AN ODE TO REGINALD BLANTON BY CLINTON YOUNG
06/12/2011 23:58
An Ode To Reginald Blanton:
By Clinton Lee Young 999447 Clintons website click here>>>>
Ode To A Fallen Soldier
Reginald Blanton
June 3, 1981-October 27, 2009
Known to the state of Texas as #999395
To his friends, associates and enemies alike behind the walls, he was known as C.Loc.
A name which clearly indicated his history of gang affiliation. Though so narrowly defined him as a man. Reginald was truly a unique individual. Friend is a powerful word. We were close associates. The time we lived around each other we spent countless hours discussing countless issues. More often then not we found ourselves around each other on F.Pod in disciplinary level for violating any assortment of rules that we found to be pointless and oppressive.
Tall with gold teeth and gold glasses. He was the steriotypical image of a cool cat. I used to call him "Fly Guy."
The first time I met Reginald was on F.Pod level 3. Having been on the row for only a couple of months, I already found myself on level 3!
It was after breakfast one morning when I was jerked from my sleep by a rumbling noise. In the cell above me Reginald had just gotten ran in on by a 5 man extraction team for refusing to give up his breakfast tray. So defined our co-existance. Reginald was one of the few people here not afraid to stand up and resist the oppresive system. In that concern we were brothers in the struggle. There is a shared saying amongst some of us, "Only the good ones die." Meaning that many of the ones that had the courage to stand up against the system have fallen to it.
Reginald was an intelligant man. We could spend hours discussing social issues, philisophical debates, law and any other assortmant of matters of concern at the moment. There was truly only a few of us that were close associates with Reginald. In the prison world the world friend is rarely used. It is a word that is truly appreciated.
We interacted on a level that those in the free world society would classify as a friendship. It is complicated for the average person to understand. Those he was closest with, which the word friend is to weak to describe, his brothers were Obie Weathers and Christopher Young.
I already know that many will make mention of his name in an effort to exploit some form of attention from his execution. This fact should give true content to Reginald's character. One of the main aspects of Reginald's personality that I respected was his lack of fear to confront. This is also what made others have disdain towards him. He put them on the spot and outshined them. If he lacked in an area, he studied until he properly educated himself. He was an excellant writer and a long winded talker!! During conversations with Obie and Christopher, when Reginald got brought up we would laugh and joke about his long windedness when speaking to the officials about his complaints.
Reginald and my interaction was an association that are environment dictates shouldn't be. Different race, different political beliefs, and different gangs. Yet he was one of the very few here that I could count on my fingers that I respected, appreciated and had trust in.
When I had heard he had an execution date, it came as a shock. The day after the execution I didn't even listen to the news. It would have announced a reality I didn't want to think about. He's one of the very few that have been executed that when this place is thought of without him, it just doesn't seem the same. In the days after his execution I was discussing a topic related to this environment with a gaurd. She made the statement, " When I first started working here, I worried about the executions bothering me. So far the only one that has gotten to me was Blanton." I responded with "Yea but he was cool!" She replied "Yea he was, he was fuckin cool." I could see her eyes were starting to water up some.
Therefore truly defining Reginald "C.Loc" Blanton
May his spirit encourage others to resist!
Veni, Vidi, Vici
November 7, 2009
By: Clinton Lee Young
Reginald Blanton
June 3, 1981-October 27, 2009
Known to the state of Texas as #999395
To his friends, associates and enemies alike behind the walls, he was known as C.Loc.
A name which clearly indicated his history of gang affiliation. Though so narrowly defined him as a man. Reginald was truly a unique individual. Friend is a powerful word. We were close associates. The time we lived around each other we spent countless hours discussing countless issues. More often then not we found ourselves around each other on F.Pod in disciplinary level for violating any assortment of rules that we found to be pointless and oppressive.
Tall with gold teeth and gold glasses. He was the steriotypical image of a cool cat. I used to call him "Fly Guy."
The first time I met Reginald was on F.Pod level 3. Having been on the row for only a couple of months, I already found myself on level 3!
It was after breakfast one morning when I was jerked from my sleep by a rumbling noise. In the cell above me Reginald had just gotten ran in on by a 5 man extraction team for refusing to give up his breakfast tray. So defined our co-existance. Reginald was one of the few people here not afraid to stand up and resist the oppresive system. In that concern we were brothers in the struggle. There is a shared saying amongst some of us, "Only the good ones die." Meaning that many of the ones that had the courage to stand up against the system have fallen to it.
Reginald was an intelligant man. We could spend hours discussing social issues, philisophical debates, law and any other assortmant of matters of concern at the moment. There was truly only a few of us that were close associates with Reginald. In the prison world the world friend is rarely used. It is a word that is truly appreciated.
We interacted on a level that those in the free world society would classify as a friendship. It is complicated for the average person to understand. Those he was closest with, which the word friend is to weak to describe, his brothers were Obie Weathers and Christopher Young.
I already know that many will make mention of his name in an effort to exploit some form of attention from his execution. This fact should give true content to Reginald's character. One of the main aspects of Reginald's personality that I respected was his lack of fear to confront. This is also what made others have disdain towards him. He put them on the spot and outshined them. If he lacked in an area, he studied until he properly educated himself. He was an excellant writer and a long winded talker!! During conversations with Obie and Christopher, when Reginald got brought up we would laugh and joke about his long windedness when speaking to the officials about his complaints.
Reginald and my interaction was an association that are environment dictates shouldn't be. Different race, different political beliefs, and different gangs. Yet he was one of the very few here that I could count on my fingers that I respected, appreciated and had trust in.
When I had heard he had an execution date, it came as a shock. The day after the execution I didn't even listen to the news. It would have announced a reality I didn't want to think about. He's one of the very few that have been executed that when this place is thought of without him, it just doesn't seem the same. In the days after his execution I was discussing a topic related to this environment with a gaurd. She made the statement, " When I first started working here, I worried about the executions bothering me. So far the only one that has gotten to me was Blanton." I responded with "Yea but he was cool!" She replied "Yea he was, he was fuckin cool." I could see her eyes were starting to water up some.
Therefore truly defining Reginald "C.Loc" Blanton
May his spirit encourage others to resist!
Veni, Vidi, Vici
November 7, 2009
By: Clinton Lee Young
CLINTON YOUNG 999447
Polunsky Unit
3872 FM 350 South
Livingston, Texas, 77351
Polunsky Unit
3872 FM 350 South
Livingston, Texas, 77351