Had enough: advocate speaks out against hip-hop violence, misogyny

"The sad truth is that there are no easy fixes when you have a culture of anti-snitching that has developed (its roots in the mistrust of abusive police and now amplified by the music) that allows murderers to get away because of a code of silence....

"The AC360 piece covers the murder of Israel Ramirez, a bodyguard for the rap star Busta Rhymes, who was gunned down last year. There were more than 20 people who witnessed the murder, including Busta Rhymes, and no one has come forward, according to New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly, who said that some who were interviewed simply said that 'I have to work in this business' as a reason for not speaking to police. Of course that’s nothing new, since neither the murders of Tupac Shakur (1996) and the Notorious B.I.G. (1997) are also unsolved because of a lack of people willing to come forward.

"Cooper interviewed a group of inner city teens and pre-teens about 'snitching' and you see the depth of the problem, the unbelieveable cultural reinforcement that allows the lawlessness to continue. Police brutality, the lack of response when police are called, the clear gulf of opportunity between rich and poor have all contributed to the creation of this toxic social stew."

Go to http://pandagon.net/2007/04/26/had-enough-advocate-speaks-out-against-hip-hop-violence-misogyny/