The following program
discusses sensitive issues.
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Parents are
cautioned that some material
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may be too candid
for younger children.
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Welcome to the New Journey,
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a program about real life people
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with real life testimonies
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doing real life
ministry for Jesus Christ.
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I'm your host,
Pastor Marquis Johns.
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Join us on the New Journey.
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Jesus admonished us to
look to a better country.
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But there are
sometimes things that we do
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while in this
country that may prevent us
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from acquiring
citizenship in the land,
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in the country,
in the home to come.
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However, when we accept Christ,
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He takes care of all
naturalization issues.
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On today's show, we have
Brother Bernard Thompson.
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How are you doing?
I'm doing fine, thanks.
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Now, Brother Bernard Thompson,
you grew up in Trinidad?
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And when you were in
Trinidad, you were probably
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not the best person
to keep company with.
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No, I wouldn't say the
best to keep company with,
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but I had some ups and downs.
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Okay, okay.
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And one of the
things that had me...
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I thought to myself
that had me to ending is,
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I told I was very good at
school, elementary school.
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And then, for some
reason, I feel coming interest
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with this is to
go into high school.
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So basically,
what you're saying,
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and I'm glad you jumped right in
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and started kind of directing
the flow of the interview.
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So you were good in elementary
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but when it was time to progress
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from elementary
to secondary school,
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you didn't do so well.
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Because of the
places, the places we had,
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and because, well, at that time,
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they were using like surname.
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And my name is Steve, we don't.
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So unfortunately,
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I didn't get into that place in.
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Wow, so basically,
just based on your name,
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you're not able to...
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This is how I thought it to be.
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After that time,
well, in those days,
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steel band was way out,
it was violence and all,
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you know, different gangs
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and things with
these steel bands.
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And fortunately,
it had a steel band
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right next door to me
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which was
actually the baddest group
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in Tobago at the time.
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So after school,
after you're unable
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to progress into
secondary school,
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the way you thought you should,
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you started
getting into steel band.
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And at that time,
steel band wasn't...
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The music everybody hears
when they come to the island.
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It was associated with
the underbelly of society.
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If you were involved in
this steel band movement,
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so to speak, then
you were basically
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a little bit more
than a common criminal.
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Yes.
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And so next door
to you, what you have
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is the best steel
band on the island.
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And the baddest, yes. Yeah.
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And so, you take a
liking to this music
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and take us from there.
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So you join up, do you
join up with the steel band?
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And at that time too,
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my owner just started
to flew in Tobago, right.
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And one of the guys
that I really looked up to,
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I remember, he's having a plant.
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I didn't even know if he
knew that the plant was there
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but I knew it.
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And well, I
started to sample it.
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How old were you when you
were introduced to this plant?
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I'm about 14. About 14.
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And so take us just quickly.
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Take us through from about 14
until you make the decision in,
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I think, the earlier
mid 80s to leave Trinidad.
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What's life like
Trinidad, Tobago?
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What's life like
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for Bernard
Thompson from that time
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that you're
introduced to that plant,
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you're dealing with
the steel band, up until...
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Just walk us
through what life is like
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from that point until
just before you get ready
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to leave for the States?
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At 16, I got into a youth camp,
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a school, more or less indeed.
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Actually, it's school.
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And well, my mother
and father separated.
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My mother took...
It was eight children.
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She took the eight of
us. And times was very hard.
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I remember in youth camp,
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many times I won't
eat because I don't know
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if my brothers and
sisters at home eating.
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I know that I'm
going to get my meals
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because government sponsored.
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I will get my
meals but I don't know
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if they're eating.
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So most times and things,
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they used to give
us a little stipend.
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And I will send my stipend home
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so that my
brothers and sisters...
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And then came
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the Black Power
Movement in 1970.
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So tell us
about your involvement
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in Black Power
in Trinidad Tobago?
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Yes, I got heavily involved.
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I left youth camp and came home
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because the demonstrations
started in Trinidad.
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So I left Trinidad
and came up Tobago.
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And in the height
of it when I got...
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The day after
state of emergency,
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the same day after
state of emergency,
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I got arrested with,
about 37 of us got arrested.
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So why were you arrested?
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Tell us and so you
go from steel band,
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sampling this plant to
now you leave youth camp
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to get involved with
the Black Power movement.
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And on this particular
day, 37 of you and your friends,
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37 of you and your
friends get arrested for what?
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What do you get arrested for?
Inciting the public to riot.
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Inciting the public to riot,
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on behalf of the
Black Power movement.
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Yes.
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And so we have
here, we have a picture.
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Let me paint this picture.
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We have a young
man from a broken home,
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if you will, eight siblings,
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who realizes the
importance of taking care
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of those siblings
to the extent that
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sometimes you're
going without meals,
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you're sending home your stipend
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but then comes the
Black Power movement.
