Code Amongst Criminals

In late 2004/early 2005, the hip hop community unveiled its “Stop Snitching” campaign, a movement that was met with great disdain by the “so-called” leaders of the black community. These “so-called” leaders are the same crew that have attempted to bury the word “nigger/nigga,” spoke amongst themselves to decide how our youth should act, and consistently attempt to censor entertainment in favor of “morality.” Those of you who consistently read my posts know how I feel about these leaders, and if you don’t remember, I suggest you listen to Lil Wayne’s Misunderstood on his Carter III LP.

Well, the line was drawn when Steve Harvey, Mr. “Preacher Suit” himself, stated that black youths were mistaken to endorse the before-mentioned campaign, because stop snitching is a code amongst criminals and we as a people should never support something that has criminal ties. Well Steve, let me ask you this, did your mother ever beat the sleeves off you for being a tattle-tail? I know mine did, and that was never a code amongst criminals. As a youth I have been punished and disciplined for being a tattle-tail, and the logic behind it was always that “no one likes a tattle-tail.” So I ask you, Mr. Harvey, as well as my blog following, what’s the difference between being a tattle-tail and being a snitch? I don’t think there’s any, and if anything “stop snitching” is not a code amongst criminals but a cry for personal accountability, analogous to the chivalrous code of manhood exercised by knights in Medieval times.
That being said I would like to draw everyone’s attention to the newest exploits of New Orleans politics, the reporting of Stan “Pampy” Barre’, to jail. (http://blog.nola.com/nola/2008/10/stan_pampy_barres_confessions.html http://www.nola.com/timespic/stories/index.ssf?/base/library-157/122379071170590.xml&coll=1 ) Now, Pampy is apparently upset with a judge who sentenced him to 5 years in a federal prison after he managed to skim over a million dollars off a city contract. Now the recommended sentence for such an offense is 9-11 years, but Pampy was able to get 4 years shaved off his minimum in exchange for cooperating with federal agents in an attempt to get some of his comrades arrested. In his plea to his presiding judge, Pampy admitted that he was sorry for defrauding his city, that he had lost his business, several of his other ventures, friends, and even his “good” name. He even went so far as to state that he has been a regular donor to St. Peter Claver Church and St. Augustine High School, a characteristic the he feels is not conducive to a criminal. I look at such actions as money-laundering and that my good friends, is something that criminals do. Pampy regretted his action and also said that he was merely doing his part to rid the city of corruption. No, nigga, u were just someone else who got caught and couldn’t stand to see yourself as the only one to incur punishment. Quit your bitching, do your 5, and man up. Because you were man enough to do it, now be man enough to accept the consequences.

Is “Stop Snitching” really a code amongst thieves or a cry to break away from the “crabs in a barrel theory,” and “man-up?”