06.28.07
Facebook: A Wonderful Forum for Connecting Anti-Asian Racists
 Scale 1, Antilocution: Antilocution means a majority group freely makes jokes about a minority group. Speech is in terms of negative stereotypes and negative images. This is also called hate speech. It is commonly seen as harmless by the majority. Antilucution sets the stage for more severe outlets for prejudice. |
A group of students at Fox Chapel High School (Fox Chapel, PA) have decided that racism towards Asian Americans was simply not yielding a sufficient number of:
- harassment incidents,
- racially motivated cold-blooded murders
- and racially motivated baseball-bat beatings.
In a definitive move to expand the sentiment which perpetuate hate-crimes against Asian Americans, these industrious high school students have therefore constructed an Anti-Asian Facebook Group.
(Click on images to magnify)
Below is a copy of a letter sent to Fox Chapel High School, Fox Chapel Pennsylvania in regards to the high school students who have created this anti-Asian online Facebook group.
Here’s what you can do to stand up for your community’s dignity:
- Call the school at 412-967-2430 (see sample letter below for things to say)
- Call Bettsy Diller at 412-967-2429 (she fields questions about the high school)
- Contact Beverly Schulte at 412-967-2443 or at beverly_schulte@fcasd.edu(see sample letter below). She fields questions about the school district.
- Send some feedback to the Pennsylvania Inter-Agency Task Force on Civil Tension
- Contact the PA Governor’s Advisor Commission on Asian American Affairs
- Contact OCA - Pittsburg
Here’s our letter to Fox Chapel High School:
- Date: June 27, 2007 9:00:04 PM EDT
To: beverly_schulte@fcasd.edu
Subject: your students’ unacceptable behaviorDear Ms. Schulte,
The following students have created and participate in a racist anti-Asian online group on Facebook.com entitled “Anti-Asians Anonymous”.
Billy Hagberg (Fox Chapel Area High School)
Winston McCarty (Fox Chapel Area High School)
Anders Bergren (Fox Chapel Area High School)
Aaron Cichowski (Fox Chapel Area High School)
Adam Borowski (Fox Chapel Area High School)
Brandon Elkins (Fox Chapel Area High School)
Michael Paradise (Fox Chapel Area High School)
Kevin McKamish (Fox Chapel Area High School)
Greg Vaisleib (Fox Chapel Area High School)
Sam Caushaj (Fox Chapel Area High School)
Nick Horne (Fox Chapel Area High School)
Brian Skura (Fox Chapel Area High School)
Alec Christie (Fox Chapel Area High School)
Tom Stewart (Fox Chapel Area High School)
Nicholas Lombardi (Fox Chapel Area High School)
Nick Bacco (Fox Chapel Area High School)I am stunned that this type of web site could be created by educated individuals in modern-day American society. I have notified the Governor’s Advisory Commission on Asian American Affairs, the Pennsylvania Inter-Agency Task Force on Civil Tension, and the Pittsburg Chapter of the Organization of Chinese Americans regarding this matter. On your school’s website, you’ve indicated that “Fox Chapel Area has also been at the forefront of progressive educational initiatives.” I am certain you would agree that constructing a website entitled “Anti Asians Anonymous” is an action that is clearly inconsistent with your “progressive educational initiatives,” and is an offensive action that deserves immediate attention by your educational institution.
I look forward to hearing your swift response to this matter.
William Lee
FALLOUT CENTRAL
www.falloutcentral.com
admin@falloutcentral.com said,
June 28, 2007 at 2:16 pm
Copies of the initial correspondence have been sent to the Pittsburgh Asian American Young Professional Association, The Japan Association of Greater Pittsburgh, Three Rivers Families With Children from China (TRFCC), and the Filipino American Association of Pittsburgh, Inc.
*******************************************************
Folks, here are copies of correspondence sent to Boardmembers of the FAAP from the Fox Chapel Superintendent & Principal. A lesson we need to take from this is that proactive social activism does work and does get results. If we don’t do it for our children and those APA in generations after us, who will?
