color & bbm
As far as Misty's defense and what's been said about her, I guess I take issue with the whole kingpin notion.
She's 18 now, so how long could she have been doing it ? (as compared to, oh... let's say... Ronald, for example.)
Also, I'd think that rape and murder committed by young offenders generally do not involve working one's way up a ladder of command. Generally, it seems to me, these young offenders commit one or more independent acts which strike me as having a different connotation than an ongoing drug scene with the continuing, progressive exchange of funds and "products." There're the issues procurement, distribution, yadda yadaa. It seems multi-level - and in that regard - dissimilar in nature than a (generally) one time act of violence (as compared to a minor committing rape, murder - in your example)
Imo, the drug dealing thing must be like a web of sorts, as in not just any Joe Schmoe can waltz in and become immediately ensconced as a trusted member of a cartel. It seems it would take time.
I think age does put a limit on what a "kingpin" is able to do at certain ages. And for individuals of young ages (and any age in some cases) perhaps gender, (maybe to a lesser degree than age,) matters too imo.
For example, I admit that IDK but I would imagine that one does not enter the world of drug dealing/selling as an immediate, automatic, elevated "kingpin." It seems even dealers have standards, for lack of a better word, or a pecking order or some strata or ranks-of-sort that one would have to move up through, since part of that culture is proving your cred and making people able to trust you; bc one wrong move and it's good night nurse.
So if we use a 5 year time frame just as an example, and we use, for comparison purposes, Misty and Ron; Five years ago Misty was 13. Ronald was 22. No, wait his birthday is in 6 days; So Heaven forbid I should make him older than he is for my nefarious illustrations. OK so Ron would be 21.. (22 in 6 days,) if we are looking at 5 years ago.
Not many 13 year olds can drive; and those who can would need easy, frequent access to a vehicle and even then bebopping around town DRIVING at 13 can draw the eye of officers.
Misty looked like a child at 17 so I can only envision her at 13. Maybe Im way off base, but dont kingpins need a reliable mode of transportation to get around? If not, where do they put their stash?
In a big ole purse?
In pottery animals like a Zuna Maracopa bird that represents a beloved Zuni folk tale? Does one put one's weed/slash/pills in there?
Or a Katchina doll? Does one carry it around on the pretense of extolling its importance in the religious life of the ancient Pueblo people while, in actuality, one is stashing one's weed in there?
Somebody stop me.
Or perhaps a Pafue funeral mask?
(Dont be absurd, kant; if one puts one's pills in there, one can't get them out)
Oops better call customer service: "I'm a 13 yr old kingpin and I dont have a ride to transport my drugs and cant get my pills out of my Pafue funeral mask!"
Oh wait, but that logic is predicated that she was a kingpin at 13.
So how long does one have to wheel and deal to work one's way up the kingpin ladder?
Also, a child roaming around on foot at night or during school hours is, again, a red flag for other law-abiding adults or any officer who would likely take notice and throw a kink in that 13 year-old's beh-ness and that 13 year-old's aspirations for kingpin-dom
Additionally, a 13 year old female has the added risk of being a walking target for rape, kidnapping etc if she's roaming about, seeking to climb the kingpin ladder, doing whoever's bidding. I mean ... as compared to a 21 year old male....for example.
I guess what I'm saying is that, to me, age does mean something.
It seems there are logistics (that take time) involved in working up to kingpin rather than someone just being annointed "kingpin" in a willy-nilly, tag-you're-it fashion -- unless there are just certain individuals born into kingpin-dom like the royal family of the British Monarchy. Or perhaps such kingpin-dom exists in which being of a very young age doesn't make one ineligible to hold the position... like as in the case of a prince known as Tutankhaten who ascended to the throne in 1333 BC, at the age of nine, taking the reign name of Tutankhamun.
(King Tut - and dont encourage me to sing the Steve Martin rendition replete with little Tut dance bc I'll so do it)
(Forgive me, but without a touch of levity now and then I'd be certifiable and grief-striken 24/7)
The link image it is too much, pops up too large, for the tone of the thread; but if you feel sad and the frustration is getting to you, you can go to
Hulu.com and enter search Satuday Night Live: King Tut.
(It's 3:02 mins long and it is a hoot if you can sit thru 2 annoying, but very short, commercials)
(".... Born in Arizona, moved to Babylonia... Born in Arizona, Got a condo made of stone-ah")
In closing, to me, age does matter bc I assume it takes time to work one's way up the echelon and for a very young person, particularly a female, imo there would be clear disadvantages that an older male may not encounter at all; or if these obstacles were indeed encountered, an older male (in this particular comparison example, I mean) would be better able to survive/overcome/cope/deal with them. (physically stronger, older, less suspicious in moving about as in driving, truancy, ) I'll stop there.
Sorry for the long post; but if Misty is a kingpin, I am Mary Queen of Scots.
And PS
As a child, one can get beat up on a regular basis for referring to oneself as, "one."
jus sayin
moo
(and props to RS & PH)