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And you join in with
the Black Power movement.
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And here begins your brushes
with the law, if you will.
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Yes, more or less, yes.
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Because I got arrested,
we were inside, no bail.
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And they told us no bail.
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So we got to stay
inside until our case...
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And they gave us 12 months.
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So you spent 12
months. No. Well, I didn't.
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We appeal, so I only end up
spending six months in jail.
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Six months in jail.
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From April to October. Okay.
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And so now you get out
of the Black Power Movement.
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I want to progress a little bit,
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Brother Bernard, to the point
when you start experimenting,
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if you will, with
drug paraphernalia
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and a listed
materials like that.
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Tell us a little bit about
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your introduction
into that lifestyle?
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I started to come to America.
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Well, even before that ending,
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when I started to
sell my own home indeed,
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I was selling it because I need.
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My mother, I had three sisters
after me and a little brother.
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I'm the fourth out of eighth.
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But coming after me
and then was three sisters.
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And I couldn't
dare see my sisters
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or anybody
exploiting my sisters.
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So from just
pleasure with the weed,
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I started to sell now.
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I got graduated.
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And the impetus
behind your dealing drugs
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was not just to become,
wasn't to become a kingpin.
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No, I wanted my sisters
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and then I didn't want
anybody to exploit my sisters.
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Okay, so you
started using the moneys
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to help your
sisters go to school,
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have nice clothes, and
different things like that.
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But this began a
lifestyle for you now.
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You're now, by
default, I assume,
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because you're able
to put three sisters
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into school and such.
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Now, you're doing all right.
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But then you realize
in order to do better,
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you got to
broaden your horizons.
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Of course. So
tell us about that?
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Well, I started
to come to America
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like liberty
weekend, all that vacation...
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I will come and buy clothes
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and go back home
and selling there.
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So at one time,
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children mother had a cousin
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and he was dealing up here.
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And he gave me a sample.
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But I could remember
that he's telling me,
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"Don't stay on this
thing. This thing is trouble."
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That was cocaine.
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But I sampled it.
I start to like it.
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I started to like it then.
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Then, go back home, I
carried on paraphernalia
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and these things,
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and I started
to hustle home now.
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I just want to
ask a quick question.
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So you're using
cocaine as well as dealing it?
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Dealing. Okay.
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And that was the worst thing.
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After that time, I
became a best customer.
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I was my best
customer at that time.
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So when things
started to go well, real bad,
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I decided to leave
home and come to America.
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Okay, so now... Leaving home.
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Yeah, you've transitioned
from selling marijuana
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to selling cocaine,
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and whereas the
trafficking of marijuana
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was facilitating
the better lifestyle
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for your sisters.
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When you started
dealing with the cocaine,
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everything
begins to go down drain.
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Tell me the difference between,
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Brother Thompson,
Brother Bernard Thompson,
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when he's selling marijuana,
emotionally inside of you
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and you're taking
care of your sisters
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to where now, you're
smoking, you're doing cocaine,
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and you're not
able to do the things
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that you initially wanted to do?
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Marijuana, selling marijuana
at that time, I had friends.
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I had all the
young guys on the block,
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young girls who is
smoking, who is not smoking
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but I was the man,
more or less in things.
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Clothes, drinks, we go
party, and this, I mean,
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we floated with
drinks and these things,
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and everybody have a good time.
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And I gain respect at that time.
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But when the cocaine
comes into the picture,
00:10:47.71\00:10:49.84
tell us about that?
00:10:49.88\00:10:51.28
Well, when cocaine
came into the picture,
00:10:51.31\00:10:54.72
well, the cocaine was much
more expensive than marijuana.
00:10:54.75\00:11:01.06
And cocaine is a thing,
you get hook on cocaine.
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How did the people
who once looked up to you,
00:11:08.10\00:11:09.83
who once respected you,
who once were attracted to you,
00:11:09.86\00:11:14.04
how did they began to treat you?
00:11:14.07\00:11:15.40
Well, the persons
started over to pull away.
00:11:15.44\00:11:16.87
I noticed that
persons started to pull away
00:11:16.91\00:11:18.87
because at home,
in Tobago and there,
00:11:18.91\00:11:24.31
Tobago is so small
00:11:24.35\00:11:25.98
that everybody
knows your business.
00:11:26.01\00:11:29.35
And cocaine was a
thing that nobody wanted
00:11:29.38\00:11:35.59
to align this so forth and this.
00:11:35.62\00:11:37.33
So persons, you find
persons started to pull away,
00:11:37.36\00:11:41.36
even some of my good friends
00:11:41.40\00:11:42.80
and they didn't want
to see me go to like that,
00:11:42.83\00:11:47.24
and they pull away for me.
