Doing the right thing for your community

Growing up on the mean streets of Omaha, we always had the police sniffing around our neighborhood asking questions. The unwritten code of the streets is no snitching.

I bucked that trend at an early age due to a big mouth and a fear that if I lied my tongue would turn green.

The cops would come to my apartment and ask me if I knew anything. I would try my best to keep my mouth shut, but then I would eventually burst out with the truth:

"It was Rey Rey officer. He was the one shooting up the 19ers hang out and I saw him do it with my own little eyes. He hides his stuff behind the stairwell too. I have the address of his primary residence and other known hang outs right here in my sissy little journal."

This landed me in hot water with my crew on multiple occasions. After several beatings and requests to move from the neighborhood I finally got the message as to why you should not snitch. Snitching is a sign of weakness and it's silly.

My grandkids just started elementary school at a highly elite private institution and they fully understand that snitching is bad.

"I don't care if it's a spitball or one of your really funny classmates making a witty (but rude) post in a chat forum-YOU DO NOT SNITCH," I sternly told them as we waited for the school bus.