As a African American this is apart of our life we face on a daily basis,that is being mistaken to be someone else, because we normally wear or dress up a alike in life. Example the song from American Idol truly reflect our identity in a negative image....pants on the ground, hat turn to the side, and looking like a fool. I say this because we are truly labeled in so many categories that are not always true. Initially without reading the article I see two young man taking before thier time that could have become someone special in life but as the article stated a negative comment about two young me doing something wrong instead of being a victim of a violent crime. I pray for their family,friends,and community that justice will be done a
Tyrone's cousingis right, indiviuals tend to easily judge upon African-American's; therefore, releaving that society up until this day is wrong justice. why should race or color matter upon the "assumed" doings of an individual? Just because Tyrone and Percy were of the African-American race does not mean that they were engaged in some sort of wrong doings, but sadly, society may think otherwise huh.?..?. Like the families of these two young children said, these were "good kids". There shall have been no darn reason for them to have been killed. Police say it may have been some kind of mistaken killing. Even if that were the case,thy who knows any piece of useful information that can lead to the killer, shall speak now because I pretty sure that society wouldn't want silence to keep killing. In this case though, i believe that maybe there should be some kind of community group watch going on, that way the community may be at a lesser risk of killings. Justice should be done in such a case that not just involves one murder, but two.!..!. I mean we lready know that the system can be corrupt but hopefully the murderer is cauht and punished for the deatsh of to great, studious young men.
First of all, my heart goes out to the families of Percy Day and Tyrone Williams. From what I have read, they seem like pretty smart, intelligent boys. They both go to college and work, which many people these days can’t seem to do or they do not want to do, due to laziness. Something should be done here so the families can continue to live their lives. Without justice or finding out who committed the crime of killing these two innocent boys, their families are living each day like they are dying. If I saw a crime happening, I would definitely report it, I would NOT keep quiet because the life of a person is at stake. We tend to think about ourselves instead of others. We think the criminal justice system is corrupt; we may be at fault also. The title of the article says it all, Silence does kill. The ending life of Percy and Tyrone proves this! I hope and pray that they find out who shot the guns and killed the life of two young boys. This so called boy wearing a hoodie and holding a Tech-9 needs to turn himself in and serve his time in prison. Sad, sad story:(
This fit into the characteristics of the subculture theory. They are conductive to crime and violence and in-stilling fear in others. The code of silence is what they live by and will kill anyone that will break that code. Communities are in fear and never know when their house will be hit. You have to ask yourself, what will I do? It takes courage to put your life and the life of your family on the line. Some people will just move out of the neighbor and other people don't have that option. Being black and living in an infested gang neighbor in Chicago, I understand. I seen a man get kill and never spoke of it. I was 8 years old and was told, you know what will happen if you say anything. I knew who they were and never said a word. Life is complicated and the criminal justice with its biases makes it harder for police officers to do their jobs, black still feels they can't trust the police, especially in Chicago. You still hear of black men getting taser to death or beaten when pull over for a traffic stop. No, it doesn't happen all the time but it happen. Chicago has the worst corruption of its police force and it been that way for years. I know what the community is up against. Would I have had the courage to report the crime? I don't know. But one way or another, Percy Day and Tyrone Williams will find justice.
If this is a case of mistaken identity, what an idiot the killer is. Maybe the killer was trying to be initiated into a gang and was told just to shot at random. I am not saying this is correct by any means. The gang patrol cops should be out asking questions and trying to find out if there have been any initiations of new members. One thing is for sure, someone knows who committed this horrible double murder. Most men can not keep silent if they have committed a crime. What I find sad in this city where crime is high is that people are willing to keep silent against thugs, gangs, and criminals. How powerful can these bad people really be that people will keep silent for their own safety? My sympathy goes out to this family who has lost two amazing and smart young men. Everyone always asks, “Why do the Good Die Young?” This question will forever be one that people will ponder.