00:11:47.27\00:11:48.80
So what I did, I see
the best thing for me
00:11:48.84\00:11:52.51
I think is to hit it to America.
00:11:52.54\00:11:54.68
Yeah, get a new start. Yeah.
00:11:54.71\00:11:56.04
Get a new start. So
this is about, what, 1980...
00:11:56.08\00:11:58.85
'87. '87.
00:11:58.88\00:12:00.22
You decided to come up
00:12:00.25\00:12:01.58
to the United States of America.
00:12:01.62\00:12:03.42
And you're hoping to
leave that lifestyle behind.
00:12:03.45\00:12:07.29
You're hoping to
transition into something new,
00:12:07.32\00:12:10.09
you're hoping that
the land of the free,
00:12:10.13\00:12:12.56
the home of the brave is going
to present Bernard Thompson
00:12:12.59\00:12:15.86
with a complete fresh start,
but is that what happened?
00:12:15.90\00:12:20.24
No.
00:12:20.27\00:12:21.97
I started well
until I got to realize
00:12:22.00\00:12:28.08
where the pusherman is.
00:12:28.11\00:12:30.45
Because remember, I'm
now coming to America,
00:12:30.48\00:12:32.65
I don't know much in
there but when I got to realize
00:12:32.68\00:12:35.92
where the
pusherman is and whole,
00:12:35.95\00:12:38.15
among they're
selling for the money,
00:12:38.19\00:12:40.76
I got into it.
00:12:40.79\00:12:42.16
So what you realize
when you get to the States,
00:12:42.19\00:12:44.49
you realized that people are,
00:12:44.53\00:12:45.86
you see, people
are making money.
00:12:45.89\00:12:47.23
You said the
pusherman, the dope dealer,
00:12:47.26\00:12:48.70
the drug dealer.
00:12:48.73\00:12:50.07
And you see how much
money they are making,
00:12:50.10\00:12:51.43
you decided, "Hey, listen.
I need to get in on this."
00:12:51.47\00:12:54.47
Yes.
00:12:54.50\00:12:55.84
And I wasn't working
because of satisfaction
00:12:55.87\00:13:01.11
and things like that.
00:13:01.14\00:13:02.84
So I want to back up, I'm sorry.
00:13:02.88\00:13:05.01
So you come to the States,
00:13:05.05\00:13:07.48
and you want a new
life but unfortunately,
00:13:07.52\00:13:09.92
because you're not a citizen,
00:13:09.95\00:13:12.49
you can't get a
job, you can't get...
00:13:12.52\00:13:14.86
Permanent residence.
A permanent residence.
00:13:14.89\00:13:17.43
But you still got to
take care of yourself.
00:13:17.46\00:13:18.83
Yes.
00:13:18.86\00:13:20.20
And when you see what the drug
dealers are doing, you figure,
00:13:20.23\00:13:21.86
"Well, I could make some money.
I could take care of myself."
00:13:21.90\00:13:26.23
And so you started getting
into drugs here in the States.
00:13:26.27\00:13:30.14
Yeah.
00:13:30.17\00:13:31.51
After that, I
brought my children up here.
00:13:31.54\00:13:36.85
I have two
daughters at the time with me.
00:13:36.88\00:13:39.85
They will appear with me.
00:13:39.88\00:13:41.85
But the children
mother, my children mother,
00:13:41.88\00:13:45.85
we couldn't make it.
00:13:45.89\00:13:47.22
We have to send them back home
00:13:47.26\00:13:49.22
because I remember
telling I bought a pistol
00:13:49.26\00:13:55.56
and left it in the house
00:13:55.60\00:13:58.87
where I knew my
children could and I told them,
00:13:58.90\00:14:02.20
"Anybody come to the
door, do not open the door."
00:14:02.24\00:14:05.47
If anybody try to blitz,
I showed them how to use it.
00:14:05.51\00:14:08.58
And these are only
ten and seven years old.
00:14:08.61\00:14:11.35
So you got your kids
with you in the States,
00:14:11.38\00:14:13.78
your wife with
you in the States,
00:14:13.82\00:14:15.88
and you think things are so bad
00:14:15.92\00:14:17.62
that you teach your
ten and seven -year-old
00:14:17.65\00:14:19.79
how to use a firearm.
00:14:19.82\00:14:22.09
Yes. Okay, okay.
00:14:22.12\00:14:23.46
Because that was the
life. That was the life.
00:14:23.49\00:14:26.23
But anyway, I started to selling
00:14:26.26\00:14:29.43
now for these people in there.
00:14:29.46\00:14:33.34
And I was doing well
because in the sense of,
00:14:33.37\00:14:40.18
I was tapping every vial.
00:14:40.21\00:14:43.41
Every vial you give
me to sell, I tap it.
