Not Another "Stop Snitching" Report!

The whole so-called "Stop Snitching Campaign" has been so over blown and over reported in the main stream media that people who had never heard of it before a few years ago when Rayco Saunders had a case dismissed as he wore a Stop Snitching T-Shirt into court, are wearing it like a badge of honor. I myself have reservations about cooperation with the authorities but it is related to the use of Snitches to set up Jesus, Malcolm X, Dr. Martin Luthor King Jr., Chairman Fred Hampton, Mumia Abu-Jamal and the like, my reservations are not related to protecting petty street criminals and drug dealers who are loyal to no one.

Minister Jasiri X and I were both interviewed for a story in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette recently: 'Stop Snitching' code has become a guide for everyone http://www.postgazette.com/pg/07238/812225-391.stm (by Mustafa Ayad) but neither of our quotes made the final story. I guess that either they couldn't handle the truth, or we did not say what they wanted to hear so that they could spin the story the way they wanted.

Where does the lie that the black community does not cooperate wth the police really come from? Criminals and drug dealers snitch and cooperate with the police everyday! (1*) "Informers are a necessary evil, says Cmdr. Maurita Bryant, a 29-year veteran of the Pittsburgh Police Department. "We have to deal with who we have to deal with. ... If a dealer needs to make a deal, he'll tell on his mother. It may not be right, but it's all we have."

(2*) "Omerta" the Italian blood code that has been in effect since long before the "Mafia" has been broken time after time, including infamous "made men" such as Underboss Salvatore "Sammy The Bull" Gravano who testified for the state against John Gotti.

Absent in most stories about "Stop Snitiching are references to (3*) "The Blue Code Of Silence" aka "Blue Wall Of Silence". In fact eveyone seems to get quiet or change the subject whenever we bring it up. Which is probably why Minister Jasiri's nor my words showed up in the previously mentioned article on Snitching in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. It is very difficult to cooperate with the authorities when they do not have the trust of the community and they are extremely reluctant to cooperate themselves when an officer makes a mistake or consciously commits a crime against someone in our community.

(4*) "In many communities the police are involved in the drug trade. They either turn a blind eye or actually get a payoff from the drug dealers themselves. If you decide to turn somebody in because of his illegal activity that cop is likely to turn you in to the folks who are committing terror" - Davey D

Does Dick Cheney Snitch? Carl Rove, Alberto Gonzalez? Does George Bush? The biggest proponent of Stop snitching is the U.S. government. This is the most secretive White House in the history of this country, which is mind boggling being that George Bush Sr. was the director of the CIA. stop snitching is not Hip-hop culture it's American Culture. Even deeper, was Judas a Snitch when he cooperated with the authorities against Jesus? Who was later executed on the charges. - Minister Jasiri X

A few weeks ago a young man in the community showed me a piece of paper that his younger brother had brought home. It featured a drawing of a cartoon rat nibbling on a piece of cheese and a "Snitch List" containing the names of 126 people. Because I did not know the origin of the list, my "Media Literacy" training kicked in and I dismissed it as a hoax. I couldn't help but think as I noticed the names of a few people that I knew on the list, how dangerous this list could be on the streets even though no one has a clue to where this information originated from nor who the author of the list was.

In today's dangerous, post 911 paranoid climate, both on the streets and in the government. Rumors and Urban Legends can be enough to place innocent persons in harm's way especially in communities of color (where many people share the same names and nick-names).Gabrille Banks just wrote a story about the "Snitch List" in the PittsburghPost-Gazette: Flyer naming snitches alarms police - http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07238/812256-391.stm

If you ask me it sounds like a "COINTELPRO" styled "disruptive-disinformation operation". First they send around a list of so-called informants of unknown origin, the people in the streets react and respond to it because it has a rumors of validity. What's next once a network of disinformation has been created? Do they target community leaders, black politicians or clergy? everyone is vulnerable to these well plotted attacks, once you get the streets to trust in the validity of miscellaneous propaganda, you can easily spread rumors and distrust in our community.