*******************************************************
Dear Friends,
Here’s the response from Fox Chapel Area School Superintendent. If you have not written to her yet, I encourage you to do so. The more emails the School District get, the louder the voice of reason will be.
Rodel
———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Anne Stephens
Date: Jun 28, 2007 7:17 AM
Subject: Re: Fox Chapel High School students anti-Asian racist Facebook group
To:
Cc: Ken Williams , Michael Hower , Jillian Bichsel , Matt Harris , Pat Clark
We will work with this in any way that we can at the school. Our system blocks participation in the website that you have given us. Schools across the nation have not been successful in reacting to or punishing students for what they create outside of school. I am certain that the agencies you contact will tell you that. That doesn’t mean that we can’t be proactive and make certain that we teach respect for all cultures. We
have been discussing this over the past few months. The middle school administrators have some good ideas and we will also work with our staff at the high school level to extend what we are doing concerning diversity issues. It is sad that students find this type of hurtful action entertaining or purposeful. Please know that the Fox Chapel Area School District will do as much as possible to assist in stopping this. Again,
we can control what students do in school, but the law is not on our side when the actions they take are beyond the school day.
Sincerely,
Anne Stephens, Ph.D.
*******************************************************
Here’s the response from Fox Chapel High School Principal
-Rodel
———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Ken Williams
Date: Jun 28, 2007 8:13 AM
Subject: Re: Fox Chapel High School students anti-Asian racist Facebook group
To:
Dear :
I sincerely appreciate you bringing this information to my attention. I am embarrassed for our high school that this needed to be done. We emphasize tolerance and acceptance issues with our students and it is
disheartening that what we have done does not appear to be enough. The school will have a difficult time giving disciplinary consequences for activity that occurs outside of the school. That does not mean, however, that we cannot address the issue and inform those involved that we know of the activity.
As we (the administration) are just learning of this, we will need to take a little bit of time to come up with a solution or means to address this in a way that does not violate school law but does communicate our strong disapproval of this behavior.
As I viewed the names you included, I recognize them as students here. Surprisingly (and disappointing to learn) some of those students have been seen as exceptional students while here. I guess this shows that even some of the “best” kids can be insensitive and use poor judgement.
Again, thank you for bringing this to our attention.
Sincerely,
Ken Williams
Principal
NTG said,
June 28, 2007 at 3:29 pm
Dam….
racism just won’t stop
what’s wrong with these people.
admin@falloutcentral.com said,
June 28, 2007 at 4:10 pm
The Pennsylvania Inter-Agency Task Force on Civil Tension has designated this incident as Bias Report #2066.
Members of the community are receiving responses from the district stating that the district is unsure about what it can do to prevent this type of public activity. They assert that they have a diversity committee composed by staff and students and are seeking suggestions on how to respond to this issue.
phark said,
June 28, 2007 at 4:39 pm
Welcome to AmeriKKKa!
Asians are the new Blacks!
On the bright side, maybe this will force more Asians to get active, grow some backbones and man up against YT now…
all this White ass-kissing gets us is disrespect. Take a note from proud Blacks who piss all over Whites - that’s what gets RESPECT fellas! Not being “Mr. Ah-So Nice Guy.”
Rodel Quemado said,
June 28, 2007 at 6:32 pm
You can also contact these school officials:
Superintendent: Anne Stephens 412-967-2400 Ext:2414 Anne_Stephens@fcasd.edu
High School Principal: Ken Williams 412-967-2400 Ext:2433 Ken_Williams@fcasd.edu
High School Web Site: http://www.fcasd.edu/Schools/high_school/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1
Sino Kaya said,
June 28, 2007 at 6:43 pm
Billy Hagberg is one of 2 admin of the group. He plays football at school. Why not write to/call his coach as well:
Deal, Bryan 412-967-2400 Ext:1401 Bryan_Deal@fcasd.edu
Marky said,
June 28, 2007 at 6:49 pm
The only point to ponder is whether to squash the site or to draw as much attention to it (and the individuals on it by name) as possible?