This is really sad this is seen repeatedly, especially in neighborhoods like Poly. To me, it seems like, yes they were both “good kids” but nobody is going to walk up to someone and just shoot; not just to hunt! One of them might have created some sort of rage with this individual that caused him to do such act. It does not necessarily have to do with drugs or gang activity, it could have been anything. I do not believe they were at the wrong place at the wrong time. And do not get me wrong, I am not saying that these kids deserved death I am just saying that there had to be a motive. I hope someone does confess though. If the case is that someone is out there “hunting,” then it can be a serial killer on the loose and he will be caught after several other murders (hopefully). But again, I do not really believe that was the case there had to be motive somewhere.
CODE OF SILENCE exists because people live in fear. People who witness a crime usually don't report it because they are afraid that the person who committed the crime will come after them and end their life. This is one of those cases. Two boys lost their lives because of an idiot going around shooting his gun. No one wants to come forward and give clues to who the shooter might be, out of fear of losing their lives. It doesn't matter if this was a case of mistaken identity or an initiation; no one has the right to take another person's life. The code of silence needs to be broken because of situations like this. People will continue to lose their lives until someone steps up and reports a crime when they see it.
As an African American and to have been brought up in a similar community, I've heard the misconceptions about African Americans who are good kids, but because they were shot and killed by some random thug, they were somehow tied to him. I believe those kids were good kids, especially because unlike them, so many African American students drop out of school and turn to the streets as an escape from their home lives and the negativity they hear from the people who should be uplifting them. Friends seem to always make a pact not to snitch because snitching could lead to something far worse than being put in jail themselves, but snitching on someone could get yourself killed, as many would believe. It's time to break the silence and give families like those relief. Silence is a killer and there is a time to speak and a time to be silent and in these cases, we must break our silence and get these murderers off of the streets. Although people fear for their lives, I believe it's selfish to sit by and watch a murderer walk because of the "snitching" rule. People complain about how so many young men and women are dying at the hands of crime, yet nobody wants to do anything about it. Its like the idea where a whole group of people see someting, like a robbery or a mugging on the street take place, then slowly one by one everybody starts to walk away from the scene, thinking the other person is going to call the police and do something about it until eventually absolutely nothing gets done.
It is always hard to see young people that are on the path to success get killed like that. Tyrone Williams and Percy day were both college students that seemed to be on the right track and were staying out of trouble. They were possibly at the wrong place at the wrong time or perhaps actually had some type of problem with the killer, but how are we to know. What we do know is that the killer is still out there on the streets possibly looking for its next victim and the police do not even has as much as a lead criminal. This is because the “code of silence” is so strong in the streets that people fear what will happen to them if they give the police information. The killer might have not told anybody except for their inter-circle or the people that they can trust and if that is the case than the police are going to have a hard time getting out any information from anyone. With this being said who knows if the killer will ever be caught or not, but what is known is that this type of occurrence happens every day and these criminals are using the power of fear to keep getting away.
I truly hope that the families of these outstanding young men will find their murderers. The silence needs to be broken! Their lives were cut far too short with such a promising future that they were striving for. The loyalty of thugs and killers control of others is not to snitch on one another and such the “code of silence” is practiced. The culture of fear is placed within people’s minds but someone needs to come forward. As stated by the police this tragic act of mistaken identity someone knows something and killers will tell. The public education campaign called “Silence Kills”, it is an appeal to reject the "code of silence" of the streets that protects thugs and killers. In my opinion this campaign should be brought to all educational levels which would be a tool in taking the steps to stop the violence
First of all, let me say that my prayers go out to this family. This Code of Silence is something that I am not familiar with at all. I cannot begin to imagine seeing something so horrific and not reporting it. These two young lives were taken for no apparent reason and we will never be able to appreciate what they would have accomplished in their lives. Someone knows who did this and they will have to live with this knowledge, as well as the shooter. This family needs and deserves some closure for their loss and unless this “Code” is broken, this type of senselessness will continue. Communities cannot let fear overtake them and allow killers to win this battle; they have to speak up and be heard.
Its terrifying to think that a murder such as this one can happen at any given time or place to anybody. White, Black, Brown, Yellow,.... it doesn't matter what color you are, each and everyone of us can be targeted without reason. It is unfair for people who try and make something of themselves, such as these two young boys, to be gunned down and killed. If it is true that these boys were not caught up in anything bad and their perception to others was true, then in my opinion, one of the reasons for this double homicide could possibly be gang related. Gangs orchestrate many initiative processes of becoming a member, often times involving the murder of somebody else. This could explain the Code of Silence. If it was indeed a gang member, then there is a very small chance of it getting out into the public. A gang member is not going to rat out one of their brothers.
