Mayor vows in crackdown to snatch snitchin’ shirts

[Walt Starr]

Mayor Thomas M. Menino is cracking down on the Hub’s hard-core hoodlums and even the taunting “Stop Snitchin’ ” T-shirts they wear — sparking an immediate outcry from civil liberties lawyers.

Joining a contingent of politicians, law enforcement officials and youth outreach workers ordered to an emergency meeting at City Hall yesterday, Menino vowed to combat the soaring crime rate.

Among the steps: Sending city Inspectional Services Division officials to seize T-shirts emblazoned with the “Stop Snitchin’ ” message.

<snip>

http://news.bostonherald.com/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=115135

[TheCowsCameHome]

1. Menino has too much time on his hands.

What's with this guy?

[Walt Starr]

2. It would seem he's never read the constitution.

What a bonehead.

[TheCowsCameHome]

3. Elected officials like this give liberals a bad name.

Widely popular mayor recently re-elected by a huge margin, and now he does something this dumb.

Reduce the murder rate in Boston by confiscating T shirts - Duh!

[MADem]

5. I kinda like Menino

He threw down against the Monkey and DHS when they failed to protect the transit of LNG to storage facilities in greater Boston. He isn't afraid to stand up and gripe. He's plainspoken, sometimes mangles the English language, but compared to Bush, he's a blooming poet.

I think his point might be that the shirts aren't just free speech, they are a stated threat against anyone who is called to testify as a witness to a murder. The bullet holes graphic on the shirt suggest that if you exercise YOUR right and duty to testify truthfully, you could be killed for 'snitching.'

Look at it another way--if a similar shirt, worn by rednecks who wanted to intimidate possible witnesses down in Texas back when Robert Byrd was dragged to death, hit the news, people would be outraged.

I agree, though, that the whole effort comes off as heavy handed, but I think his heart is in the right place. He really does love the city, that much is clear.

[rocktivity]

4. You mean it's NOT an anti-shoplifting message?

The T-shirts — which sometimes bear a logo with an octagonal stop sign riddled with bullets — have surfaced in Boston and cities across the nation including Baltimore and Pittsburgh. Officials say the shirts are intended to intimidate witnesses to crime. Store owners say the shirts are a harmless novelty.

And the storeowners are right. Within a month, the shirts will be in mothballs because the kids will have moved on to the next commodity of cool. And they can always buy plain T-shirt and write on them themselves!

:headbang:
rocknation

[MADem]

6. Hey, Rock, see my post above

I really DO get what you are saying, but also, I really do think that Menino is just a "regular guy" who wants everyone to feel safe in their city. He genuinely is NOT a heavy-handed asshole. He rules lightly and positively, over all. He is NOT an ideologue.

If you saw a shirt that said "Kill ALL the Arabs, they could well kill you--remember 9-11!" it might cause a bit of angst. Same stuff.

This is not about race, this is about rough neighborhoods...and if you want to rat out the miserable fucker that killed grandma on the corner because she had a nice gold necklace and you needed crack...well, it's LIFE IN PRISON time in MA (anywhere else, it is FRYING TIME).

Why should people who want to live in a safe neighborhood with responsible neighbors, have to cower in fear, simply for fashion? Where do vicious threats disguised as free speech end, and the right to feel safe in your home and community, begin?

[michreject]

8. If he wants everyone to feel safe

Then he should be working to loosen up the restrictive gun control laws that are in place in MA.

If the serfs were allowed to legally carry a firearm, crime would go down and Grandma could keep her gold necklace along with her life.

[theHandpuppet]

9. Oh, here we go again...

:eyes:

[MADem]

10. Sorry, we here in MA LIKE our restrictive gun control laws

We keep them, because we LIKE them. Those who don't go for that sort of thing need to find a more hospitable place to live.

[Solo_in_MD]

11. some do, some don't

And then are people like me who ignored them...