Sizwe_X said,
June 28, 2007 at 8:05 pm
Some other entries.
Billy Hagberg (Fox Chapel Area High School) wrote
at 9:57pm on June 1st, 2007
i regret nothing kiki
Sarah Hanlon wrote
at 8:45pm on May 10th, 2007
instead of “im not sorry”
it should be “i not sorry”
haha, it only makes perfect sense!
nice group!
Morgan Masci (Fox Chapel Area High School) wrote
at 6:20pm on May 5th, 2007
hahahaha wow!
Billy Hagberg (Fox Chapel Area High School) wrote
at 10:35pm on April 24th, 2007
we need some more members. everyone spread the word. just is here, and its named AAA
Billy Hagberg (Fox Chapel Area High School) wrote
at 6:07pm on April 21st, 2007
hear hear!
ALex Irvin (East Carolina) wrote
at 9:23pm on March 30th, 2007
I really do hate asians My room mate is one and he passes his asian sicknesses to me all the time. They all need to go back where they came from
Brandon Elkins (Fox Chapel Area High School) wrote
at 1:03pm on March 11th, 2007
yess!!! i love this hahah i realy do hate chinese people well not all of them but most
Billy Hagberg (Fox Chapel Area High School) wrote
at 1:56am on March 11th, 2007
i made this like a year ago, now it finally has recognition
Adam Borowski (Fox Chapel Area High School) wrote
at 5:58pm on March 10th, 2007
actually, hes a genius
Lindsay Cowher (Ravenscroft) wrote
at 5:13pm on March 10th, 2007
billy…you are awful
Message - Report
billy hagberg said,
June 29, 2007 at 5:32 am
i apologize to anyone who took offense to this group. I am not a racist, and believe one of the major hindrances in our country and world is ignorance based on race. This was simply a joke, based on the ludicracy of existing stereotypes. I never meant to incite any hatred, only to get a laugh. Obviously, this is not a humorous subject. I would like to stress, i take personal responsability for this action, and that no blame should rest on the school or anyone else involved. If anyone still has a problem with myself or the FORMER group, you can take it up with me. I have learned a lot from this incident, mostly about how painful insensitivity still is to many people.
billy hagberg said,
June 29, 2007 at 5:34 am
if i could say though, there are certainly much bigger threats to asians than a high-schooler on one website. In my opinion, if you are to make any changes, you need to recognize real threats, their sources, and appropriate courses of action. Why didn’t anyone ask me about this, instead of random authority figures in my life? I support your cause, but your methods certianly leave much to be desired
Bq said,
June 29, 2007 at 6:30 am
Yes, it’s uncomfortable, isn’t it, Billy? This “method” you speak of is called holding people accountable. Does anything in this post imply there aren’t “real threats”? The nonsense exemplified by that group fuels and contributes to them.
humpers said,
June 29, 2007 at 9:21 am
Billy, while there might be more serious issues for people to be worried about — like how your place in college is probably going to be taken by a chinese or indian foreign national like how everything is being outsourced — it’s still racially insensitive to make websites dedicated to anti-asian racism.
while it seems trivial to you (as it stems from white privilege), these sorts of “microaggressions” eventually leads to other serious crimes like vincent chin and other racially motivated hate crimes.
(please read the article linked in my name on microaggressions to get a sense of why your website is offensive.)
you might consider it a joke, but like the previous doghouse incident has shown, racism is libel and not humorous to those on the receiving end. it’s rather insensitive for you to say you apologize if we’re offended but you aren’t sorry for your racism, but it’s another matter altogether to simply tell us off as needing to focus on something else.
for that matter, why don’t you use your time on productive things that could’ve went to solving some of those serious matters you’ve alluded to instead of making racist comments on the internet?
now there’s an idea that’s a win-win situation for both you and asian-americans.
sarah jane rhee said,
June 29, 2007 at 2:43 pm
I know that most of us Asians who heard about this may want Billy and the others in this Facebook group to be punished. I don’t believe that punishment is the answer. I believe that there is ample research that shows the inefficacy of punishment (see works by Alfie Kohn such as this: http://www.alfiekohn.org/books/bd.htm) in creating internal change in people. We don’t want people like Billy to merely stop exhibiting signs of racism because they’ll have their hands slapped if they do, until one day it just boils over into an act of violence. We want them to be changed from the inside.