It has become a sad day that a person can be murdered in front of several witnesses and no one comes forward because of the fear of retaliation. If people only knew that speaking up would help drop this type of gang activity. However, I do understand that in the beginning that there will be several victims but after awhile once the criminals realize that the law abiding citizens are not going to accept this behavior they will be cowards they are and flee. I do understand that it is hard on most citizens to step up and be the first because they are thinking of their lives and the lives of their family, but until they step up this is going to be a continuous ongoing problem that will kill the promising youth of the future.
Snitches get stiches. I honestly believe that the code of silence is caused by a continous cycle of fear. The neighborhoods that use the code of silence are ghettos and slums. These delopitated communities receive no help from police officers when they need it. How long do you think it takes a Police Officer to respond to a report of a shooting in Compton, L.A.? There are places that police officers will not go to at all, due to the amount of crime there. This lack of trust and protection from the police officers to the ghettos reinforces the concept that nobody cares for the people of the slums. The people respond by creating their own subculture and countersociety that goes against the norms of law enforcement. One of the new norms that is established is, "no snitching". This leads ghettos to become introverted and distrust outsiders. Now let us add the real world scenerio of these two boys into my hypothetical environment. When an accidental gang shooting goes wrong, nobody wants to pass along information, because it brings in the untrustable, uncaring police officers, it ostrizies the informant from the rest of the people in the communities, and lastly, a hit could be put out on the snitch. This mentality is so ingrained in the people of these communities that it will take decades to reverse their mindset, and bring trust back to the law enforcement agents of that area. But it is a two-part effort, because the police officers must also begin reversing their mindset of discrimination.
Unfortunately, it is the public perception of law enforcement that hinders the progress of the Percy Tyrone Case. As prestigious as Chicago may be in educating police officers, they make a grave mistake that is common in every major city in the United States. Law enforcement officers fail to practice collective efficacy and community policing, thus there is a sharp disjuncture between the officer and the population he is sworn to protect. Typically in areas that are rife with crime, typically there is a large group of the population who will not contact the police when a crime is or has been committed. There are many reasons for those; there is a fear of the police generated from myths of police brutality and wrongful arrests, a belief that the police don’t care about what happens in poor neighborhoods, and a fear that if the interfere with a crime they could possibly become a target themselves. In this case, Percy and Tyrone died and no one wants to contact the police for the fear of getting involved in the delicate issue. As a result of the new program, I hope they can get some answers from the local population. However, I would guess that, despite the efforts to find the truth behind the murder, no one will reveal the truth to the police.
I truly believe someone does know who killed these boys, because criminals are very dumb and crazy. From what the boys relatives say they do seem like really good boys but know one will ever know if there was any kind of disagreement between the killer and the boys. The code of silence is practiced every where, no matter what what crime was committed. My neighbors house has been broken into like 3 times and they always get in through the front door, it's very strange to me that no one saw anything because the people that live in front of us are always outside, I think that is very strange... The police have spoken to everyone in the neighborhood and still the criminals have not been found. I know if I would know who did it I would so say something especially if it had to do with a murder.
After reading this, I think 'silence' really does kill. The person who shot these two kids, deserves to be found and sent to jail or something. This family deserves to know who did this to their sons and are doing a good thing by telling the community that 'silence kills'. This 'code' really does need to be broken because maybe then bad people wouldn't be out in the streets as often. It is absolutely heartbreaking for a family to lose a loved one, especially two on the same day. The killer needs to be found and people need to speak up, because if not these events will continue happening. I only wish the family can find peace and the information they deserve.
I work at a daycare and I have kids who have told me that their parents tell them "not to snitch". This has been going on for a long time. Parents raise their kids not to be a "tattle tale" or not to "snitch". It is seen as improper in some families. I think a big issue in this case is not only that people do not want to "snitch" but they are also afraid for their own lives as well. They are afraid that someone is going to find out they gave tips to police and that the guilty party will turn around and retaliate. It's a scary thought. I think because these were young African American boys people assume that this case is gang related. This may not be the case. It could have been someone who was jealous of or wanting to put a stop to the boys' success. Just like their aunt said these boys seemed to be very good, hardworking, driven boys. It is a shame their lives were ended at such a crucial time. They were experiencing success and seemed to be heading down a good road.
