| The media play an integral role in the way the | | | | black community's reluctance to cooperate with |
| world perceives America, especially young black | | | | police investigations. |
| men. It's been said, if you say something enough | | | | The majority of black's are no different than the |
| times, it will become true. Therefore, it is | | | | average American. They want to keep their |
| important to put the media on notice when they | | | | neighborhoods free of drugs, gangs, violence, and |
| start to propagate negative stereotypes. | | | | other criminal activities. I'm not saying that |
| Case in point, Law & Order: CI. I'm a big fan of | | | | incidents of witness intimidation do not occur, but |
| the show, but I can't let a recent episode go by | | | | honest people are not conspiring with criminals in |
| without registering my outrage and sounding an | | | | some imaginary code of silence. |
| alarm before mainstream media jumps on the | | | | I will admit that average black is a little |
| bandwagon of the "stop-snitching" craze, spinning | | | | closed-mouthed when it comes to talking to the |
| it to portray the black community in a negative | | | | police. That can probably be attributed more to |
| light. | | | | the fear of dishonest police than the fear of |
| The episode, "Flipped," was about a rapper who | | | | retaliation. An honest citizen might offer |
| was killed leaving a radio station. There were | | | | information one minute, then find themselves in |
| several witnesses to the murder. All of the | | | | custody for the crime the next minute. They |
| predominantly black characters were afraid of | | | | know that when police officers go to court, |
| being labeled a snitch and refused to cooperate | | | | whether it's on a traffic violation or for a murder |
| with the police. Even the black police officer | | | | trial, they say whatever will guarantee the |
| working for the gang unit sanctioned this "don't | | | | conviction disregarding the guilt or innocence of |
| tell" manifesto. To add injury to insult, there were | | | | the defendant. |
| several young children - about 8 or 9-years-old - | | | | In black and poor communities the police are not |
| who continued to play as if nothing happened, | | | | trusted, and for good reasons. Police lie, plant |
| despite the fact that the body of an assassinated | | | | evidence, and strong-arm residents more |
| snitch flew off the roof landing near their play | | | | frequently than anyone will admit. Unless the |
| area. | | | | corruption receives major media attention like the |
| As a lifetime member of the beloved community, | | | | Rampart debacle in Los Angeles, the Tulia case in |
| I doubt that there is one neighborhood in America | | | | Texas, or the gunning down of 92-year-old |
| so desensitized to murder that children would | | | | Kathryn Johnston by police in Atlanta, gun-toting |
| continue business as usual amid a dead body; | | | | fanatics persist and are rarely held accountable |
| certainly not a black neighborhood. I take offense | | | | for their abuse. |
| that Law & Order would devote an entire episode | | | | In the Rampart case, 30 officers and at least |
| to depicting the black community as a bunch of | | | | three supervisors were accused of framing |
| apathetic hedonists with questionable values, | | | | people. According to the LA Times, the scandal |
| spooked by the thought of assisting the police in | | | | resulted in the examination of more than 3,000 |
| any way for fear that they would be labeled a | | | | questionable cases. In Tulia, Texas, 46 residents |
| snitch and assassinated. | | | | were set up by an unreliable undercover narcotics |
| It is true that snitches are detested in the black | | | | officer. The victims were later exonerated. In |
| community. However, a person reporting criminal | | | | Atlanta, Fulton County District Attorney Paul |
| activity in their neighborhood is not a snitch. That | | | | Howard is seeking to indict three police officers on |
| would be a CONCERNED CITIZEN. Someone that | | | | murder charges for the botched drug raid at |
| gives an accurate account of a crime is called a | | | | Johnston's home. The magnitude of police |
| WITNESS. | | | | corruption cases across the country proves that |
| Snitches are the government-made parasites that | | | | more than a few law enforcement officers are |
| drop a dime on people for a reduction in prison | | | | dishonest. |
| time, a get-out-of-jail credit, monetary payment, | | | | So let's get it correct. Black people are not a gang |
| or a hit of crack. When necessary, these foot | | | | of quasi-criminals determined to obstruct justice. |
| soldiers in the so-called "War on Drugs" embellish | | | | They are intelligent people who have learned from |
| the truth. Quite often, they fabricate stories. | | | | the constant injustices perpetrated on black |
| Snitches are responsible for nearly 46% of | | | | people, that, regardless of our income level, we |
| wrongful capital convictions from false testimony, | | | | are presumed guilty even when proven innocent. |
| according to a study by Northwestern University | | | | Minorities and poor white people understand that |
| Law School's Center on Wrongful Convictions. | | | | they are jeopardizing their freedom talking with |
| They are also the reason that innocence | | | | the police. Very much like the wealthy |
| commissions across the country have concluded | | | | whites-they call it exercising their Fifth |
| that snitch testimony is false and unreliable. | | | | Amendment rights. |
| Snitches are criminals hustling the system. | | | | To the writers at Law & Order, and any of the |
| Although the media has caught a hold of the | | | | mainstream media telling our stories, take care |
| "stop-snitching" slogan, the crafty snitch system | | | | not to present a biased picture of the black |
| has also spawned sayings like "Don't Go To The | | | | community for the sake of "drama." To talk |
| Pen, Send A Friend," and "If You Can't Do The | | | | about the "stop-snitching" phenomenon without |
| Time, Drop A Dime." | | | | addressing the unreliable snitch-racket or police |
| So yes, I'm a card-carrying member of the | | | | corruption is partial and misleading. The black |
| "stop-snitching" movement, but I refuse to allow | | | | community has enough problems; we don't need |
| mainstream media to frame the issue, creating | | | | a media-driven movement added to the list. |
| the illusion that the crime epidemic is fueled by the | | | | |