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