This is coming from a man who been imprisoned 31 years and counting and I want to lay out my blue print to those ones that often say to your kids, wife, significant others. You hear it all the time, and I even hear it in these prisons and that is those words “I’M A MAN.” Well my responses are plain and simple! “Stop acting and be a “MAN”, and set positive examples for others to respect you as the MAN, that Lord gifted you to be. I am sadden and disappointed by what I see in many of our men such as sagging with their undies cutting between the crack of their behinds, hygiene is no longer a priority, the same can be said as far as neatness. Yes, tennis shoes is a dominant factor and nice custom design suits, ties, tapered shirts with nice designer shoes, good colognes and lotions is no longer a factor for the so-called men as well as healthy relationships with a nice female spouse. I am overly disappointed in the feminization of our so-called men and the weakness and how so many of them are relying on the woman to take care them, rather than working along with the woman and that way the two of you can accomplish far more and become more productive. But in order for this to happen we must be real MEN and stop pretending and understand the true definition of that word itself a MAN. I question many of you why you consider yourself a MAN, and what type of examples you have displayed taking the materialistic out of your life to be a real God gifted man and what type of examples you have set for myself and others to follow that we can say that is a well positive Man and role model for each of us to follow. I am “ole school”, and I came up in a time when respect was and still is a priority among those around me and education was a priority. I still live by those principles and being in prison today for non-violent drug conspiracy. I can’t blame anyone but myself and I’m not pointing fingers at anyone… I made a mistake and paid dearly 31 and more for the mistake. I don’t ever want you or anyone else to make the same or similar mistake and end up in prison or the grave. That is why we as men must get our act together and stop acting out of our true character as fathers, husbands, men because we want to impress others that you are a celebrity, or something other than what you are. My advice is be real and being real is take responsibilities as a real man and stop playing games with yourself!
— Rufus R.