KATHY POSNER WOULD LOVE TO BE A SNITCH

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KATHY POSNER WOULD BLOW HER WHISTLE!
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Snitch Kathy Posner

Monday was a rare day because I was with Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart and had a meeting with the Chicago Police department that was also attended by an FBI agent. A day filled with law enforcement personnel—it is good I have not done anything illegal or it could have been scary! At my police meeting, one of the topics was an upcoming city-wide conference on how to “break the code of silence.” The FBI agent was at the meeting because she is a community liaison between the FBI and CPD and this issue is important to the FBI. The “code of silence” refers to citizens who are reluctant to report to law enforcement officials illegal activities going on in their communities. They are reticent because they are afraid of being labeled, “snitches.” I wrote in my blog of June 21st (DON’T TELL, DON’T ASK" SHOULD BE "DO TELL, DO ASK") the line, “I hate the fact that we live in a society where people who “snitch” are viewed as pariahs. The word whistleblower is considered a pejorative.” I spoke at the meeting and said that it was important to start educating children at a young age that it is acceptable and honorable to report any illegal activities that they see. They need to be reassured that it is admirable and commendable to aid the police. In 1944 a campaign was created by the Ad Council for the United States Forest Service with Smokey the Bear who told us, “Only you can prevent forest fires.” In a recent study, 95% of those surveyed could finish the sentence when given the first words. I suggested that we needed a campaign along those lines for kids to teach them how they can help prevent gang activity by reporting it. ( Any creative types should e-mail me their ideas for a campaign and I would be glad to pass them along.) The conversations we were having about the failure of people to report illegal activities were timely in light of Chris Kelly’s recent death. Kelly clearly participated in illegal activities, (he was to start serving prison time this Friday), and there must have been plenty of people who observed those activities. Did any come forward to report what they saw during the Blago years? No. Have any come forward now? That question can only be answered once Blago’s trial starts. Remember only YOU can prevent the continuing culture of corruption we observe in the city and state by speaking out and reporting illegal activities. One can not sit back complacently and complain about the forest fire if they did nothing to stop it.
Editors Extra: Perhaps Jerry Springer's publicist Linda Shafran and I should go into hiding. With what Posner has on us, we could be sent up for years!
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