no snitiching - the new crack

Drug abuse and addiction have historically been a major problem in minority communities, in particular the African American community. Now, we are confronted with a new addictive behavior that is reminiscent of the impact that crack once held in our neighborhoods. This new addiction is not a substance but a problem behavior that can be coined "no snitching."

On Wednesday, July 28, a 13-year-old boy was gunned down while riding his bike in Chicago. According to witnesses, the gunman stood over the youngster's body and continued to fire into his bleeding body. The victim was an eighth grader named Robert Freeman. The doctor found 22 bullets in the boy's body.

Although detectives have spent days interviewing witnesses, no one has yet provided them with information regarding the murder. Even the appeal of the family, especially from the mother, has yet to produce any leads or suspects — despite the fact that according to reports, there were dozens of youths outside on the street when the murder took place. This is similar to the tragic death of Derrion Albert, the honors student who was beaten to death while walking home from school. No one spoke to police or "snitched" in that case either, and if it were not for cell phone videos, the individuals who were caught would not have been, and to this date, other suspects still have not been apprehended.

Historically, African Americans have a sordid history with law enforcement and aren’t too enthusiastic about working with police. This history was rooted in law enforcement allowing lynch mobs to have their way with black men, mainly in the South during the days of Jim Crow, Reconstruction and segregation. But today what is the excuse?

The truth is that what we see in Chicago and Memphis, Tenn., and many other urban areas around the country is that black youth are murdering each other at a rate that far outpaces anything a bad seed cop could ever do. The idiots who promote this violent ethos — although it is often stated that music doesn't influence kids — are often from the music industry. Rappers who call themselves by names such as Noriega, Al Capone, Rick Ross, and Killa Cam along with a host of others with the name Killa or gangster in their names, do hold some of the blame. Not to mention the many who wear their gang affiliation as a badge of honor, as if it is a college diploma. Some artist have made songs promoting silence in criminal matters, including “Snitches” by Master P and Snoop Dogg and “Snitch” by Lil Wayne. Even NBA star Carmelo Anthony played a role in a video supporting the "don't snitch" movement. And we all remember Busta Rhymes' silence in the death of Israel Ramirez.

Yes, it is true, not snitching is the new crack in our communities and may be leading to the unsolved deaths of our most valuable assets — our youth. It is not snitching if you are simply telling the truth. What is the logic of not telling who murdered a child if you witnessed the killing? Nothing, for only punks and cowards are afraid to tell the truth.

Snitch if u can

First a few house cleaning items before I proceed with my current rant in tractate form. I want to thank Koffee Dyme for the free template design (she said m page was ugly), she is very talented. Second, I say and think and write what I feel, it aint contrived or managed. Sometimes a little research, but I try not to do that here, so if thats your desire; u can read something like this or this. Also, if you put up a post, I’m gone say what I feel and think if I comment. So if you say ask me ANYTHING – I feel free to ask anything (lesson being grasshopper, dont say what you dont mean). So don’t hit me with inappropriate, it was inappropriate for slaves to read so man up if one means what they say.

I know a lot of folks will likely vilify my character, what little I maintain, after I say this. Snitching is cool with me, especially if u owe me loot or if u aint seeming like you gone pay up. But then again what would you expect, I am the kind of person that will tell folks where to find me if I say what they don’t like or consider to be appreciate.

So yea, I’m a snitch and will tell with the quickness, for I can only be accountable for my own dirt and no one else’s. But like most black folk, the government aint down with snitching. After the largest recall of beef and beef-by products (Vienna sausages and potty meat with veins and the likes), the Agriculture Department is considering a measure that would allow for them not to tell the folks afected by such – the public, the names of retailers that may have and may have sold tainted to said aforementioned public.

As it stands, the USDA doesn’t not release or publish or list the names of food retailers that might have received or sold meat that may be hazardeous. This means that if you happened to buy some of this carcenagenic mutated shit, there is no way for you to know if the store you got it from got their meat from one of the slaughter houses putting mad cow disease on the refrigertaed isle at low low prices.

I mean this aint a small deal, we talkin about 143 million pounds of beef. Supposedly the argument is that they fear full disclosure will result in pressure applied to the companies that process and manufacture mad cow and e coli tainted beef. Im like tell, who gives a hoot? Tell and tell all.

In 2007, United Food Group LLC recalled 445,000 pounds based on "unspecified concerns" raised by the California State Department of Health Services which had been shipped to stores in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. I must admit, after some added pressure, the USDA have released the name of the districts impacted by this latest recall, but that’s about it. Like a mutha fucka know what district his meat comes from like it’s a voting or school district or something.

Laws protecting the public good are already super permeable, I mean how else could such meat (about 50.3 million pounds worth) could get into school lunch programs around the country – yep Atlanta being one. So I’m asking yawl to “reconsider, read some literature on the subject” because I love me some meat, and wanna know who got what I purchase frequently, and from where they got it. So promote snitching, say that snitching is good my people. Sure I trust my stomach acids and gastric enzymes, but I still don’t want to eat a tainted steak, that may have anything in it from mad cow to toxic shock (arm above). Cooking I don’t think, kills either.