Sorry to beat a Dead Horse...........

I might be "beating a dead horse" like the title suggests, but it is a story that nevertheless deserves highlighting. I just finished perusing the January issue of Essence, which has a special investigative report entitled, "The Streets Are Watching." This report, written by Jeannine Amber, encapsulates the harrowing tale of a brave Baltimore resident, "Mia M." (I would suspect like an episode of Dragnet-names were changed to protect the innocent) who put her life at risk by being a witness to a shooting that occurred in her neighborhood. If anyone has been paying close attention to some of my recent entries, you might have noticed that I have emphasized the issue of how the criminal or street stereotype that some people of color adopt, can cloud legitimate claims of racism and/or police misconduct. This article further bolsters my position. Mia's neighborhood, like any number of inner city areas, forces decent, hard working and honorable Black folk to coexist with the dregs that make living in such an environment a hellish experience.

Cutting to the chase, in May of 2005, Mia witnessed a shootout between two men that appeared to be over a failed drug transaction. Fortunately, (or unfortunately, depending on how one sees it) there were no fatalities, however one of the young men sustained a leg wound. The article, early on, described Mia as being the type that normally tries to maintain a low profile when it came to matters of a street nature. Unfortunately, her conscience got the best of her, as children were trapped between these two assailants. Being a mother herself, she imagined that one of her children could have easily been caught in the crossfire of this madness. Although hesitant, she did initially agree to cooperate with the police in the investigation of this incident. As soon as it became known throughout the "hood" that Mia was a witness, her life became a living nightmare. Young men and women threatened her (including her family)with bodily harm-nothing short of death. The "stop snitching" campaign was in full effect.

This again, is the atmosphere that the police have to deal with-a place the liberal intelligentsia fails to acknowledge. Here we have an entire neighborhood forced to maintain silence when an innocent could have been hurt(and many times the end result is a tragedy). We are not talking about individuals complicit in the committing of a crime and upholding a code amongst themselves. We are literally talking about the protection of innocent lives that can not be implemented because of thuggism. I repeat....how are the police to differentiate between real gangstas and wankstas, when both fit stereotypes and may possess criminal records? Time for some preventative medicine folks-try not to race to the finish line labeled STEREOTYPE, you might find yourself a winner in the long haul. And pray that you don't have to be put in the position to be a witness-you might be issued a death warrant. The January issue of Essence is now available at your local newsstand.