00:14:43.45\00:14:46.31
Now let's explain
what tapping it means.
00:14:46.35\00:14:48.75
So what you're doing is
every time you get a vial,
00:14:48.78\00:14:51.15
I take out a little piece,
00:14:51.19\00:14:52.95
and you're
massing some for yourself.
00:14:52.99\00:14:54.82
Of course. Yeah, yeah. I know.
00:14:54.86\00:14:58.59
So this is what I was
doing, and plus with this,
00:14:58.63\00:15:01.86
you have your salary.
00:15:01.90\00:15:03.23
So I was getting paid
and I still have my blue eye
00:15:03.26\00:15:08.24
for my personal
from what I take home.
00:15:08.27\00:15:12.24
But it happened this
time that the policemen raid,
00:15:12.27\00:15:17.58
they didn't
hold me with anything
00:15:17.61\00:15:19.98
and they came in there.
00:15:20.02\00:15:22.32
Well, I had already
changed my attire and thing,
00:15:22.35\00:15:25.92
they made me put on
back the same dirty clothes
00:15:25.95\00:15:28.36
that I was in the spot
we'd sell in and took me up.
00:15:28.39\00:15:32.79
Now something
funny happened there.
00:15:32.83\00:15:35.70
They asked my name,
I told them my name.
00:15:35.73\00:15:39.63
They asked me my street name
00:15:39.67\00:15:42.14
but at time I
didn't have street name.
00:15:42.17\00:15:46.68
So they keep pressing,
"Man, tell us your street name
00:15:46.71\00:15:49.94
and you must have a street name
00:15:49.98\00:15:51.31
and you're dealing
outside here and there.
00:15:51.35\00:15:53.08
So I, out of the
blue, I just jump up
00:15:53.11\00:15:54.95
and said Keith Jackson.
00:15:54.98\00:15:57.29
And they put
that thing as my name
00:15:58.65\00:16:00.09
and Bernard
Thompson as my alias.
00:16:00.12\00:16:03.29
Okay. And so
what does that mean?
00:16:03.32\00:16:05.69
So Keith Jackson...
00:16:05.73\00:16:07.76
Is the one that
standing the charge.
00:16:07.80\00:16:10.60
So then you avoid the charges
00:16:10.63\00:16:12.63
because you're
not Keith Jackson.
00:16:12.67\00:16:14.14
I couldn't avoid the
charges because fingerprint.
00:16:14.17\00:16:17.77
Fingerprints have
me as Keith Jackson
00:16:17.81\00:16:20.88
but remember
the same fingerprint
00:16:20.91\00:16:22.61
will have me as
Bernard Thompson.
00:16:22.64\00:16:25.25
Go ahead, go ahead, go ahead.
00:16:25.28\00:16:26.61
And this is where I got
to stick up 25 years after.
00:16:26.65\00:16:31.19
So I want to stop.
00:16:31.22\00:16:32.55
I want to stop right
there because here's the point.
00:16:32.59\00:16:35.12
Here's where it
really gets interesting
00:16:35.16\00:16:36.93
because you can't afford,
it's a really stand trial here
00:16:36.96\00:16:40.56
because you're not a citizen.
00:16:40.60\00:16:42.43
And if you get found out,
00:16:42.46\00:16:44.33
what will happen
is, you'll get deported.
00:16:44.37\00:16:46.80
And you don't want to
go back to the old life
00:16:46.84\00:16:48.57
because there, even
though you're now doing
00:16:48.60\00:16:50.97
some of the same things...
00:16:51.01\00:16:52.34
Man, that shame
alone will kill me.
00:16:52.37\00:16:54.08
Yeah, the shame alone
of having been deported.
00:16:54.11\00:16:57.71
And so now, I want to digress
00:16:57.75\00:17:00.02
just a little bit
here, Brother Thompson,
00:17:00.05\00:17:01.38
and we'll come
back to that point.
00:17:01.42\00:17:03.79
Where is God in all of this?
00:17:03.82\00:17:06.39
I'm going to tell you something.
00:17:06.42\00:17:09.09
My mother was a
God fearing person.
00:17:09.12\00:17:14.56
My mother taught us to pray.
00:17:14.60\00:17:17.67
She taught us God's way out
but we just went our own way.
00:17:17.70\00:17:23.04
We just adopted our
own style as I tell you,
00:17:23.07\00:17:25.37
the steel band, those
ideas and that influence
00:17:25.41\00:17:27.78
and all these things.
00:17:27.81\00:17:29.38
But my mother, she
taught us God's way out.
00:17:29.41\00:17:31.88
As a matter of fact,
when I was leaving home,
00:17:31.91\00:17:34.88
my mother gave me affirmation.
00:17:34.92\00:17:37.85
When you were leaving
to come to the States?
