Blackinformant.com – African-American culture, news commentary, politics

First, the news:

It’s one of Philadelphia’s hottest – and most controversial – fashion statements: T-shirts and hats that say, “Stop Snitching.”

Those who wear and sell the shirts say it’s part of a style, a fad, the “in” look – as Jay-Z’s oversize striped, button-down shirts were a few months back.

But these shirts are far more sinister, with some picturing guns, crosshairs, and messages that advise, “Don’t Talk 2 Police.”

The implicit threat is particularly disturbing, given that witness intimidation has been cited by police and prosecutors as a major problem in the city.

Investigations into crimes as heinous as last year’s schoolyard slaying of 10-year-old Faheem Thomas-Childs have been hindered, police say, because witnesses have been afraid to step forward.

Dorothy Speight Johnson, for one, has been left speechless by the apparel – because, she says, a so-called snitch could have saved her son’s life.

Khaaliq Jabbar Johnson, 24, was shot seven times in December 2001. After the gunman was arrested, he was charged with another slaying the previous July.

“Had someone said something or given information earlier, my son would still be alive today,” (more…)

It is so amazing to me to see how the media grasps onto a story that has been going on in the ‘hood for years. “Snitching” or telling the police what you know about a crime has long been an expectancy in the ‘hood. You can see this “code of the streets” honored largely (but not exclusive to) Black and Hispanic communities mainly because of one thing–we do not trust the police.

This mistrust is mainly fueled by the assumption that “street justice” will be served on the snitch before governmental justice can be applied to the situation.

As I have mentioned many times on this website, while police officers do from time to time go way above the law, far too many good stories of police officers doing everything from spending time with wayward youth in the community on his/her free time to taking a bullet for a community he/she has sworn to protect goes unnoticed. It is these unknown stories that the media (especially OUR media) loves to give exclusive front page coverage. It is unfortunate that someone living in Miami, FL can hear about a white officer shooting a black youth in Seattle, WA, but if a cop makes a drug bust that could potentially save the lives of countless numbers of youths in that city, community leaders, activists, the press seemingly will find something better to talk about.

What’s worse is that in many cases if the cop happens to be white and the suspect who was shot happens to be black, the suspect is generally the one who is made into the victim by many of us who know nothing about the case other than the fact that it was a white cop involved.

I have seen and believe that there are many in our community who see this negative trend and want it to stop. Unfortunately, the way that we have been going about coming up with a solution is hampered by the fact that we are years behind this trend. Shirts themselves don’t intimidate, the culture around the individual does. Family structure largely controls culture. If families are not strong—therein lies the problem.

We can place demands on government and continue to spend tax dollars on issues like this all we want, but the source of the problem will always lead to one place–the family.