Code of Silence mistaken for snitching? Is that what it has really came down to? Is this only in Chicago or everywhere? I believe that when the parents say, when people hear about two young black kids were shot that automatically people think that they were up to no good, but have proven that these were GOOD kids whom were doing the right things and was headed to a bright future. I do wonder why some people act this way and think this way which is probably due to their upbringing and education about others then their own race. I think its wonderful how these parents are starting campaigns to prevent and teach that it is ok to talk and tell and not to be scared because I believe that is the reason no one has yet to say anything.
This is definitely a major problem all over the United States, "turning our heads" and confusing snitching with the truth. We as society need to take responsibility in finding the truth, rather than just leaving it up to the police. Silence, due to the reporting of crimes is one of those emerging issues in the criminal justice system that needs to be changed. This is also a problem that can be dealt with in community policing.
It’s good to see a family that will go out and talk to kids in the schools about gangs and how they affect people and their families. Families doing this will help keep kids out of the gangs and off of the streets. Gangs affect a lot of people, they are affecting our society in a very bad way and bringing our crime rate to the highest and death rate to the highest. We need to find a way to stop the gangs and get these kids off of the streets and into the classrooms where they belong.
Regardless of the reasoning or mistaken identity, this is absolutely horrible. It is a lot easier to hear of a “no good” getting killed, but two young men with a future of goals that they are trying to achieve does not deserve an ending like this. Silence must be broken, those who know what happened or who did it- must say something or tell someone and stop living in the culture of fear. Criminals are stupid and often talk and/or brag about their deeds, which means someone knows I only hope that those who know anything, will sit and reflect on their family and friends, and do what they would want done for them: if for goodness sakes it this same thing would have happened to one of their loved ones. I totally disagree with jalmaraz…..innocent people are killed every day, I hate that someone says that there must have been motive!
That is ridiculous, to live in a society that turns their head in terrible situation like this. I agree with Dawn about taking responsibility in finding out the truth. The more people that help with these situations, the more chance the police will have in finding out who/what happened. Some say we live in a world of violece and that something needs to be done, but how can we change this if people are not willing to talk or take action. I think its great that boys families are taking action in creating "Silence Kills". It's a good example for others to see and hopefully change their views on this kind of situation.
I like what they are doing. This is kind of what we were talking about in class. They are asking the community to speak up and take care of each other. I hate the entire lets not be a snitch. It is up there with gangs as being one of the dumbest things in the world. She also touches on another subject that people have been talking about for years. She talks about how because the kids were African American that they were involved in something bad and they deserved it. I don’t know what to think about that. As I one day hope to be a police officer I would hope that I would care no matter who they were not what they were. A murder is still the same to me no matter what. It is not the system that is flawed it’s the people around it. A black officer goes into a neighborhood of all blacks in Fort Worth to investigate and if he finds something people call him an Uncle Tom. That’s not a compliment for those that don’t understand. So, I guess it goes both ways. So to wrap things up I hope they find the killer(s) and wish them luck on getting the community to come together for the betterment of the neighborhood/world?
I feel bad for what happened here and how it has been approached. Unfortunately for the families of these kids, the killer will probably not be found. It's crazy not to report a crime like that, but you have to understand being a gang member. These ganags are these people's families and they will never say anything bad about hem and will defend them till the end. Also, if they do say something it's gauranteed someone will find out, and they probably fear getting killed themselves if they say anything. It's a very touchy situation indeed. It's also pretty messed up how police see it as a result of gang violence which is an ongoing war. According to these people's families they were not involved in anything bad and were trying to be an asset to society by going to school, working, etc. You never know what could of happen or the reasoning also because many kids don't speak to their parents about things taht are going on in their life.