00:17:37.89\00:17:39.22
To the States, she
gave me affirmation.
00:17:39.25\00:17:41.92
God is my help in every need.
00:17:41.96\00:17:44.29
God does my ever,
every hunger feed.
00:17:44.33\00:17:47.36
God walks beside
me, guides my way
00:17:47.40\00:17:49.73
through every moment of the day.
00:17:49.76\00:17:52.23
I know I'm
wise, I know I'm true.
00:17:52.27\00:17:55.44
Patient, kind, and loving too.
00:17:55.47\00:17:58.87
All things I am, can
do and be through Christ
00:17:58.91\00:18:01.74
the truth that lives in me.
00:18:01.78\00:18:04.08
God is my
health, I can't be sick.
00:18:04.11\00:18:07.38
God is my
strength on feeling quick.
00:18:07.42\00:18:10.59
God is my all, I know no fear.
00:18:10.62\00:18:13.46
Since God I love
and truth I hear.
00:18:13.49\00:18:17.49
My mother gave me that. Mercy.
00:18:17.53\00:18:19.49
She gave me another
one, the spirit of the Lord
00:18:19.53\00:18:21.90
goes before me and makes
easy and successful my way.
00:18:21.93\00:18:25.47
So when you get into
this situation with the law,
00:18:25.50\00:18:27.87
how does that
admonition come into play?
00:18:27.90\00:18:29.50
I've been singing that.
I've been singing these things.
00:18:29.54\00:18:35.71
So now we go back
to the Keith Jackson,
00:18:35.74\00:18:38.25
Bernard Thompson conundrum,
00:18:38.28\00:18:40.32
and the admonition
that your mother had placed
00:18:40.35\00:18:43.05
in your spirit is
becoming real for you.
00:18:43.08\00:18:45.99
And so walk us
through because you desire
00:18:46.02\00:18:49.26
to be a citizen here
but as you start to process,
00:18:49.29\00:18:54.03
or tell me about divorcing
yourself from that lifestyle?
00:18:54.06\00:18:56.36
Do you divorce
yourself from that lifestyle?
00:18:56.40\00:18:58.60
Yes. Okay.
00:18:58.63\00:18:59.97
And so you divorce
yourself from that lifestyle,
00:19:00.00\00:19:01.77
and you want to get on
the road to become a citizen.
00:19:01.80\00:19:04.44
And tell us about
trying to become a citizen
00:19:04.47\00:19:07.58
in the United Sates of America
with fingerprints that say,
00:19:07.61\00:19:10.88
when you were in
the previous lifestyle,
00:19:10.91\00:19:14.42
that's going to
present some challenges?
00:19:14.45\00:19:15.78
Well, after being released
00:19:15.82\00:19:21.76
on probation, one morning,
00:19:21.79\00:19:25.36
I went to the probation
officer and realize that
00:19:25.39\00:19:30.40
he's asking for name
00:19:30.43\00:19:31.77
and green card and these things.
00:19:31.80\00:19:33.20
I knew that I did
not have these things.
00:19:33.23\00:19:35.30
But my goal is a great goal,
and I couldn't see at the time.
00:19:35.34\00:19:40.31
The Lord made it happen so
that the officer got a call
00:19:40.34\00:19:46.11
right before I go into him.
00:19:46.15\00:19:48.92
And he came out and he
told me, "Mr. Thompson."
00:19:48.95\00:19:50.99
No, he called me Mr. Jackson
because this is what he knew.
00:19:51.02\00:19:54.66
He said, "Jackson, I'll
have to suspend you here
00:19:54.69\00:19:57.36
into D&D till another time."
00:19:57.39\00:19:59.89
Well, that was what I wanted
00:19:59.93\00:20:01.86
because I knew he's
not seeing me again.
00:20:01.90\00:20:05.30
I know that.
00:20:05.33\00:20:06.67
I can't face him
because of the deportation.
00:20:06.70\00:20:10.21
So I left.
00:20:10.24\00:20:12.14
I left the area that I
was living in New York,
00:20:12.17\00:20:14.21
I've been to
another area and live.
00:20:14.24\00:20:15.94
And it happen true,
nothing never really
00:20:15.98\00:20:18.55
came up concerning that.
00:20:18.58\00:20:22.65
Until 25 years,
after two years ago,
00:20:22.68\00:20:26.49
I went home for vacation.
00:20:26.52\00:20:31.09
You went to
Tobago? Went to Tobago.
00:20:31.13\00:20:34.46
And to tell you
how the Lord's so good,
00:20:34.50\00:20:39.10
that my mother
was alive at the time.
00:20:39.13\00:20:45.27
I went home at one
time. And she told me...
00:20:45.31\00:20:49.01
No, I went to visit her.