This is an example of how it works (from "FBI" documents):

(5*) Counterintelligence and Special Operations (1970)

TECHNICAL SERVICES, Forged Documents

Xerox copies of true documents, documents subtly incorporating false information, and entirely fabricated documents would be periodically anonymously mailed to the residence of a key Panther leader. These documents would be on the stationery and in the form used by the police department or by the FBI in disseminating information to the police. FBI documents, when used, would contain police routing or date received notations, clearly indicating they had been pilfered from police files. An attempt would be made to give the Panther recipient the impression the documents were stolen from police files by a disgruntled police employee sympathetic to the Panthers. Director to SAC, San Francisco, May 11, 1970.

ReBulet 5/11/70, concerning a possible disruptive-disinformation operation to be targeted against the National Office of the Black Panther Party (BPP). At this time, San Francisco would hesitate to recommend the furnishing of any fabricated documents originating with the Oakland Police Department or any supposed LHMs from this office. During the last year the BPP was able to obtain what were alleged to have been detailed plans of the Berkeley Police Department for a possible raid on National Headquarters. These plans were published in "The Black Panther" to some embarrassment of the police department.

Attached is a partially completed FD-306. RAY "MASAI" HEWITT, Minister of Education, is based in Los Angeles but often visits National Headquarters. San Francisco proposed the preparation of a "dog eared" and crumpled FD-306 as attached and the placing of the FD-306 in a BPP car that has recently been used by HEWITT or was utilized to transport him. Through [ ] agents would know in advance of HEWITT's arrival at the San Francisco Airport for departure and they will attempt to obtain access to the car and leave the FD-306 in the interior where it might logically be decided that it had been dropped by HEWITT. SAC, San Francisco to Director, June 17, 1970

The Bureau concurs with your view that the BPP would rush to publicize any alleged police or FBI document it received, if such action served its propaganda purposes. However, if the "leaked" material were in itself embarrassing or discrediting to the BPP leadership, such as true exposures of immorality, egotistical or self-serving conduct, or misappropriation of funds, it is unlikely it would be publicized. As envisioned by the Bureau, material initially "leaked" would be of a low-key character consisting of brief items relating to the BPP organization. It would be in the form of crudely typed anonymous letters not identified with a law enforcement agency, but worded in a manner to lead the recipient to believe it was prepared by a sympathetic individual in a police agency. After low-key letters had been mailed over an extended period, portions of carefully selected alleged police documents or reports might be included. Hopefully, the BPP at this point would believe the material was authentic or at least of interest and that it originated with a sympathetic police source. Thus, as outlined in Bulet 5/11/70, a productive disinformation channel would be established whereby we could cause continuing disruption within the Panther national leadership. The Bureau believes the alternate proposal outlined in reSFlet has merit and could very likely be successful. However, as indicated in your letter, this technique cannot be approved because it could result in a Panther murder of one of their leaders. Director to SAC, San Francisco, June 26, 1970 - SAC, Los Angeles to Director, July 29, 1970

Even the use of the crudely drawn Cartoon Rat reminds me of COINTELPRO tactics: (6*) (The FBI created and circulated a coloring book and said it was created by The Black Panthers).

Media Literacy 101:

We really have to be carefull to question the sources of all information that we consume. From TV, Print, Music, Videos, Movies, Video Games, the Internet and word of mouth on the streets.

Learn to critically analyze all messages to detect propaganda, censorship and bias.

When you receive information you have to ask yourself:

What/who is the source of this information?

Is the source credible?
Who is funding the source?
Is the information correct?
Is the information being manipulated or misrepresented?
What am I being asked to do?

Garbage in = Garbage out. It's our lives and the lives of our children that are at stake.Yes, It's that serious!

(1*) Anti-snitch campaign riles police, prosecutors By Rick Hampson, USA TODAY http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-03-28-stop-snitching_x.htm

(2*) Omerta' is based partly on fear and partly on idealism

(3*) "The Blue Code Of Silence" aka "Blue Wall Of Silence"

(4*) Snitching is big business by Davey D

(5*) Counterintelligence and Special Operationshttp://www.icdc.com/~paulwolf/cointelpro/specialops.htm

(6*) The Sabotage Of Legitimate Dissent (The FBI fakes Black Panther Coloring Book) http://www.whatreallyhappened.com/RANCHO/POLITICS/COINTELPRO/coloring.html

Paradise GrayOne HOOD

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