I
must confess that getting an education has served me well but regardless of
degrees, certificates, licenses and diplomas, my roots are still firmly planted
in my inner city (Hood) culture. Like any other culture, the hood has negative
and positive aspects of its influence. Where else can you learn how to make-up
fun without a dollar in your pocket? Where else can you learn how to be family oriented
by living with your grandmother and uncles because your biological parents are missing?
But the one that I’m really fond of is the “No Snitching” law. At age 6, I
remember calling the police “Pigs”, which was a learned behavior that included,
learning not to trust authority figures. You see, in the hood, things can be a
little distorted. For example, the phrase, No Snitching means don’t rat or tell
on nobody period! You see in the hood, the code is to protect the criminal at
all cost. The Snitch is viewed as the punk, N.A.R.C. or coward; but in reality,
it’s the person who doesn’t snitch who is the coward. In order to “Snitch”, you
must be willing to tell the truth and deal with the consequences; while the
person who refuses to tell the truth (Snitch), wants no part of the
consequences. No Snitching sounds
Gangsta but the reality is my brother whose mother was murdered, wants desperately
for someone to tell the truth (Snitch) about who killed his mother BUT my same
brother wont tell the truth (Snitch) about who fired a stray bullet into the
cheekbone of an 11 yr old girl. So I guess the rule is don’t snitch if I break
into someone’s home But you damn well better spill the beans if you saw who stole my mama’s social security check. The truth of the matter is, we cant find Justice, when we continue to operate on double standards. So I guess you can call me a "Snitch" because by writing this, I'm telling the truth (Snitching) on a double standard, that has plagued are communities for decades.
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