00:20:49.04\00:20:51.21
And what I used to
wear, plenty of jewelry
00:20:51.25\00:20:54.25
and I had six
and seven gold chain.
00:20:54.28\00:20:55.95
I wouldn't wear them
to church but that's...
00:20:55.98\00:20:58.49
Some church members
will tell you one thing
00:20:58.52\00:21:00.26
that I will go and cruise,
00:21:00.29\00:21:01.62
I think they've
seen me with all these.
00:21:01.66\00:21:04.79
So I went this morning
00:21:04.83\00:21:06.16
and sat with my mother, talking.
00:21:06.19\00:21:08.00
And she said, "Look at you!"
00:21:08.03\00:21:10.53
My mother is 90, 91 at the time,
00:21:10.57\00:21:13.57
"Look at you,
with all them regalias,
00:21:13.60\00:21:17.21
gold on your
wrist, gold on the eye,
00:21:17.24\00:21:19.67
at that time, I
had gold rings here,
00:21:19.71\00:21:21.34
gold around your neck.
00:21:21.38\00:21:23.04
I know she's looking down
because I had on short pants.
00:21:23.08\00:21:25.45
She's looking down if
I have gold on the ankle.
00:21:25.48\00:21:27.88
I said, "No, my dear.
00:21:27.92\00:21:29.62
No, I don't have
any gold on my ankles."
00:21:29.65\00:21:33.66
Anyway, I took
that as joke and fun.
00:21:33.69\00:21:36.22
But next morning, I came back.
00:21:36.26\00:21:38.49
I have on all
these jewelry and thing.
00:21:38.53\00:21:39.89
She look at me, and she told me,
00:21:39.93\00:21:41.53
"Boy, nobody would know you.
00:21:41.56\00:21:44.93
Nobody would know what
kind of heart you have.
00:21:44.97\00:21:47.64
All that gold as
you have on there
00:21:47.67\00:21:49.47
and you're just
blocking out people from you.
00:21:49.50\00:21:52.01
And I just started to do so.
00:21:52.04\00:21:55.68
And I never put them on back.
00:21:55.71\00:21:58.48
You know, before that thing,
00:21:58.51\00:22:00.45
I got married and
all these kind of things,
00:22:00.48\00:22:02.95
pastors talk about
jewelry and all these things.
00:22:02.98\00:22:06.22
I never take it to heed
00:22:06.25\00:22:07.59
but when my mother told me that,
00:22:07.62\00:22:09.26
that nobody would know me,
00:22:09.29\00:22:10.99
nobody would know
what kind of heart I have,
00:22:11.03\00:22:13.90
I just took them off
and I never worn them.
00:22:13.93\00:22:16.60
So you're
visiting with your mom,
00:22:16.63\00:22:18.90
and you try to get,
00:22:18.93\00:22:20.27
you're coming
back to the States.
00:22:20.30\00:22:21.64
As Keith Jackson,
or Bernard Thompson,
00:22:21.67\00:22:26.37
did you serve some time in jail?
00:22:26.41\00:22:28.98
No, just the weekend.
00:22:29.01\00:22:31.95
I got held in
Friday, and the Monday,
00:22:31.98\00:22:34.68
the Monday was the day
they put me on probation.
00:22:34.72\00:22:36.58
Okay, so now, when
the problems arises,
00:22:36.62\00:22:40.06
when the problem
arises, if you will,
00:22:40.09\00:22:42.32
you're coming
back to the States.
00:22:42.36\00:22:43.86
Tell us what happens?
00:22:43.89\00:22:45.29
Well... 25 years
since that charge?
00:22:45.33\00:22:48.46
Yes. Go ahead.
00:22:48.50\00:22:49.83
Coming in Miami
airport, they stopped me.
00:22:49.86\00:22:55.77
But I find
they're taking so long.
00:22:55.80\00:22:57.14
What this man checking on and...
00:22:57.17\00:22:59.47
Anyway, they told
me to go into the back.
00:22:59.51\00:23:01.04
When I go into the
back, they told me,
00:23:01.08\00:23:03.75
"Man, I'm
seeing one fingerprint,
00:23:03.78\00:23:05.21
but I'm seeing two names."
00:23:05.25\00:23:06.98
I said, "Oh, God."
00:23:07.02\00:23:11.92
They asked me if
I ever got arrested.
00:23:11.95\00:23:14.22
I said no because this
is Bernard Thompson, I go.
00:23:14.26\00:23:16.86
And I'm going on Keith Jackson.
00:23:16.89\00:23:19.46
They said,
"Something wrong here, boy.
00:23:19.49\00:23:21.43
This is two different
names but one fingerprint."
00:23:21.46\00:23:28.07
And then they realize,
they pull up and see the 1987
00:23:28.90\00:23:32.44
and I had this charge
in New York and thing.
