Snitches

If someone does something that is not right, a person needs to know.  This is how it always was for me anyway.  If someone hurts you, or someone else, you tell the person who can give the necessary consequences.  This is simple enough for me to understand.  Maybe I was just a goody goody (that's probably it).

I don't get it. Why does this "no snitching" mentality exist? Okay, I know why it exists, but I don't like it. This is heavy on my mind this week.

One of my kids was surrounded while older boys tried to take his stuff. He was shaken up and would not tell me who did it. Can't tell or you will get jumped or followed.
Wait, it wasn't just one. Another one of my boys had his phone stolen after school when four guys told him to empty his pockets. He was so angry he refused to go to any classes. He wandered around the halls looking for the kid who did it so he could "crack" him. He thinks he has to deal with this situation alone.
Done? No. Another one of my kids was surrounded, threatened, and his phone was taken after lunch. Luckily he went to one of our officers to look at the video. I didn't even think he would do that - I went to do it myself first. Sadly the phone was handed off and will never be seen by the owner again. The only reason he could snitch was because the guys who did it have no power (other than stealing). They won't retaliate for his act of snitching.

Everything is a game. Everything. Who has more power? Who needs to keep power? You can snitch because you have a bit of power. You can't snitch because you have very little. You don't need to snitch because you and your homies can jump the guy yourself.

I hate games.