Being Unmasked - JohnD

I've had only one rule that I've explicitly stated for this organization, “We do not expose other members' weaknesses.” One rule, that's it!

If anyone is concerned about a colleague, you come to me and we can discuss it constructively. You don't go around telling everyone else that you think somebody is wrong, stupid, or whatever. You don't say, “Oh, Luigi is a weakling. He's got no killer instinct.” You don't do that!

If Luigi has trouble breaking somebody's ribs; if you think he's pulling his punches, okay, that's probably important for me to know. But you don't go saying that to other members. You definitely don't start arguing with Luigi about it. And you most definitely don't argue with Luigi about it in front of the victim; I mean, the blood-sucking parasite who's trying to steal food from my children's mouths. It's like Luigi's being unmasked. If Luigi is sensitive, good, but we don't want others to know that.

Perhaps I need to find another position for Luigi. There are plenty of positions within the organization that require someone with sensitivity. We've seen a dramatic increase in drug sales to the elderly lately. However, the elderly are uncomfortable dealing with brutes. Luigi might be perfect for that division. He'll need to go through some retraining, but that shouldn't be a problem. It's probably going to be a great fit and good for business.

The problem is when we unmask one another's weaknesses, or perceived weaknesses. Now, we all know that Anthony is gay. I think we're all fine with that now. Why? Because he gets the job done. Nobody, and I mean nobody, is better at extortion than Antonio. It's been that way for 15 years. However, five years ago, Dino unmasks Antonio. He forces him out of the closet, tells everyone Antonio's gay. Suddenly, everyone forgets that Antonio has been doing great work for years. They forget that he's the best of the best. They lose confidence in him. That's crazy and that's wrong!

A week later, Antonio violently kills Dino with his bare hands, and Dino's even got a knife. Basically, Antonio restores order and only spends three days in the hospital. All the same, all that could've been avoided, which brings me back to my point: Don't unmask others; don't expose their weaknesses. You come talk to me if you have any concerns about any one else in this organization. You got that?

Okay I've got to get to my knitting class. You all carry on. But just remember, don't be so quick to judge others.


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