00:23:32.47\00:23:34.68
So bup! Cuffs!
00:23:34.71\00:23:36.75
Spent eight days in Miami jail.
00:23:36.78\00:23:38.81
But now immigration
took up the matter now too
00:23:38.85\00:23:42.25
because immigration seen
that I lied on the application
00:23:42.28\00:23:44.95
for my green card.
00:23:44.99\00:23:46.82
So they took up...
00:23:46.86\00:23:48.89
Because at this
point, you'd already put in
00:23:48.92\00:23:51.09
for your green card
to become a citizen.
00:23:51.13\00:23:53.43
I had green card at the time.
00:23:53.46\00:23:54.93
Okay. So you had a green card.
00:23:54.96\00:23:56.30
I had my green card.
Okay, so tell us about that?
00:23:56.33\00:23:57.67
So they took away
the green card from me
00:23:57.70\00:23:59.37
when they arrested me.
When they arrested you.
00:23:59.40\00:24:00.90
Because you had
two different names,
00:24:00.94\00:24:02.27
they took away.
00:24:02.30\00:24:03.64
They took the green
card. Okay, so what happens?
00:24:03.67\00:24:05.71
Locked me up, I spent
eight days in jail in Miami.
00:24:05.74\00:24:09.11
But they released me.
00:24:09.14\00:24:12.48
No one knew why
they released me.
00:24:12.51\00:24:14.98
But I got to realize after that
00:24:15.02\00:24:18.15
the sentence
00:24:18.19\00:24:22.69
or the charge was a
New York jurisdiction.
00:24:22.72\00:24:26.26
And Florida don't want to spend
00:24:26.29\00:24:28.53
that money to
transport, yeah, to New York.
00:24:28.56\00:24:32.63
So they just released me,
and anything could have gone...
00:24:32.67\00:24:36.91
Anybody could
have just picked me up.
00:24:36.94\00:24:38.64
So at this time, tell me about
what you're doing in Maryland
00:24:38.67\00:24:41.88
because you are serving at
a local church as the deacon?
00:24:41.91\00:24:46.08
Yeah, well, before all this time
00:24:46.11\00:24:48.98
with the lockup and
thing, after I got...
00:24:49.02\00:24:53.92
I spent some years
00:24:53.96\00:24:55.32
in North Carolina
and South Carolina.
00:24:55.36\00:24:58.23
But somehow, I thought,
00:24:58.26\00:25:02.90
"Either I'm going
to be making a big deal
00:25:02.93\00:25:04.60
because I still used to
indulge in these places."
00:25:04.63\00:25:07.07
I go to it because I
was riding partners know
00:25:07.10\00:25:10.44
and they've been doing thing.
00:25:10.47\00:25:13.71
So I called my sister.
00:25:13.74\00:25:15.08
I said, Fibi, I was
staying in New York.
00:25:15.11\00:25:18.15
Girl, either I'm
making a big deal
00:25:18.18\00:25:20.85
or your brother is
going to get killed.
00:25:20.88\00:25:22.38
She's telling me,
"Look how long..."
00:25:22.42\00:25:23.89
I have a brother living here.
00:25:23.92\00:25:25.72
You call along your
brother Kelly to come
00:25:25.75\00:25:27.42
but when I'm on my business,
00:25:27.46\00:25:29.32
I don't want to
communicate with nobody.
00:25:29.36\00:25:30.86
I want nobody to know that.
00:25:30.89\00:25:33.66
So I decided to come up here.
00:25:33.70\00:25:36.77
To Maryland? To Maryland.
00:25:36.80\00:25:39.03
I came here in June,
came to Maryland in June,
00:25:39.07\00:25:45.21
got baptized in September,
I got married in December.
00:25:45.24\00:25:50.01
Mercy, and so after that,
00:25:50.05\00:25:51.88
you're now involved
in your local church.
00:25:51.91\00:25:54.48
And you let your pastors
know about the situation.
00:25:54.52\00:25:57.29
And so all this
time you're waiting
00:25:57.32\00:25:59.35
to get your green card back,
00:25:59.39\00:26:00.96
but it seems like it's
not going to happen until...
00:26:00.99\00:26:05.73
Until that finally,
well, it happened too.
00:26:05.76\00:26:10.57
I went to New York
to face this charge
00:26:10.60\00:26:12.27
because the charge is going back
00:26:12.30\00:26:13.90
the distribution of cocaine.
00:26:13.94\00:26:16.10
The first
morning, I went to court,
00:26:16.14\00:26:18.94
I was so scared
because the judge
00:26:18.97\00:26:22.98
talked to me in
such a harsh manner.
00:26:23.01\00:26:24.51
"You're trying to interfere
00:26:24.55\00:26:26.75
with the United
States government.
