I wasn't sure Dawson really understood
what his future could look like
if he keeps idealizing this criminal lifestyle.
So I asked my friend Joseph to come
and explain a few things to him.
Joseph, come on out.
How you doing boss?
Have a seat.
So you've been watching everything, right?
Yes sir.
And Chris and Dawn here are the parents, as you know.
And Dawson here,
he's seems to be going to an awful lot of trouble
to create this thug persona.
He's got pictures of him throwing gang signs
and guns in his belt and standing in front of a Porsche.
You've been in the life.
What do you say about this?
First of all it's disrespectful.
Very much.
You got two loving parents right there, man.
So something else is inside you that pushing you out there
but to be a gang member
and to think it's cool, bro.
I've been shot four times.
By the time I was 25 I had 13 years incarcerated.
I was first arrested at nine years old.
But when I walked out of my house
it was nothing but homies.
When I walked back in my house
my father was a homie.
When he was not in prison.
I thought those were the cards that were dealt to me.
To hear to say that's cool,
it blows me away, youngster.
It breaks my heart.
To carry a gun, what are you gonna do
when somebody runs up on you,
and you gotta strap?
You're gonna pull the trigger.
And then what you,
you can't get that life back, bro.
I don't think you're a hard kid,
you don't have a heart?
I have a heart.
You got a heart, bro.
There's nothing cool about taking somebody's life.
I promise you.
You were in the dukes at 11 years old, right?
Yes sir.
Is that someplace he wants to be?
No sir, Disneyland is a good place to go.
(audience laughing) (audience applauding)
The street life, bro, I don't do the scared straight thing
because you're gonna be like ha ha.
That's what they all say.
Going to prison sucks.
My boys have died in my arms man.
When I look at the videos you don't look,
and this is no disrespect to you as a person,
you don't look tough bro.
But I'm not judging a book by it's cover.
You just gave yourself up on national TV.
You're going to jail.
I was waiting for the police to come in.
So your gang career is out of, it's out of there.
No it's really gone, it's done.
(audience applauding)