Logo courtesy of - and designed by - my friend Gary whom I met online after he responded to my original April 2007 on why the "Don't snitch" campaign is wrong.

A little over a year ago I wrote a post saying that the so-called “Don’t snitch” street code was – and is – killing black kids. Adults too. And as I mentioned in a follow-up post, that turned out to be one of the most controversial posts I ever put on this blog. To date I don’t believe any other “D” Spot post has generated anywhere near that volume of commentary.

Well it’s one year later and I still haven’t changed my mind. I have heard – and respect -the contrary arguments about how the police are not to be trusted and that we would all do better to solve the problems ourselves instead of giving them license to beat up on black folks some more. About how the fear of confiding anything in the police is simply wrong because of the verifiably twisted historical relationship between the police and black neighborhoods.

You call and they don’t come. And when they do come they treat you like shit. They don’t even bother trying to find folks causing problems, or if they do then they don’t do anything unless the fool killed at least three people. This year.

I live in Detroit, so how could I not know about the historically strained relationship between blacks and the police?

But I think the most persuasive argument I heard was that even if you did manage to get a good police officer to respond to your concern, what about the friends and family of the guy/girl you helped put away? What about your neighbors who now keep you at arm’s length because you have now crossed the unforgivable line? How are you, the person who “snitched” so that your neighborhood – or you personally – would be safer by turning in a known criminal, supposed to deal with the fact that you just might be in more danger after turning in the criminal than you were when that thug was on the wild?

And I confess I don’t have a good answer for that one. I probably should, since I do believe in calling the cops if the cops need to be called, but it’s hard to ignore what can sometimes happen to folks in certain neighborhoods when they stick their necks out trying to do the right thing, only to have their heads cut off.

All I know to say to that is that if we don’t collectively come together as communities and stick our necks out, and demand that the police do more in the neighborhoods we call home, then it will be even worse. Where I live we have a pretty strong neighborhood association where police officers have come to speak to us on a number of occasions. Each time I  thought the dialogue was strong, and I felt the officers came across as guys who honestly wanted be there in any way they could. They even gave us direct lines and cell numbers where we could reach them, and I can say from personal knowledge that those calls get answered.

Because when it gets right down to it, we’re the only and best defense we have against the crime taking place in our neighborhoods. And if we don’t demand that the government which we elect – and fund with our tax dollars – sufficiently respond to our needs and concerns then we only have ourselves to blame for not holding them accountable.

SHAMELESS PLUG: Read my wife’s blogs @ The “D” Spot Redeux and BlackLiberalBoomer.

I spent a good part of my career working in a tough urban ghetto.  I only mention this here to explain why the otherwise shocking story from Los Angeles does not surprise me one bit.  Apparently Earl Hutchinson is more concerned with the police department’s reputation than a child’s welfare.

If you have been following the Starkeisha Brown issue, you know that she severely beat, burned, abused, and generally tortured her 5-year-old son.  The latest update from the newspaper of record in L.A. brings to light a more sinister sub-plot:  Everyone involved in Brown’s life suspected the abuse and did nothing!

Read carefully this piece from the L.A. Times and I hope you get as sick as I did for years when I heard the same sorry excuses.  “We don’t trust the police,” or “The man will just make this worse.”  Pathetic. 

The truth is that the mostly African American residents of south central Los Angeles “don’t snitch” no matter what. 

Observe the quote by Ms. Daniels:  “In South-Central, we don’t do that. I’m just telling you how it is.”
Even when a child is dying.  The truth is that the so-called community leaders like Hutchinson continue to refuse to call this what it is:  Cultural conspiracy.  Every one of those people is responsible, in a direct and absolute way, for burns and cuts and bruises on this victim’s body.  Yet his only explanation is:

” Hutchinson and others said suspicion and fear of authorities runs deep in parts of South L.A. “

Oh, it’s the police department and social services agencies’ fault.  I have a suggested quote for Mr. Hutchinson to substitute:

” Residents of our poorest neighborhoods need to set aside their self-victimization mentality and call the police if a child is in trouble.”

I guess now they will call me a racist.  I thought that child abuse would be serious enough for leaders to finally step up and challenge the Black community to break their silence.  The truth is I was wrong.