I believe that the only antidote to hate is compassion and love, and I’m not saying that to be preachy but because I am pragmatic and rational and that is the conclusion I have drawn from my life experiences and from observing the experiences of those such as MLK and Gandhi. I believe that such a response is stronger and more aggressive than retaliation and mere condemnation.
So instead of looking for ways to ruin Billy’s and his friends’ lives, let’s find a way that leads to reconciliation and understanding and healing.
Billy, if you are truly sorry that your “joke” ended up being hurtful to others, […] learn from this experience. Use it to educate your peers and stand up for others whose voices don’t normally get heard. You seem like a leader; use it for good. Who knows? Billy may end up being a Civil Rights Activist because of this experience. I can hope, right?
phark said,
June 29, 2007 at 3:18 pm
Billy,
Did you know that rich Jews used to taunt Hitler and pelt him with erasers in class when he was a kid? Well, we all know where that led to… And as we’ve also seen from Columbine and Cho Seung-Hui, etc…mean-spirited “jokes” at another’s expense…are NOT very funny at all to the butt of such “jokes.”
In fact, antilocution is step 1 on Allport’s Scale of Prejudice and can often lead to much more serious problems.
“Scale 1, Antilocution Antilocution means a majority group freely make jokes about a minority group. Speech is in terms of negative stereotypes and negative images. This is also called hate speech. It is commonly seen as harmless by the majority. Antilocution itself may not be harmful, but it sets the stage for more severe outlets for prejudice.”
Does it sound like you have fit that very definition?
While you may feel some of us are being “oversensitive,” that hand’s been forced on us by repeated attacks like the ones you’ve made. By all accounts, Asian-Americans tend to be a very reserved “model minority” not instigating trouble with others. Our crime and social disturbance rates are all very low. But, where has this gotten us generation after generation? Still the perpetual butt of antilocution like yours. Well, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! When in ROME, do as the ROMANS DO. If Asians have to practice active ZERO-TOLERANCE against anti-Asian racism to get respect like every other minority group here - then by gad we’ll DO IT! But don’t blame us for that though - blame YOURSELVES. WE’RE FED UP with UNCALLED-FOR ATTACKS.
NO MORE MR. NICE GUYS, SORRY!
Object lesson said,
June 29, 2007 at 4:16 pm
http://www.yourfoxchapel.com/
http://biz.post-gazette.com/contact/comments_form.aspx?ID=37
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribunereview/helpdesk/phonelist.html
opinion@tribweb.com
Rob said,
June 29, 2007 at 10:44 pm
Let me get this straight.
Facebook has been known to delete pictures that they consider “risky” but this remains?
Why do I keep hearing Horst Wessel Lied playing in the background?
While you were resegregating… « The Anti-Essentialist Conundrum said,
June 29, 2007 at 10:46 pm
[…] Central has contact information up for asking the school officials what they can do about it. The principal says they’re good […]
kevin smith said,
July 2, 2007 at 4:35 am
billy hagberg for president
michael paradise said,
July 4, 2007 at 5:06 pm
why is my damn name on the list im not racist to asains. i have asian friends, this is not cool
Nicholas Bacco said,
July 4, 2007 at 5:13 pm
hey i just wanted to let you kno that i had no clue what it was about, but thats still no excuse. I am friends with several asians. I didnt have any intention to make any racial or harassment marks. I joined many things before even reading them, but i can assure you that i havent ment any harm wile joining this group. I didnt full understand what it was. I could understand why ur upset with this. I would just like to say im sorry because i really didnt understand what it was about so I hope u will forgive me
Anonymous said,
July 4, 2007 at 10:19 pm
just because you have asian friends, doesnt mean your not racist…the definition of racist is an irrational attitude directed against an individual, a group, a race, or their supposed characteristics…tell me if that is not what has occurred here…
again, racism isn’t a crime, but it’s just something that is a part of today’s world culture
humpers said,
July 5, 2007 at 1:28 am
“billy hagberg for president [of jagoffs]”
i’m sure “yins guys” from pittsburgh know what that means.