As a African American this is apart of our life we face on a daily basis,that is being mistaken to be someone else, because we normally wear or dress up a alike in life. Example the song from American Idol truly reflect our identity in a negative image....pants on the ground, hat turn to the side, and looking like a fool. I say this because we are truly labeled in so many categories that are not always true. Initially without reading the article I see two young man taking before thier time that could have become someone special in life but as the article stated a negative comment about two young me doing something wrong instead of being a victim of a violent crime. I pray for their family,friends,and community that justice will be done a
ReplyDeleteTyrone's cousingis right, indiviuals tend to easily judge upon African-American's; therefore, releaving that society up until this day is wrong justice. why should race or color matter upon the "assumed" doings of an individual? Just because Tyrone and Percy were of the African-American race does not mean that they were engaged in some sort of wrong doings, but sadly, society may think otherwise huh.?..?. Like the families of these two young children said, these were "good kids". There shall have been no darn reason for them to have been killed. Police say it may have been some kind of mistaken killing. Even if that were the case,thy who knows any piece of useful information that can lead to the killer, shall speak now because I pretty sure that society wouldn't want silence to keep killing.
ReplyDeleteIn this case though, i believe that maybe there should be some kind of community group watch going on, that way the community may be at a lesser risk of killings.
Justice should be done in such a case that not just involves one murder, but two.!..!. I mean we lready know that the system can be corrupt but hopefully the murderer is cauht and punished for the deatsh of to great, studious young men.
First of all, my heart goes out to the families of Percy Day and Tyrone Williams. From what I have read, they seem like pretty smart, intelligent boys. They both go to college and work, which many people these days can’t seem to do or they do not want to do, due to laziness. Something should be done here so the families can continue to live their lives. Without justice or finding out who committed the crime of killing these two innocent boys, their families are living each day like they are dying. If I saw a crime happening, I would definitely report it, I would NOT keep quiet because the life of a person is at stake. We tend to think about ourselves instead of others. We think the criminal justice system is corrupt; we may be at fault also. The title of the article says it all, Silence does kill. The ending life of Percy and Tyrone proves this! I hope and pray that they find out who shot the guns and killed the life of two young boys. This so called boy wearing a hoodie and holding a Tech-9 needs to turn himself in and serve his time in prison. Sad, sad story:(
ReplyDeleteThis fit into the characteristics of the subculture theory. They are conductive to crime and violence and in-stilling fear in others. The code of silence is what they live by and will kill anyone that will break that code. Communities are in fear and never know when their house will be hit. You have to ask yourself, what will I do? It takes courage to put your life and the life of your family on the line. Some people will just move out of the neighbor and other people don't have that option. Being black and living in an infested gang neighbor in Chicago, I understand. I seen a man get kill and never spoke of it. I was 8 years old and was told, you know what will happen if you say anything. I knew who they were and never said a word. Life is complicated and the criminal justice with its biases makes it harder for police officers to do their jobs, black still feels they can't trust the police, especially in Chicago. You still hear of black men getting taser to death or beaten when pull over for a traffic stop. No, it doesn't happen all the time but it happen. Chicago has the worst corruption of its police force and it been that way for years. I know what the community is up against. Would I have had the courage to report the crime? I don't know. But one way or another, Percy Day and Tyrone Williams will find justice.
ReplyDeleteIf this is a case of mistaken identity, what an idiot the killer is. Maybe the killer was trying to be initiated into a gang and was told just to shot at random. I am not saying this is correct by any means. The gang patrol cops should be out asking questions and trying to find out if there have been any initiations of new members. One thing is for sure, someone knows who committed this horrible double murder. Most men can not keep silent if they have committed a crime. What I find sad in this city where crime is high is that people are willing to keep silent against thugs, gangs, and criminals. How powerful can these bad people really be that people will keep silent for their own safety? My sympathy goes out to this family who has lost two amazing and smart young men. Everyone always asks, “Why do the Good Die Young?” This question will forever be one that people will ponder.
ReplyDeleteThis is really sad this is seen repeatedly, especially in neighborhoods like Poly. To me, it seems like, yes they were both “good kids” but nobody is going to walk up to someone and just shoot; not just to hunt! One of them might have created some sort of rage with this individual that caused him to do such act. It does not necessarily have to do with drugs or gang activity, it could have been anything. I do not believe they were at the wrong place at the wrong time. And do not get me wrong, I am not saying that these kids deserved death I am just saying that there had to be a motive. I hope someone does confess though. If the case is that someone is out there “hunting,” then it can be a serial killer on the loose and he will be caught after several other murders (hopefully). But again, I do not really believe that was the case there had to be motive somewhere.
