Reason First: How can Snitching be Virtuous?

So you say that snitching is wrong? What about when it comes to an unarmed teen who just had the notion to create a music video? Jeremiah Dickey’s productive mind was silenced by rounds piercing the night air on a Brooklyn, New York City street corner. Why would it be evil to snitch on the coward who mowed this teen down in his prime? The levels of cowardice remain at an all-time high. People can be discreet and anonymous and be looked at as brave. But to just sit back and watch as a family grieves for Dickey and to know who committed this vicious crime is lower than a coward. Someone out there may know who did this. And the actual culprit should possess some shred of dignity to turn himself in to police custody.

It is within the hip hop genre especially that the idea of snitching gets twisted, tangled, and confused. If you’re a part of a crime syndicate and you get caught in the act and tell on your cronies, that’s snitching. But if you witness a violent crime that no one wants to or cares to comment on and you step up with information, you are the shining example of a hero.

For teens like Dickey who just want to utilize their minds to better their situation, it is imperative that citizens come forth and notify law enforcement of the miscreant who committed a violation of individual rights like this. Snitching starts with not being a tattletale, dishing the dirt on gossipy neighbors. Snitching is about letting police officers and other investigators know about the details of a given crime. Rewards, protection, and other incentives ought to goad those with any clue to the perpetrators of said crime.

What the term snitching deserves is an update. Like new software and a chance to get rid of bugs in an operating system, a fresh take on the word is long overdue. Though it is understood that it may not be in one’s self-interest to boast about being a snitch for fear of retribution, it would be a boon if everyone stood up in said, “I’m a snitch!” Spartacus (1960) style.

Dickey didn’t deserve to die. He just wanted to record a rap and enjoy the evening. He did not know that it would be his last. So to start snitching means that while it is impossible to bring him back to life, there is a chance to bring his murderer to justice.

Why would anyone want to denounce a snitch? In the la cosa nostra lifestyle “rats” are often tortured, dismembered, and then brutally executed. The same goes for Latin America where the “snitch” and his or her family can often be beheaded for speaking up against a crime affiliate. In fact, the culture extends all over the world. The crime organization Yakuza in Japan sets strict rules against those who tell. The true man or woman of substance ought to negate any notions of being harmed due to them opening their mouth or signing statements.

Dickey’s death could’ve been prevented if the lowlife had possessed even a modicum of respect for life, the young rapper would still be here. By just recording something, building, making, and producing, Dickey was cut down like a piece of chaff. The unthinking, range-of-the-moment way that he died should signal to the citizen or citizens who have even pieces of what they saw to approach officials with everything that they know.

As violent crimes like this one continue to shrink in numbers, there still remain cases like this. They’re all the more shocking because of the infrequency of such incidents in today’s world. Dickey appeared to be a good kid according to a bodega employee who praised Dickey and treated him like one of his sons.

While it would be a “juicier” tale of a policeman or woman who had struck down this teenager, shouldn’t there still be outrage over the fact that the suspect put an end to an upstanding man’s life? Why is it that when the police are involved in the shooting, the story must be plastered on every news clip for weeks, months, even years after the occurrence?

Now, it may not yet be clear who violated Dickey and ended his life but with time, there ought to be willing individuals who will dig deep within themselves and recognize that it is moral and righteous to voice the truth.