00:26:26.78\00:26:28.12
You figured, you could
just come in and do anything?"
00:26:28.15\00:26:31.45
Two bailees come
and stood behind me.
00:26:31.49\00:26:33.99
I said, "Lord, I'm
going back to jail."
00:26:34.02\00:26:36.96
Well, it happened
too. They retire for lunch.
00:26:36.99\00:26:42.23
I see them, and I go and
buy the best street dinner.
00:26:42.26\00:26:47.57
I go and buy this dinner
and couldn't eat that thing,
00:26:47.60\00:26:50.47
couldn't eat that
thing, scared, my stomach.
00:26:50.51\00:26:54.48
But it happened so,
when I went back to court
00:26:54.51\00:26:56.18
in the afternoon,
was a different judge.
00:26:56.21\00:26:59.15
It's the same judge but
his mentality was different
00:26:59.18\00:27:02.82
because I had some
affidavit from here.
00:27:02.85\00:27:05.29
And he read them.
00:27:05.32\00:27:08.19
And he realized, "This
guy, I think isn't so bad."
00:27:08.22\00:27:11.46
I mean, he gotten one
thing but since that time,
00:27:11.49\00:27:15.63
he never gotten any
trouble since after that.
00:27:15.66\00:27:18.73
So that was a plus for me.
00:27:18.77\00:27:20.87
And while going to court time
and time again, at one time,
00:27:20.90\00:27:26.17
we had a concert here
with CUC, had a concert.
00:27:26.21\00:27:30.95
And I had a bayo.
00:27:30.98\00:27:35.35
And I took it up to the judge.
00:27:35.38\00:27:36.72
Up till now the
judge still have that bayo.
00:27:36.75\00:27:39.79
That judge dismissed the case,
00:27:39.82\00:27:42.39
and the man talked
well, he spoke well of me.
00:27:42.42\00:27:46.09
Tell me, he said, "Thompson,
I hope you try to talk
00:27:46.13\00:27:50.20
to young people
00:27:50.23\00:27:51.57
and thing concerning
these drugs and all these."
00:27:51.60\00:27:53.67
The man talked to
me very, very well.
00:27:53.70\00:27:56.34
Well, now I have
to face immigration.
00:27:56.37\00:27:59.07
And that was the
dicey, the terrible thing
00:27:59.11\00:28:01.41
because they tell me,
I lie on my application
00:28:01.44\00:28:05.51
and you can see
because I got arrested,
00:28:05.55\00:28:07.35
I didn't put down the
arrest on my application.
00:28:07.38\00:28:11.09
But I don't know,
by the grace of God,
00:28:11.12\00:28:15.16
I made it through.
00:28:15.19\00:28:17.16
Pastor Billings, he was
with me, Brother Marquis.
00:28:17.19\00:28:19.79
Well, you wanted to come
but I tell you one thing.
00:28:19.83\00:28:21.66
I just know you.
00:28:21.70\00:28:23.87
So I didn't want
you to come, you know,
00:28:23.90\00:28:26.20
because I just knew
you, but happened soon then.
00:28:26.23\00:28:29.64
Everything went...
00:28:29.67\00:28:31.41
So what we see is,
a man with a past...
00:28:31.44\00:28:35.18
The Lord moves in mysteriously.
00:28:35.21\00:28:37.68
The Lord moves and
begins to push things away
00:28:37.71\00:28:41.05
so that you could
actually begin the new life
00:28:41.08\00:28:46.39
that He had intended for you.
00:28:46.42\00:28:49.12
You know, Brother Bernard,
it's interesting listening
00:28:49.16\00:28:50.76
to your story
that God also wants us
00:28:50.79\00:28:53.23
to be citizens
of another kingdom.
00:28:53.26\00:28:55.86
And not only
you, Brother Bernard,
00:28:55.90\00:28:57.33
but our viewers at home,
00:28:57.37\00:28:59.20
God wants you to
be citizens of heaven.
00:28:59.23\00:29:02.14
He tells us to look
to a better country.
00:29:02.17\00:29:04.54
But sometimes the
things of our past prevent us
00:29:04.57\00:29:08.31
from starting the
journey that God has for us.
00:29:08.34\00:29:11.45
Nonetheless because
He is long suffering,
00:29:11.48\00:29:13.68
because He is
patient, like we see
00:29:13.72\00:29:15.75
with Brother Bernard today,
00:29:15.78\00:29:17.52
God moves things out of
the way if you would allow Him
00:29:17.55\00:29:20.72
so that you could begin
00:29:20.76\00:29:22.12
your new journey
to the better country.
00:29:22.16\00:29:25.23
Thank you for joining in.
And we really appreciate it.
00:29:25.26\00:29:28.26
God bless you.
00:29:28.30\00:29:29.63