Comments on: If You’re Riding a Scooter – You’re Just Not That Tough

By: Parkwood Person

Parkwood Person — Thu, 22 May 2008 15:27:28 +0000

When I was a juror on a murder trial last year, one of the key witnesses apparently spilled his guts previously in the grand jury. Then as soon as he got on the stand in the trial, and had to actually face the accused, he totally recanted everything he said in the grand jury trial, said he was “high” during the testimony, and felt threatened to talk to the police previously. It was sad to see for so many reasons- mostly because it weakened the prosecutors case (we still ended up convicting), but also because while this guy was just a dopey pathetic dude, but still- he wasn’t necessarily a criminal, just witnessed a crime when he was a kid, and it was a reminder of how toxic that “stop snitching” mentality can be.

By: New Hampy

New Hampy — Wed, 21 May 2008 14:29:28 +0000

right on cristobal

By: wingo

wingo — Wed, 21 May 2008 13:59:50 +0000

“stop snitchin’” is a cultural touchstone more than reality. as someone pointed out above, there are *plenty* of people spilling their guts to to the police and the grand jury. your average dc boy lasts about 1 second under the hot lamp at district headquarters before giving up his mother. dc boys watch too much tv and like to think of themselves as tony montana, but in reality they are more like chris rock in new jack city.

By: A teacher

A teacher — Tue, 20 May 2008 18:46:42 +0000

There is too much glamourization of the thug lifestyle. If you aren’t mingling with lowlife types you won’t know what I’m talking about. I work in a school and see it even with little kids. They think it’s cool to try to be a gangster, a thug wannabe, to get into trouble. This no snitching means don’t tell on people, even when real crimes or wrongdoings have been committed. I hear eight year olds say I’m gonna kill you or tell my uncle what you said and he gotta gun and he gonna shoot you. And mothers who tell their kids if someone hits you, you hit him back.

By: ro

ro — Tue, 20 May 2008 18:30:22 +0000

GforGood, Do you really think most of the people wearing these shirts make that distinction? These shirts originated with drug dealers and were popularized by rappers who glamorize a criminal lifestyle. I don’t see any real political thought to it. even if someone was trying to make a political statement, how does witholding information on a crime do anything other than encourage more crime. Random ridiculousness at its finest.

By: Miss K

Miss K — Tue, 20 May 2008 18:13:11 +0000

yeah I think a tattle-tale is more a kid who rats his brother out for picking his nose in the back seat of the car…

By: GforGood

GforGood — Tue, 20 May 2008 18:12:18 +0000

Tattle-Tale? For telling a Police about e.g. a murder? Really??

By: Richard

Richard — Tue, 20 May 2008 18:00:19 +0000

This attitude exists across cultural groups. It’s just called a Tattle-Tale.

By: Miss K

Miss K — Tue, 20 May 2008 17:59:06 +0000

Maybe you can also post his address and license plate number… wow.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 20 May 2008 16:11:27 +0000

Not sure the blog has much to do with it.. I mean “door of the day” x 100 is hardly very conducive to community activism.. ;-P