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