Link to statistics: http://www.kff.org/minorityhealth/upload/7541.pdf
http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2010-06-25/news/bs-md-stop-snitching-sentence-20100625_1_snitching-skinny-suge-videos
Young African-American men are getting killed more than anyone else at the hands of other African-American men. I am speaking in terms of blue collar crime. I'll get to white collar crime in another entry. With so much Black on Black violence, one should expect more to be done to ameliorate this problem. This doesn't always work like that. There aren't enough people telling what they know. One would thinkg that the communities with the worst crime would want to "snitch" the most. In fact, violent crime goes on partially BECAUSE no one would be the informant. People are afraid to tell what they know. People are afraid to "snitch".
The rerm "Stop Snitchin" was coined by a rapper named Tangg da Juice in 1999. In 2004, a "Stop Snitchin" campaign was launched in Baltimore with a DVD by Rodney Bethea titled "Stop Snitching! was circulated. In some of the footage there are drug dealers threatening "snitches" with violence. I guess I shouldn't be surprised that Baltimore had a murder rate very close to 44 murders per 100,000 residents( 276 murders total in 2004). It probably isn't surprising that Baltimore has had such a problem with violence.
Knowing all of this, why don't more Black people snitch? I could think of a few reasons:
1) Confusion of Loyalty. There are many Black people in the USA who don't to send another Black man to prison, even if that Black person did something to him or her. The mentality could possibly come from the feelingt hat sending another Black man to prison would ruin a fellow Black man's life. well, isn't this the same fellow Black man who is terrorizing you? This "fellow Black man" could not care less about you or your life. The reason is because of the mentality of "I'm getting mine and screw you". It is a nihilist mentality. Why shouldn't you snitch? You would be doing other African-Americans a favor by getting that miscreant off of the streets and behind bars. Black people are the ones who need to snitch the most. It is Black people who are more likely to be murdered than anyone else. Let the criminal rot in prison. Yes, a slim majority of the prison population in African-American. Snitching still needs to be done. If you really want to look at it from a perspective of "race", think of it this way: That Black man who has just killed another Black man has done this to his "fellow Black man". That Black man who just killed another Black man doesn't care about his "fellow Black man". He doesn't care about his fellow man of any race or ethnicity. He doesn't care about anyone. If that person did care, he wouldn't have committed murder.
2)Fear of Retribution. Direct quote from Retired FBI James Bernazzani: "The community won't cooperate because I'm not gonna finger you as that violent felon because if I know you're on the streets in 5 days, guess who the next victim is....ME, and I don't want that".
Watch this clip from The History Channel's Gangland, specifically the 7:01-7:14 segment: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Edpjcz8Jz-I
The fear of retribution is understandable. Criminals will often kill people who "snitch". Criminals will often do what they want when everyone is scared. One person being an informant is one step in the right direction, but if that person stands alone, yes, death might be very imminent. However, if the whole community stands together and let criminals know "we won't take anymore of your mess", then it will be more effective. People are often afraid to snitch because they stand alone. Dr. king wasn't afraid to stand alone as a man. He also attracted followers. He attracted people to be a part of his movement. However, a "snitch" acts alone because few will stand by him or her. He/she gets called an "Uncle Tom' for it at best and gets killed at the worst. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. died a gallant death, as a hero, with so many people who loved him. A "snitch" usually dies alone and forgotten. No streets named for a snitch, no holiday named for a "snitch", just forgotten, but not before getting called "House Negro". He doesn't get a grand funeral like Dr King did. He dies in an alley. No Nobel Peace Prize, barely a thank you. A "snitch" gets chased away, becoming more afraid of his or her community. The "snitch" needs to be a leader, leader people out of the morass of horrors, such as a high murder rate.
Anger Dies Hard: I won't mince words. Many African-Americans do not trust the police, at least not to the same degree that White Americans do. With stuff such as racial profiling, historical abuse from the police, the distrust isn't surprising. Distrust and anger, even with more Black police officers than in the past, are still there. There are many who will not cooperate with the police because of this. However, the only way to combat crime in your community is to cooperate with the police. If the police will not do their jobs correctly, then form neighborhood groups to flush out any criminal that is harming your community. It's a do or die situation. Not all police officers are corrupt and not all of them are out to hurt you. If the police cooperate on their end and help to keep your community safe, that will help you. If the police do nothing, and/or are doing corrupt things, get involved politically. Take to the streets with protests, form neighborhood forces to keep the community safe. Do something. Flush the criminals out.
African-American neighborhoods have a bad reputation in these times as being violent. That must end by flushing out any criminals who live in the community. The fear of retribution from "snitching" needs to end. The fear of being called "Uncle Tom" for "snitching" needs to end. That "Stop Snitching" stuff is a load of crap and it is a detriment for African-Americans, or anyone. It is going to have to start with 'snitching". It is a question of "die a snitch" or "live in fear".
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