To the Seaholm Highlander Editorial Staff and Seaholm students,
First, I’d like to congratulate the entire Highlander Staff on yet another excellent issue and thank you for initiating dialogue on issues that concern all of Seaholm. While I agree with your recent comment that students need to do more to help deter the thefts that are occurring in our building, I respectfully disagree with your call to install security cameras for the following reasons:
1-Cameras are really a band-aid to a problem that needs to be looked at much more deeply. Countless studies have shown cameras don’t stop crime from occurring and at best, they might help to catch someone after a crime has been committed. There simply aren’t enough cameras in the world to catch every bad thing that happens in our building. If you don’t believe me, ask the mayors of urban areas such as Newark, New Jersey or Chicago, Illinois. Currently those mayors have opted to install security cameras not just in downtown shopping areas, but throughout neighborhoods as well. So has crime slowed down at all? Only slightly, in Newark and in Chicago, violent crime has gotten so bad that city leaders and residents are calling for help from the National Guard. And speaking of shopping, I’m sure you’re thinking downtown Birmingham has cameras everywhere, so what’s the big deal? The big deal is the difference between private enterprise and a public entity. In a private enterprise such as clothing store there’s an exchange of goods and services for currency, like cash, checks, or a credit card. It’s a presumed, private transaction between you, (the buyer) and the business owner. So if businesses set up cameras to make sure I pay for the goods they’ve given me I see no problem with that. But school is not an adventure in shopping. When you go to school you’re participating in an exchange of ideas in a public arena. When I come to work I’m participating in the teaching and learning process, not roaming the aisles inside Nordstrom. So why do I need cameras on me? I’m sorry guys-I don’t equate school with shopping, and I don’t want the norms that accompany private business transactions to become the norms we adhere to in transactions regarding knowledge and ideas.
2-If you really believe cameras are the panacea to all that ails us, then ok, let’s get them. Just one question though-where’s the money coming from to pay for these things? Now if you scratch the surface you’d be able to tell me the cost of the cameras would be paid by the XYZ fund. Then I’d have to ask where does the money from the XYZ fund come from? And we could continue that line of inquiry until we would probably get back to my original question - where’s the money coming from folks? As a nation we’re still mired in the worst recession since the Great Depression (ask your history teachers for more details). The state of Michigan has been hit very, very hard due to the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs associated with the automobile industry. And partly because of that, Michigan’s public schools are dealing with deficits and cuts that are unprecedented. Even affluent districts like ours are seeing cuts no one has experienced before, and you know this if for no other reason than the expert reporting the Highlander has been doing on this very issue. Teachers, staff and administrators have put up valiant efforts to continue giving you the best quality instruction possible, even in the face of financial difficulties and uncertain times. So knowing this, do we really need to spend what would be a pretty good chunk of change to get cameras to help us to stop stealing from each other? And if we did purchase the cameras, wouldn’t there always be a small part of you wondering if the money that was spent on the cameras could have been used for more books, additional hall monitors, computer upgrades, or anything that would enhance your educational experience? So again I’d say if this is what you want ok - but where’s the money coming from folks?
3-We are a nation built on the premise of following fair laws that are made by people who look like us, represent us, and who try as best they can to follow the path of justice. In the United States you’re innocent until proven guilty, right? So what am I saying that if Seaholm gets security cameras we might as well rip up the Constitution of the United States? No, believe it or not, I’m not that radical. But I would ask you to just ponder the following scenario. It’s 10 minutes into 5th hour and you decide you really need to go to the bathroom. So you ask permission from your teacher, he gives you a pass, and off you go. After your bathroom trip you stop to fill up your water bottle and you see a friend so you chat for a couple of minutes before heading back to class. When you come to school the next day you’re summoned to the assistant principal’s office but you have no clue as to why you need to go there. Once there you’re asked about your whereabouts during the first 20 minutes of 5th hour the day before. You explain where you were, ‘cause it was no big deal, right? Turns out there was an Iphone theft right around the same time you were by the locker rooms, and it was clearly you by the locker rooms because you were caught on video. Why, at that moment in your conversation with the assistant principal, might you be angry? Could it be because you were being asked about a theft you had nothing to do with? Or maybe you’d feel some resentment towards the assistant principal (who’s just doing her job remember) because all of a sudden you feel lumped in with kids who actually do bad things, but that’s not you. Maybe you’re not angry or worried at that moment at all because you’re the star football player who ran in for a touchdown that beat Groves; or because you’ve got inside information that Mrs. Boyer likes you the best of all the sophomore girls; or maybe you’re not worried because your dad works out at the same gym as Mr. Piper so you never get into trouble. If those are the thoughts that run through your mind as to why you’d never be accused of any wrong doing at Seaholm, I’d encourage you to change your thoughts. Once you’re caught on camera none of those ace cards (which really weren’t ace cards to begin with quite honestly) will matter-you will be presumed guilty until you can prove your innocence, and the best thing you could do is hope that you remembered to register the serial number on your Iphone because it probably looks just like the one that was stolen when you were roaming the halls.
Finally I’d like to challenge each student to do as the Highlander staff suggested and step up to the plate on this issue. Cameras, suspensions and punitive measures as far as the eye can see will never stop crime from seeping into our building - but you can help stop it. If you know me at all you know I deeply believe in the power of one person to make a positive difference in the world. That means I believe in each of you to make a difference right now. Let someone know it’s not cool to steal for a joke or for any other reason. If you see something suspicious, take responsibility and tell someone who can do something about it. Talk to each other - empower one another to plan dialogue sessions where you and your friends can hash out this issue. Talk to your parents about how they can help. Then, talk to your teachers, Mr. Piper, Mrs. Boyer, or Mrs. Peterson about your ideas on how we can make things better. You can do this. WE must do this.
Thanks and Peace.
Ms. Moten
Seaholm English Department/Flex Team member
