and dumplins would be awesome right now. Can I come visit when these meals are prepared?

Lol..gramma is getting old..she really only makes them on special occasion. When she does, I'll call ya!

What was/is his reaction to all the new technology, like computers and cellphones?

He freaked! Cell phones used to be carried in a case as big as a purse when he went in!

what does he think about shake & bake? does he look down on them ?

You mean tweakers? If so, then no. He still has friends that do it and he has admitted to trying it since he got out. He says he doesnt think he can handle it anymore though. Due to losing a lung and all.

Where you aware that meth was being made as a 12-year old? If so, how did you feel about it?

I didn't have the slightest clue. Now that I'm older I know the signs, the smell of a lab..but back then, no.

What was the first conversation you had with your father when he got out? It must've been quite emotional! Has it changed your life?

It was actually kind of strange. I called my Grandmother to ask if she had heard when he might be getting out and she said, "he's sitting right here." I was kind of stunned. See..they have always hated my mom..so for some reason they didn't want her to know he was out. So they weren't going to tell me, either. My family is very shady and very concerned about how they look in the public eye. They suck.

Do you feel a rehabilitation program (perhaps something that showed the horrors of what his customers went through and offered him job training for something more productive to society) may have been a better choice of "punishment" (as far as you say, he was manufacturing meth, and not using it)?

I assume he doesn't have work yet if he just got out. What is he looking to do with himself as far as work? Is he concerned about finding work with his prior history?

In Texas, it is VERY HARD to get a job with any kind of felony or federal record. Also he's pushing 65. Luckily for him our family has money (his side of the family). They have offered to start him any kind of business he wants. he is looking into buying trucks and hiring drivers to haul oil. Don't know how lucrative that will be now..seems like that oil boom phase kind of fizzled out. He is a great chemist! It's too bad his record hinders him.

Sounds like an Aryan racist gang leader that dealt in meth death and profited off destroying lives got what he deserved.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I tend to think that the guy down the block who raped and murdered an 8 year old girl deserves more time. Seeing as how that little girl didn't have a choice. Meth heads have a choice.

Not disagreeing with that, I wholeheartedly agree. However preying on the weak isn't exactly an excuse. I think the guy who raped and murdered an 8 year old should be put to death, but doesn't mean that I don't think a big time meth dealer shouldn't get 23 years either. The only reason I'm so harsh is you seem to blame the "War on Drugs" for this, instead of his actions. I definitely don't wish on anyone that they grow up without their father, but people have to pay for their crimes. He wasn't dealing weed, he was dealing a drug that almost always destroys lives. There is a big difference there.

It may seem that way. I do blame the War on Drugs for a lot of things. I think it's bullshit. And I would feel that way even if my dad hadn't been part of it. Honestly, though...I blame no-one but him. He knew what he was doing and he knew that there would be consequences. I don't think he knew that they would be such harsh consequences but consequences all the same.

Why did you do drugs? Is it the yolo concept, didn't meant to offend anyone, but I think doing drugs because of yolo is more stupid than the guy who spread that.

Lol..I'm pretty hard to offend. I've been through some shit..seen some shit..and very little is offensive to me. I guess..honestly the reason was I just wanted to. Well, with marijuana, anyway. Weed was the most common thing around the house besides alcohol. I know my mom used to do speed too. She dropped acid..she was a hippy! Buuuut..weed was the only thing that was ever visual to me. She was open with it. Aaaanyway..not what you asked. I tried Meth for the first time with some friends..did it recreationallyfor a year or so. Then I met this older guy and he did it..long story short..I didn't want to be the only one sleeping. I hate Meth. I'm more of a downer kind of person. Weed, Xanax. Xanax was almost the death of me. Nobody would ever believe this..and I have no way of proving it but I used to take 20 Xanax bars in a day. I'm sooooo lucky to be alive.

Don't fucking sell drugs, simples...

He never sold...he had minions who sold for him. He manufactured.