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ReplyDeleteCODE OF SILENCE exists because people live in fear. People who witness a crime usually don't report it because they are afraid that the person who committed the crime will come after them and end their life. This is one of those cases. Two boys lost their lives because of an idiot going around shooting his gun. No one wants to come forward and give clues to who the shooter might be, out of fear of losing their lives. It doesn't matter if this was a case of mistaken identity or an initiation; no one has the right to take another person's life. The code of silence needs to be broken because of situations like this. People will continue to lose their lives until someone steps up and reports a crime when they see it.
ReplyDeleteAs an African American and to have been brought up in a similar community, I've heard the misconceptions about African Americans who are good kids, but because they were shot and killed by some random thug, they were somehow tied to him. I believe those kids were good kids, especially because unlike them, so many African American students drop out of school and turn to the streets as an escape from their home lives and the negativity they hear from the people who should be uplifting them. Friends seem to always make a pact not to snitch because snitching could lead to something far worse than being put in jail themselves, but snitching on someone could get yourself killed, as many would believe. It's time to break the silence and give families like those relief. Silence is a killer and there is a time to speak and a time to be silent and in these cases, we must break our silence and get these murderers off of the streets. Although people fear for their lives, I believe it's selfish to sit by and watch a murderer walk because of the "snitching" rule. People complain about how so many young men and women are dying at the hands of crime, yet nobody wants to do anything about it. Its like the idea where a whole group of people see someting, like a robbery or a mugging on the street take place, then slowly one by one everybody starts to walk away from the scene, thinking the other person is going to call the police and do something about it until eventually absolutely nothing gets done.
ReplyDeleteIt is always hard to see young people that are on the path to success get killed like that. Tyrone Williams and Percy day were both college students that seemed to be on the right track and were staying out of trouble. They were possibly at the wrong place at the wrong time or perhaps actually had some type of problem with the killer, but how are we to know. What we do know is that the killer is still out there on the streets possibly looking for its next victim and the police do not even has as much as a lead criminal. This is because the “code of silence” is so strong in the streets that people fear what will happen to them if they give the police information. The killer might have not told anybody except for their inter-circle or the people that they can trust and if that is the case than the police are going to have a hard time getting out any information from anyone. With this being said who knows if the killer will ever be caught or not, but what is known is that this type of occurrence happens every day and these criminals are using the power of fear to keep getting away.
ReplyDeleteI truly hope that the families of these outstanding young men will find their murderers. The silence needs to be broken! Their lives were cut far too short with such a promising future that they were striving for. The loyalty of thugs and killers control of others is not to snitch on one another and such the “code of silence” is practiced. The culture of fear is placed within people’s minds but someone needs to come forward. As stated by the police this tragic act of mistaken identity someone knows something and killers will tell.
ReplyDeleteThe public education campaign called “Silence Kills”, it is an appeal to reject the "code of silence" of the streets that protects thugs and killers. In my opinion this campaign should be brought to all educational levels which would be a tool in taking the steps to stop the violence
First of all, let me say that my prayers go out to this family. This Code of Silence is something that I am not familiar with at all. I cannot begin to imagine seeing something so horrific and not reporting it. These two young lives were taken for no apparent reason and we will never be able to appreciate what they would have accomplished in their lives. Someone knows who did this and they will have to live with this knowledge, as well as the shooter. This family needs and deserves some closure for their loss and unless this “Code” is broken, this type of senselessness will continue. Communities cannot let fear overtake them and allow killers to win this battle; they have to speak up and be heard.
ReplyDeleteIts terrifying to think that a murder such as this one can happen at any given time or place to anybody. White, Black, Brown, Yellow,.... it doesn't matter what color you are, each and everyone of us can be targeted without reason. It is unfair for people who try and make something of themselves, such as these two young boys, to be gunned down and killed. If it is true that these boys were not caught up in anything bad and their perception to others was true, then in my opinion, one of the reasons for this double homicide could possibly be gang related. Gangs orchestrate many initiative processes of becoming a member, often times involving the murder of somebody else. This could explain the Code of Silence. If it was indeed a gang member, then there is a very small chance of it getting out into the public. A gang member is not going to rat out one of their brothers.
