I like speak briefly about bullying. I think that the problem with adolescent bullying will not stop until young people are actually trained on what is a snitch and what is not. Most young people are under the mistaken impression that anyone who tells authorities about any situation is a snitch. Nothing could be further from the truth. The reality is you have snitches and then you have witnesses.
So really what is a snitch? A snitch is a person who tells authorities about criminal conduct to save his own skin because he was either involved in the criminal conduct or he was involved in other non-related criminal conduct that he is currently incarcerated for. A snitch is the same thing as a “rat”, “turncoat”, “informer”, etc. people hate snitches and rightly so, essentially these people escape liability for crimes that they have committed by turning other people in who have not been caught for crimes but soon will be because of their efforts.
Now how is this different from a witness? A witnesses is Joe blow citizen or student, a person who has a keen moral compass knows right from wrong and decides to do the right thing. If he sees someone getting robbed he would tell the police whom he saw Rob the person, since he took no part in the crime he could not be considered a snitch he is merely a witness someone who has decided to do the right thing. The difference between the two may not seem to be very compelling yet it is. One is a person who is trying to wheedle out of their criminal liability; the other is the citizen who is merely saying what he saw.
Consider the alternative, if everyone who ever witnessed the crime was a snitch for telling the police about that crime, and we apply the rule “snitches get stitches”, then no one would ever have to pay for their criminal liability. Our country our cities would be complete anarchy those were the strongest would rule because no one could stand against them. Think about it for a moment, if someone robs your mom wouldn’t you want someone who witnessed the crime to make a statement, wouldn’t you want the person who committed the crime to be brought to justice? I know I would.
Having said that I think it’s time did I tell you who I am. I am a person who is spent a large majority of his life locked up. I’ve been to jail, and I’ve been to prison, I’ve interacted with all manner of criminals, and reprobates, indeed I have been one. The first thing you learn when you were jailed, the rules so to speak, is how to conduct yourself in the presence of police and other convicts. The first rule is respect, the second rule is to mine your business. As a criminal, should you choose crime as a profession, you always isolate yourself from witnesses. You know that as well as police witnesses are an occupational hazard and they are to be expected. Witnesses are no different than the locks on doors, I can know more get upset at a witness for taking a stand against me then I can be upset at the police for arresting me. Let’s remember it’s my conduct were talking about here.
In conclusion I would tell young people not to worry themselves about whether or not they are a snitch, because they are not. And anyone who says that they are, does not know what a snitch is.