Straight Talk founder to speak to Nevada students about positive choices

Special to the Daily Mail

Dale "Mad Dog" Messmer, medically/honorably discharged United States Marine, former mercenary, bounty hunter, bodyguard, pilot and ex-convict will be the guest speaker at the Nevada High School auditorium. Speaking to students, staff and guests about a subject that he is very familiar with -- choices. He made some very poor choices in the past.

Messmer spent over a decade in prisons in five states after having been convicted of a laundry list of crimes ranging from drug smuggling and distribution of cocaine to possession of automatic weapons and explosives, and including money laundering and The Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organization Act. After an honorable military career, which was abbreviated by physical injuries and resulted in an early medical discharge, Messmer involved himself in various enterprises which eventually led to him smuggling drugs in his own aircraft for the infamous Pablo Escobar cocaine cartel. When arrested he jumped bail and vanished for over a year, until he came back on his own and turned himself in to the authorities. He served 10 years, eight months and 11 days in prison before being paroled in November 1994.

After his release from prison, "Mad Dog" founded The Straight Talk Outreach Program, S.T.O.P. He has taken his message to more than 800,000 young people in more than 1,400 schools across the country in hopes of giving them an example of what not to choose in life, so they won't have to learn about the dangers of drugs, gangs, violence, prison and death the hard way. Event organizers report that his message works, and kids do listen to him, because he speaks to them from personal experience.

Messmer's Straight Talk Outreach Program has garnered the endorsement and support of a multitude of law enforcement agencies, juvenile courts and educational systems across the country, with Governor Mike Huckabee of Arkansas, The Arkansas Crime Prevention Association, The Arkansas Sheriffs' Association to name a few from his adopted home state. He returned from California, in July 2000, where he spoke in more than 600 schools and youth-oriented organizations and garnered the support of The Los Angeles Police Commission, The Los Angeles Police Department Juvenile Impact Program "Gangbusters," The Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department VIDA Program, The Ventura County School Board, The California Police Athletic League and a number of others. Mad Dog is a regular on "The Maury Povich Show," is a movie actor and stunt man, and now lives in southwestern Missouri, where he is the co-founder of America's Youth Ranch.

Mad Dog is an ex-con telling the kids straight-from-the-shoulder, no-holds-barred information and answering any questions they may have after his presentations. His aim is to save young people from the dangers of drugs, gangs and violence and the harsh and brutal realities of life behind bars for a young person who might make a choice that would eventually put them there. His presentation is powerful and riveting, and it gets results, earning the respect of the kids along the way.

School administrators have said many times that he holds the attention of the kids better than any other guest speaker or event, and that S.T.OP. works and it saves the kids who listen.

He doesn't have to do what he does. It was not part of his parole. He does it simply because he feels that it desperately needs to be done, for the good of all communities and for the for the young people of America. For more information see: www.mad-dog.org.

The presentation is open to the public and will be on Tuesday, Oct. 12, at 7.

His presentations are not just for students but for parents, adults and anyone who wishes to come hear a dose of reality.

Contact Ranae Schulze at Nevada High School about attending, (417) 448-2020.