CBS’s “60-Minutes” reran a story that first aired last April. The topic: Snitchin’. Or shall I say, the topic is really about how impressionable kids in some cultures throughout America are readily adopting a philosophy that says refusing to help police authorities solve crimes of any kind is cool.
The scariest segment of the show was when five black kids, ages 14 to 19, sat together and explained why they wouldn’t share information with cops – even if they were eyewitnesses to murders, rapes or robberies. Why? Because rap artists (so-called musicians) with street cred in the black community have generated the concept that helping the po-leese is like tattle telling on their brah-thers.
It’s no surprise to anyone who knows me that I’m not a fan of the rap music genre. I also don’t groove to country music, heavy metal, or anything associated with opera. We all have our dislikes.
I’m also my own man, which is to say I’d never allow a musician’s lyrics or commentary guide my life decisions. If a rapper wants to further perpetuate ideas of persecution by legitimizing the use of words like “nigger” and “ho,” and at the same time, idealize the worn out concept that ALL white cops are out to “get” minorities based on the color of their skin – go right ahead. I’m not listening. Likewise, I don’t need to hear other artists, like Bono, espouse his personal beliefs on me. He can have them, just don’t rub them in my face.
I have my own values. I’ve formed my own opinions. I don’t appreciate anyone using a bully pulpit to politicize their position. And who on God’s green earth made celebrities experts on the War in Iraq, the AIDs crisis in Africa or the genocide in Dafur? Millions of words have been printed or said by far smarter people than a L.A. or New York City celebrity twice removed from his or her own reality.
I’m fed up with this persistent woe is me attitude. If you don’t like something, do something (writing lyrics about killing cops doesn’t count). What would those who preceded our generation think of this nonsense?
Can you imagine sitting down with Martin Luther King Jr. today and hooking him up with the latest rap song on your iPod? Do you think for an instant that activists who began important movements in their lifetimes would appreciate the extremist slants the movements have taken in recent years?
Activism is part of every generation, every culture. From the time Neanderthals persecuted each other to the era of Adolf Hitler’s plan to create a master race. Ideas are born and ideas die based on how people conduct themselves and how those philosophies are adopted and carried out. Some see great success and some see quick death.
But nothing good can come from this next generation of young adults who embrace a lackadaisical stance on their role in society. No good will result from people who ignore their communities, close their eyes when they instinctually know the difference between right and wrong, and stop caring about others who don’t live within the ‘hood.
Snitchin’ as a concept, a philosophy, a way of survival won’t help anyone no matter what the rapper du jour thinks or says. Ideas like this turn back the clock on progress that began decades ago, they don’t advance it.
-end-
Land of 10,000 Perspectives 
Hey White Bread, your use of the word ‘black’ kids shows just how out of touch you are, go back to eating WonderBread and living in a world where the white man has the back of every other white man out there. The white man is the biggest crook and snitch and you know it, but hey let’s attack a minority society where the white man helped put African American kids in this position, they learned from the best, whitey. Makes you feel better about your people doesn’t it, to watch that 60 minutes clip, too bad you can’t do anything about it but blog, because your white ass wouldn’t last a minute in these kids shoes.
I got a brilliant idea, let’s have African Americans be rats this way we can put more in jail, and hold them down even more, we need all the information possible to keep doing this, the last thing we need is for them to keep quiet.
Go look up Moses Malone too while you try to touch on a subjest that you are clueless about.
Stick to the bridge collapse blogs, where it involves mostly white people that were affected, make yourself feel better. And whatever you do, don’t touch the Katrina topic because the last thing we need is another white crooks view on that bull shit!
There are six white guys dead, and down in a mine, no signs of life, gotta go help them some more, bye.
I’m the furthest thing from judgmental as you can get and I hold no ill-informed views about any race. In addition, I’m well aware that many whites in the world continue to hinder progress. But my kids go to school with all colors and it’s a school that functions well because of acceptance.
That said, if there are five African American kids in a room being interviewed about how African American “musicians” ignore moral and ethical responsibilities designed to encarcerate murderers, rapists and other gun-toting law breakers, is it wrong for me to use the term “black kids” since that was the make up of the room?
Your comment furthers the point I’ve written about. Your attitude of hate and focus on race is not helping the movement Dr. King initiated. Take a long hard look at yourself in the mirror and ask why you’re willing to propagate the use race as THE issue following hundreds of years trying to remove it as a barrier.
Chuck,
Well written.
As I see it, idiocy knows no color barriers. Hate mongering is finely honed craft in 2007 and one that is making many people rich.
We eradicate that and what will some people piss and moan about?
Hate begats hate and as long as someone/anyone can feel “disrespected about it”, there’s a profit to be made.
It isn’t hate that’s keeping ALL of us down…it’s goddamn greed.
Laurie
Well written post, dailytri; I enjoyed it very much. I also saw that you got your quota of hate-mongering comments filled right off the bat. That’s a good sign!
When the racists hate what you say, there’s a decent chance that you’re on the right track. Nothing seems to infuriate hate-mongers more than an intelligent argument; they actually seem to respond less aggressively to to hate speech than to intelligence. LOL!