User:ParaBellumUnited

I’m a dude hailing from the New York side of the Upper Delaware River Valley (bordering Pennsylvania), where I was raised by my grandparents in the super small Hamlet of Cochecton. Basically near the spot that the original Woodstock’69 took place.

Yup, you guessed it … I love music and “the arts” … all kinds of art … so much art. Currently, I’m working on improving my skills in the technology and digital art worlds.

My grandfather and father were both carpenters. Naturally I learned the family trade as well, which makes me a third generation carpenter, so I’m very into woodworking. However, my grandfather was an antique picker, so much of my childhood involved finding and bringing new life into old things, which led me to discover that my main passion in the whole woodworking/antique area involves anything to do with making/refurbishing furniture. I also learned that I love to fix things. Troubleshooting, reverse engineering, and fixing. Sometimes that involves improving … this includes myself.

I enjoy learning very much. I’m always looking to challenge and improve my skills in all areas of life. I also enjoy using this knowledge to assist others in their lives.

which brings me to why I’ve created my brand ParaBellum United … you see, I spent some time in the penal systems of both NY and PA. Five years to be exact, which is a good amount of time to do some introspection. I’ll be honest, the whole process can be pretty daunting, and at times - scary! Especially in the midst of the unknown. But, by the grace of God, I made it through in one piece. Not only a stronger man (physically, mentally, and spiritually), but also a better man. Upon my exit from the inherently evil and seemingly unending dimension of the U.S. Penal System, I realized that I wanted to assist those that found themselves in the same black hole that I too once had to traverse. Enter ParaBellum United.

My dream for ParaBellum United is to create an organization that mentally prepares those going into and also aid those exiting the penal system via available community resources (I.e.- education, financial, careers, etc.) During my time incarcerated, I discovered that there’s a common belief amongst those with felony convictions - the belief that their life doesn’t count for shit, so they’ll never amount to shit. That upon their exit, they’ll never be able to obtain a job/ a higher education, which in turn would boost their odds in success so that they can then have the ability to rebuild their lives. Nope, they believe that they’re destined to fail miserably and eventually wind up caught in the viscous wheels of an unending life of crime and incarceration, or even worse - death. However, there are few things further from the truth! It’s all a state of mind, and once you learn to embrace failure to the point that you no longer view it as failure, but an opportunity to learn, to grow, and improve yourself - that’s when you break free of the chains holding you back underneath that shadowy stigma we as convicted felons create for ourselves!

Yeah, the road may be long, and you will most definitely encounter some obstacles along the way, but no one ever said it was going to be easy. If it was, would it be worth fighting for????

As the ancient Latin phrase goes, ”Si vis pacem, para bellum!” - If you wish peace, PREPARE FOR WAR!

- ParaBellum United