humpey said,
July 5, 2007 at 1:33 am
why can’t you whiteboys come up with better excuses after the racist remarks?
that’s the most contrite and unoriginal line “i have friends who are black/latino/asian/disabled/homosexuals/whales/muslims” and then proceed to make your racist remarks.
we’re not stupid so please don’t patronize and insult our intelligence with “i have asian friends so I can’t be racist.”
everybody is highly suspicious you even have any real friends at all, let alone asian ones. and if they’re asian (not that many in the pittsburgh area outside of the universities) then i’m sure they’re asian females who are “SOWs” and were already brainwashed by the racist amerikkkan media.
face it, if falloutcentral and other asians didn’t fall for the racist doghouse jv&elvis jocks who have an asian wife, WTF makes you think we’ll fall for your BS “i have an asian friend” excuse/defense?
humpey said,
July 5, 2007 at 1:40 am
while racism isn’t a thought crime, racism can lead to physical assaults and murder in the case of vincent chin. and racists like billy’s little club of spoiled over-privileged kids have shown, racist remarks and thoughts can lead to other more nefarious acts.
therefore, as students and minors they don’t have certain full civil rights afforded them when they are within the school grounds and should be given extra “guidance” that hopefully involves detention and other punitive actions.
humpeys gay said,
July 5, 2007 at 4:09 am
hey humpey, your gay.
let the kids say sorry. they are trying to apoligize for something that they did while acting stupid (a typical thing for teenagers to do). you need to let it go. billy made a good point. focus on other things, these are a bunch of stupid high school kids. also, why are you trying to accuse a high school kid of having no friends, and certaintly no asians? accusing a high school kid of having no friends, very mature.
o, and what the hell do you mean “You whiteboys”? isnt that racial in itself. do you go up to a group of black people and call them “you blackboys’? no, i dont think you do. if you are speaking out against stereotypes and race, at least dont contradict yourself by including racial things towards “whiteboys” in your response.
the teacher said,
July 5, 2007 at 3:47 pm
humpey…
why wont you let the kids apoligize? they are high school kids acting stupid (a very typical thing for a high school boy to do). they made a mistake, they didnt realize what they were doing, and now, they are good kids, and feel bad about it so they are apoligizing. o and way to accuse a high school kid of not having any friends. seriously, really mature.
and on the topic of racism and stereotypes, what do you mean by “you whiteboys”? do you address a group of black people as “you blackboys”? so let me get this straight humpey, you are writing a comment yelling at these kids for racism and stereotypes, yet you further the idea that people are different because of race by calling them “whiteboys”. hey genius, if you are against racism dont contradict yourself by including a racial comment in your comment speaking out against racism.
and billy is right, why dont you focus on real threats, instead of focusing on a bunch of high school boys being stupid? i understand this was very innapropriate, and very offensive, but what do you want them to do? expell billy? he is one of the smartest kids at fox chapel area high school. he said he was sorry and had learned a lot from this experience. what else do you think should happen to him? i mean seriously these are kids, let them apoligize and move on!
Big D said,
July 6, 2007 at 4:22 am
That in itself is why we are what we are. The freedom to voice one’s opinion is a gift. The ability to speak freely without censorship is what helps shape our nation. However, one must be willing to accept responsibility, which Billy has done, and prepare for the consequences for his actions. These repercussions will reveal themselves in time.
