On the texts

I am a student at Lower Moreland High School. I am staying anonymous because I fear the social repercussions of this post (I’ll come back to this).

Like all of you, I was repulsed and upset by the text thread released yesterday. As an Asian American student at LoMo who was friends with some of those students, it was even more disturbing to see racism on full display.

But.

I believe that Black Philly Students Speak made the wrong choice by publishing the post, and I do not believe we, the students, responded as we should have.

The first issue was the account’s use of a single source. A single person sent this to Black Philly Students Speak, and the account then posted it without verifying the information with other sources. Now, because Mr. Miles sent a letter addressing the issue, we can be reasonably certain that the text thread and picture are real, but far too many of us were quick to assume the post’s veracity and share our criticism. It is not difficult to imagine a future scenario in which someone with malicious intent makes a doctored post of a similar nature to this one. Though the story was accurate this time, next time it may not be, and we may regret jumping to conclusions. In school, we learn to question the reliability of sources. The lesson here is that we need to be more careful about what we assume is true and ensure we confirm information before opining on it.

The next issue lies in the framing of the post. A December 2019 image of a group of then-Juniors holding a Trump flag is next to a March 2020 snapshot of racist texts by some in the photo. Even though the images were taken months apart, the conflation of the two clearly implies that the people in the picture are guilty of the racism in the text thread. But we know this is not true. In fact, there are twelve people in the photo and perhaps more in the group chat, meaning our information is still incomplete. You may believe that Donald Trump is a symbol of hate, and I would agree with you. But, based on the post, all that any of us can say with certainty is that four students made racist comments. Yesterday, I saw several people posting the usernames of everyone in the picture, ostensibly to send them hate. That was not the right response.

The next logical counterpoint is that silence is complicity, and the six people in the group chat who did not speak up should be punished as well. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” Dr. King, who went to jail and died for his beliefs, could honestly take the moral high ground. But, this is an argument that few of us can credibly make. If you are a Lower Moreland student, then you have witnessed rule breaking. This year, you are likely in group chats with people who routinely cheat on tests, even if you do not participate. In a normal year, you have seen people copying answers for assignments and sharing test answers at lunch. Maybe you’ve seen bullying. This is, unfortunately, the nature of high schools. Now, ask yourself: Did I report this? Did I act, or did I stand by while my friends broke the rules? I know I’ve personally seen such rule breaking, and I have stayed silent simply because I didn’t want to ruin those relationships. I know that makes me complicit.

It also makes me slow to judge others for being bystanders. It is difficult to stand up to people you care about. That’s why we describe people who do as courageous. But hypocritically vilifying someone for failing to take action is not courageous, it is dangerous.

I honestly don’t know what I would have done if I was in that group chat. I hope I would have taken action, but I can’t be certain. I’ve watched friends get away with cheating. I know there are students who drink and do drugs, but I haven’t made enough of an effort to report it. Even now, when I feel that I am taking the correct stance on this issue, I lack courage because I want to stay anonymous.

You may say: “These texts are much worse than someone cheating on a test. Cheating doesn’t hurt anyone.” First, cheating does hurt someone. Ask your teachers. Second, you may be right. Being a bystander to racism may be worse. But, again, you need to ask yourself if you would have the courage to stand up to your friends in the same situation, knowing that they would not actually act on their words.

Finally, I’d like to share my opinion on the claim that this was “swept under the rug.” According to Mr. Miles’ email, he sent the texts to the police after receiving a tip through Safe2Say (which could suggest that someone in the group chat reported it). The police conducted an investigation which they are still monitoring. The school does not have jurisdiction over what you do “off school grounds, outside of school hours, and not using a district device.” To my mind, the school did the right thing. It ensured its students’ safety by getting the police involved, and I am not sure what else the school could or should have done. They certainly should not have publicized the students’ actions. Aside from the likely violations of educational privacy laws, that’s not how we treat rulebreakers in America. We want them to learn, not be haunted by past actions. It’s why your record can be expunged, and your school suspension is not a public record.

And, on that subject of learning from mistakes, many of the students made public apologies (and I question those of you who expect more from them). But it would be incorrect to believe that the deluge of hatred they received over the past two days made a meaningful difference. As I’ve already noted, much of that hatred was misdirected. And even the anger directed at those we know made racist comments was ill-advised. To once again quote Dr. King, “Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” Often, hate only makes people grip more tightly to their beliefs. Love and education bring real change.

The school was indeed the correct party to handle the situation. And it did, back in April. Students (us), who still have only one piece of information haphazardly made public, are not.

We must judge ourselves before we judge others. We must be careful where we get our information. We mustn’t jump to conclusions.

Thank you for sticking with me until the end of this essay. I know it is long, and I thank you for giving me your time.

P.S. If you want to read another long essay, I recommend “The Case for Reparations” by Ta-Neishi Coates. It is a perfect and heartbreaking summary and synthesis of what we learn in AP U.S. History about the experience of African Americans in America.

P.S.S. Many have said that they experienced racism in their time at Lower Moreland and do not feel it was adequately addressed. I understand you may not want to post about it publicly, but I want to help you, and I think others do too. DM me, and I will stand by you and help you in any way I can.

Correction: An earlier version of this essay said there were ten people in the group chat. New information suggests that this is incorrect. I apologize for the error.