[MADem]

12. Look, it is easy to change the rules here in MA

You get the state legislature on board, you do it via the referendum process, there's a number of routes.

We do not outlaw guns, we just do not go for people wandering around with them without a stated purpose.

I wouldn't be proud of ignoring existing law; it's an insult to the citizens of the state. And it's major jail time if you get caught.

[Solo_in_MD]

13. Typical response to civil disobedience from those in power.

And we have been hearing it since Gandhi. Think they could come up with something more original sometime.

MA laws do much more that prevent anonymous concealed carry. I kept my weapons at home, assembled, and secured. A handgun was loaded and accessible. Technically it was a felony. I did not care then, I do not care now. Self defense is a basic human right and I intend to be able to exercise it effectively if/when it is necessary.

In MA private ownership firearms for self defense has been a crime/act of civil disobedience dating back to the 1770s, so it should be a liberal value.

[MADem]

15. ????

What was your beef, with the "accessible" part of the law? Get a good safe with a touchpad release...or one of those new gun locks that are biometric.

You CAN own guns in MA; the restrictions are on the license to carry, permitting, and large capacity weapons, as well as where the weapon is obtained. If you want to buy one out of state, you have to have it transferred to a licensed dealer before you can take possession of it.

Unless, of course, you have been convicted of a felony or have a documented mental defect--in that case, you can not legally own or carry in MA.

[Solo_in_MD]

20. Interesting piece in the UL today about firearms and Boston.

http://www.theunionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=Gun%20crime%20in%20Boston?%20Just%20blame%20northern%20New%20England&articleId=00cf5d5f-907e-4788-a01a-cfbb4c527b01

Then again Menino does not have any respect for the 1st Amendment (threatens to confiscate controversial t-shirts), so why should we expect him to support the 2nd amendment.

Biometrics for weapons are a fraud. Nothing out there now or on the horizon that will work as they have been advertised.

The laws in MA actively discourage/prevent a citizen from obtaining a firearms suited for self defense. They have effectively disarmed their citizens thereby endangering them. Bad Government at its worst.

[MADem]

21. We will have to agree to disagree

No offense, but I am glad you are not my neighbor.

[WhiteTara]

16. Sorry, that does not compute

The logic is all wrong. Many guns used againt in home invaders are used not only to kill the person who had the gun, but take it and use it in other crimes. Go MA with your gun control laws.

[michreject]

17. I don't mean to be rude, but

this statement is speculation. Many guns used against in home invaders are used not only to kill the person who had the gun, but take it and use it in other crimes.. No one outside of the VPC or the Brady Bunch uses this argument. I would love to see some solid proof that this is true.

[WhiteTara]

18. you're not being rude

sorry, I guess I should have added these links to my coments, but do try to google some of this.
http://www.bradycampaign.org/facts/factsheets/?page=home
http://www.waceasefire.org/facts.asp
http://eiconline.org/issues/gv/depiction.php
so try this and if you have more questions try google

Oh, btw michreject, welcome to DU :hi:

[sofa king]

7. When are these shirts going to be standard issue in the White House?

[LeftistGorilla]

14. This...

Should help sell more T-shirts....

[Eugene]

19. AP: Boston Store Cease Sale of 'Snitch' Shirts

Boston Store Cease Sale of 'Snitch' Shirts

Sunday December 4, 2005 6:01 AM

BOSTON (AP) - A clothing store owner agreed Saturday to stop selling
"Stop Snitching" T-shirts amid concerns the message was intimidating
murder witnesses during a surge in violent crime.

Store owner Antonio Ennis, after meeting with Boston Mayor
Thomas Menino and outraged community leaders, said he would stop
selling the shirts in his store and over the Internet.

"It's the right thing to do," Ennis said.

Antonio Ansaldi Clothing has stocked the shirts since 1999 and sold
300 to 400 a month, he said.

<snip>

More: http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-5455896,00.html