ReplyDeleteIt has become a sad day that a person can be murdered in front of several witnesses and no one comes forward because of the fear of retaliation. If people only knew that speaking up would help drop this type of gang activity. However, I do understand that in the beginning that there will be several victims but after awhile once the criminals realize that the law abiding citizens are not going to accept this behavior they will be cowards they are and flee. I do understand that it is hard on most citizens to step up and be the first because they are thinking of their lives and the lives of their family, but until they step up this is going to be a continuous ongoing problem that will kill the promising youth of the future.
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ReplyDeleteSnitches get stiches. I honestly believe that the code of silence is caused by a continous cycle of fear. The neighborhoods that use the code of silence are ghettos and slums. These delopitated communities receive no help from police officers when they need it. How long do you think it takes a Police Officer to respond to a report of a shooting in Compton, L.A.? There are places that police officers will not go to at all, due to the amount of crime there. This lack of trust and protection from the police officers to the ghettos reinforces the concept that nobody cares for the people of the slums. The people respond by creating their own subculture and countersociety that goes against the norms of law enforcement. One of the new norms that is established is, "no snitching". This leads ghettos to become introverted and distrust outsiders. Now let us add the real world scenerio of these two boys into my hypothetical environment. When an accidental gang shooting goes wrong, nobody wants to pass along information, because it brings in the untrustable, uncaring police officers, it ostrizies the informant from the rest of the people in the communities, and lastly, a hit could be put out on the snitch. This mentality is so ingrained in the people of these communities that it will take decades to reverse their mindset, and bring trust back to the law enforcement agents of that area. But it is a two-part effort, because the police officers must also begin reversing their mindset of discrimination.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, it is the public perception of law enforcement that hinders the progress of the Percy Tyrone Case. As prestigious as Chicago may be in educating police officers, they make a grave mistake that is common in every major city in the United States. Law enforcement officers fail to practice collective efficacy and community policing, thus there is a sharp disjuncture between the officer and the population he is sworn to protect. Typically in areas that are rife with crime, typically there is a large group of the population who will not contact the police when a crime is or has been committed. There are many reasons for those; there is a fear of the police generated from myths of police brutality and wrongful arrests, a belief that the police don’t care about what happens in poor neighborhoods, and a fear that if the interfere with a crime they could possibly become a target themselves. In this case, Percy and Tyrone died and no one wants to contact the police for the fear of getting involved in the delicate issue. As a result of the new program, I hope they can get some answers from the local population. However, I would guess that, despite the efforts to find the truth behind the murder, no one will reveal the truth to the police.
ReplyDeleteI truly believe someone does know who killed these boys, because criminals are very dumb and crazy. From what the boys relatives say they do seem like really good boys but know one will ever know if there was any kind of disagreement between the killer and the boys. The code of silence is practiced every where, no matter what what crime was committed. My neighbors house has been broken into like 3 times and they always get in through the front door, it's very strange to me that no one saw anything because the people that live in front of us are always outside, I think that is very strange... The police have spoken to everyone in the neighborhood and still the criminals have not been found. I know if I would know who did it I would so say something especially if it had to do with a murder.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this, I think 'silence' really does kill. The person who shot these two kids, deserves to be found and sent to jail or something. This family deserves to know who did this to their sons and are doing a good thing by telling the community that 'silence kills'. This 'code' really does need to be broken because maybe then bad people wouldn't be out in the streets as often. It is absolutely heartbreaking for a family to lose a loved one, especially two on the same day. The killer needs to be found and people need to speak up, because if not these events will continue happening. I only wish the family can find peace and the information they deserve.
ReplyDeleteI work at a daycare and I have kids who have told me that their parents tell them "not to snitch". This has been going on for a long time. Parents raise their kids not to be a "tattle tale" or not to "snitch". It is seen as improper in some families. I think a big issue in this case is not only that people do not want to "snitch" but they are also afraid for their own lives as well. They are afraid that someone is going to find out they gave tips to police and that the guilty party will turn around and retaliate. It's a scary thought. I think because these were young African American boys people assume that this case is gang related. This may not be the case. It could have been someone who was jealous of or wanting to put a stop to the boys' success. Just like their aunt said these boys seemed to be very good, hardworking, driven boys. It is a shame their lives were ended at such a crucial time. They were experiencing success and seemed to be heading down a good road.
