Saying they are frightened that a “no snitching” code is taking root in American society, political and civic leaders across the country are pushing witnesses to find the courage to step forward and help police investigate violent crimes.
The campaign has taken on added urgency with the pending release of a sequel to “Stop F***ing Snitching,” a notorious DVD blamed for glamorizing street violence in Baltimore and intimidating witnesses to keep them silent. The DVD circulated nationally — thanks in part to a performance by professional basketball star Carmelo Anthony — inspiring “Stop Snitching” caps and T-shirts and a rap music subgenre that has attracted superstar performers like Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube and The Game.
Urly Media is promoting “Stop Snitching 2” as a “shockumentary” meant “to show the reality of hard times on hard streets.” In a trailer for the DVD on Urly Media’s Web site, a small child is shown waving a large revolver and smoking what appears to be a marijuana joint, a man is shown firing a gun into the air, and numerous people talk about the need to kill “rats” and “snitches.”
“This snitching thing is an ongoing thing. You hear it everywhere — don’t snitch, don’t snitch,” said Gloria Fant, whose 18-year-old grandson was shot and killed last year in Bristol Township, Pa. In July, someone scrawled the message “Snitch and Die” in chalk on a street near the scene.
Neighborhood residents said the graffito was left on the street for almost a month before it was finally removed, sending a chilling message to witnesses.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22734240/