Why People In the Hood Need to Snitch!

By: Jason Cunningham (12/29/2005)

  There is an unwritten code in the ghetto or hood that says you are not to cooperate with the authorities. Commonly, people who do talk to the police are called snitches. In some areas of urban American, children are bombarded with phrases such as "stop snitchin" or "a snitch will get theirs."

  Yes, I no longer live in the hood but my opinion still counts.  As a black man, African American, I am embarrassed that individuals can be influenced into thinking such foolishness. If it was just young, uneducated people having this mentality, then maybe I could understand the lackluster concern for their community. I know for a fact that there are many middle age and senior citizens that will turn a blind eyes to what is happening in the neighborhood, in which they presently reside in.

  The violent crimes are escalating out of control.  It is wrong to commit the crime, but how can it also be wrong to snitch on the person who murders or sells drugs in your community? If they are destroying lives and your community, where is the moral compass which allows you to watch an innocent person be injured by treacherous persons? Just think about it. Why is the person who snitches considered the bad person? At least they have some guts to stand up against the atrocities in our society. Some rappers have even got in the act of calling out people to  "stop snitchin." I am not going to give them any free publicity on this site, concerning this serious issue. We as a people have so many unsolved murders that will be solves, because people remain silent, afraid to take their street back.

  It is not often I defend law enforcement, however this time I am on their side. If the police try to ask you questions about what happened, why should they care if you do not cooperate or try to give them false information? People try to rationale why the cops can do their effectively without your help. It does not always work that way.  You can actually cause an end of an investigation by staying silent, or maybe worse, they end up convicting an innocent person. The end result is this dangerous person gets a free pass to continue to destroy your community because you don't snitch.

  I think it is dangerous to teach children not to snitch.  Believe me, I would love someone to challenge me on the subject and take the opposite side of the argument. If you are going to look out and be a shepherd in your community, then be one! Nobody who does the right thing by turning in a hardened criminal should not be worried by deadly retribution or intimidation. In my eyes, you can be a snitch and hero! According to my opinion, anybody who says otherwise, is not really keeping real and needs to do a little less criticizing of the police.