ReplyDeleteCode of Silence mistaken for snitching? Is that what it has really came down to? Is this only in Chicago or everywhere? I believe that when the parents say, when people hear about two young black kids were shot that automatically people think that they were up to no good, but have proven that these were GOOD kids whom were doing the right things and was headed to a bright future. I do wonder why some people act this way and think this way which is probably due to their upbringing and education about others then their own race. I think its wonderful how these parents are starting campaigns to prevent and teach that it is ok to talk and tell and not to be scared because I believe that is the reason no one has yet to say anything.
ReplyDeleteThis is definitely a major problem all over the United States, "turning our heads" and confusing snitching with the truth. We as society need to take responsibility in finding the truth, rather than just leaving it up to the police. Silence, due to the reporting of crimes is one of those emerging issues in the criminal justice system that needs to be changed. This is also a problem that can be dealt with in community policing.
ReplyDeleteIt’s good to see a family that will go out and talk to kids in the schools about gangs and how they affect people and their families. Families doing this will help keep kids out of the gangs and off of the streets. Gangs affect a lot of people, they are affecting our society in a very bad way and bringing our crime rate to the highest and death rate to the highest. We need to find a way to stop the gangs and get these kids off of the streets and into the classrooms where they belong.
ReplyDeleteRegardless of the reasoning or mistaken identity, this is absolutely horrible. It is a lot easier to hear of a “no good” getting killed, but two young men with a future of goals that they are trying to achieve does not deserve an ending like this. Silence must be broken, those who know what happened or who did it- must say something or tell someone and stop living in the culture of fear. Criminals are stupid and often talk and/or brag about their deeds, which means someone knows I only hope that those who know anything, will sit and reflect on their family and friends, and do what they would want done for them: if for goodness sakes it this same thing would have happened to one of their loved ones. I totally disagree with jalmaraz…..innocent people are killed every day, I hate that someone says that there must have been motive!
ReplyDeleteThat is ridiculous, to live in a society that turns their head in terrible situation like this. I agree with Dawn about taking responsibility in finding out the truth. The more people that help with these situations, the more chance the police will have in finding out who/what happened. Some say we live in a world of violece and that something needs to be done, but how can we change this if people are not willing to talk or take action. I think its great that boys families are taking action in creating "Silence Kills". It's a good example for others to see and hopefully change their views on this kind of situation.
ReplyDeleteI like what they are doing. This is kind of what we were talking about in class. They are asking the community to speak up and take care of each other. I hate the entire lets not be a snitch. It is up there with gangs as being one of the dumbest things in the world. She also touches on another subject that people have been talking about for years. She talks about how because the kids were African American that they were involved in something bad and they deserved it. I don’t know what to think about that. As I one day hope to be a police officer I would hope that I would care no matter who they were not what they were. A murder is still the same to me no matter what. It is not the system that is flawed it’s the people around it. A black officer goes into a neighborhood of all blacks in Fort Worth to investigate and if he finds something people call him an Uncle Tom. That’s not a compliment for those that don’t understand. So, I guess it goes both ways. So to wrap things up I hope they find the killer(s) and wish them luck on getting the community to come together for the betterment of the neighborhood/world?
ReplyDeleteI feel bad for what happened here and how it has been approached. Unfortunately for the families of these kids, the killer will probably not be found. It's crazy not to report a crime like that, but you have to understand being a gang member. These ganags are these people's families and they will never say anything bad about hem and will defend them till the end. Also, if they do say something it's gauranteed someone will find out, and they probably fear getting killed themselves if they say anything. It's a very touchy situation indeed. It's also pretty messed up how police see it as a result of gang violence which is an ongoing war. According to these people's families they were not involved in anything bad and were trying to be an asset to society by going to school, working, etc. You never know what could of happen or the reasoning also because many kids don't speak to their parents about things taht are going on in their life.
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