HispanicVista Columnists
Omerta
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By
Sal Osio, JD - From the Publisher's Corner
- April 10, 2008
- From the Publisher’s Corner
- Omerta
- By Sal Osio, JD
- But the point is: How can we tell the difference? As long as Omerta is the 11th Commandment we may never know.
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- Sal Osio, JD is the publisher and CEO of HispanicVista.com (www.hispanicvista.com). Contact at: SPosio@aol.com
Although of Greek origin, ‘Omerta’ is a Sicilian expression (with the accent on the ‘a’) which is our equivalent to ‘the code of silence.’ We popularized the expression to describe the Mafia’s admonition against snitching, under pain of death. But the commandment is always the same: ‘Though shall not tell on your peers.’
In the military, the police force and in other institutions, such as academies and schools, Omerta is the supreme, albeit silent, commandment, punishable by retributions such as exclusion, wherein the ‘snitch’ is socially expelled from the group. Among gangs, prisoners and Mafiosos, the violation of Omerta is punishable by death or serious bodily injury. However, regardless of its enforcement, Omerta is still the same – the code of silence.
What is most disturbing is that Omerta is the culture of the sociopaths in our criminal justice system, from law enforcement all the way up to prison custodians.
Policemen are notorious for sticking together, as ‘partners in crime,’ as it were. They plant guns on innocent victims, beat them up without justification, steal the narcotics and money from their cache, drink to intoxication within their inner circle, patronize prostitutes under duress and, in short, rise above the law they otherwise are charged to enforce. Now and then the media exposes the lawlessness and corruption of law enforcement, such as the LA Times coverage of the LAPD Rampart scandal. In depth exposure, however, is generally stonewalled as a result of Omerta. Who is going to snitch on his buddies? Who is going to arrest the criminal cop? Just how many deputies in law enforcement engage in criminal conduct? Is this an epidemic? How can we find out? The movie "LA Confidential" realistically depicted this dynamic.
As long as there is an unholy alliance among law enforcement agents, criminal prosecutors and the judges who fail to act; as long as the public turns its back on the problem out of misplaced sympathy and loyalty; and, as long as politicians ignore the issue in the name of ‘law and order’ – the criminal conduct among the custodians of our criminal justice system, the sociopaths, will continue to spread.
We recognize the need to arrest and imprison those who threaten our safety and commit acts of violence. But what happens when our guardians of justice are the real criminals? Why do so many citizens choose not to report a home burglary while in progress for fear that the police will come in shooting indiscriminately?
This is not to say that all cops and prosecutors are bad. Hopefully, the majority are honest, law abiding and dedicated servants of the people.