If you could expose all the racists, wouldn’t it give you a better ability to protect yourself?
Let the consequeces begin. At least we have a preliminary list of Asian haters that can be distributed.
Billy Hagberg (Fox Chapel Area High School)
Winston McCarty (Fox Chapel Area High School)
Anders Bergren (Fox Chapel Area High School)
Aaron Cichowski (Fox Chapel Area High School)
Adam Borowski (Fox Chapel Area High School)
Brandon Elkins (Fox Chapel Area High School)
Michael Paradise (Fox Chapel Area High School)
Kevin McKamish (Fox Chapel Area High School)
Greg Vaisleib (Fox Chapel Area High School)
Sam Caushaj (Fox Chapel Area High School)
Nick Horne (Fox Chapel Area High School)
Brian Skura (Fox Chapel Area High School)
Alec Christie (Fox Chapel Area High School)
Tom Stewart (Fox Chapel Area High School)
Nicholas Lombardi (Fox Chapel Area High School)
Nick Bacco (Fox Chapel Area High School)
So sorry said,
July 6, 2007 at 1:29 pm
Hagberg said sorry.
Paradise pleaded for innocence.
Bacco pleaded for innocence and said sorry.
What about the others?
The AAA group at Facebook is no longer accessible. Post your comments here.
the teacher said,
July 6, 2007 at 4:55 pm
are you guys serious??? what do you think should happen to all of them?? for the kids who were asked to join a group, clicked accept like they always do, and did nothing else, what do you think should happen to them?? i mean seriously these are kids do you want each and every one of them to go to every asian person they know, get on their knees, and beg for forgiveness?? the ring leader said he was sorry, and the others had little to do with anything.
you know what, you guys are right. lets title a bunch of high school kids as “asian haters” because they (in most cases unknowingly) joined a group which was meant for a joke. lets for life not forgive them even if they apoligize and realize how stupid they were. lets try to get them all in as much trouble as we possibly can. lets “expose all the racists” because anyone who clicked accept on a joke group is a dangerous threat, and it would give asians a better chance to “protect themselves”. lets arrest them all, throw them in jail to “protect asians”, and expell them from school. because of this, we should make sure they do not get into college. their entire lives should be ruined because of a stupid mistake they made. seriously, great plan-as big d said, lets let the consequences begin!
i am not arguing that the group was not entirely innapropriate, because it clearly was
but seriously, do you guys have nothing better to do than to focus on a bunch of stupid high school kids trying to be funny? you guys really cant find any better threats to asian americans, so you are just going to do whatever possibly to this group of high school boys?? they joined a group not thinking it was a big deal, and now they obviously realize it was a big deal. so what does trying to get them in more trouble do for you?
please, for all our sakes…focus on some real threats
Calm down said,
July 6, 2007 at 6:05 pm
To “The Teacher”:
These kids are old enough to speak for themselves. If they mistakenly joined a group and are innocent, then they certainly can speak for themselves.
As for me, All I want to hear is the truth! Are they “real” kids attending a “real” School? Or, are they some “adults” pretending to be kids? If their names are listed by mistake, then they have all the right to clear their name here or elsewhere.
It’s better if you teach these kids the exercise and consequence of exercising the First Amendment. They had their day in the internet, making fun of Asians. Now, other folks — some who are not even Asians — are having their day. Let the “fun” begins.
Who’s asking that these kids beg for forgiveness on their knees?
the teacher said,
July 6, 2007 at 7:55 pm
of course they are real kids attending a real school. i know that because i attend the school along with them.
and what are you talking about letting them speak for themselves? some of them have tried to by apoligizing and you guys are all just tearing them apart for that!
nobody asked them to beg for forgiveness on their knees, but saying sorry and trying to disassociate themselves with this group obviously isnt enough for some people here, so wouldnt that be the next step?
ok and you want to hear the truth? i will give it to you…these are real kids attending a real school (im not sure why that was ever in question). one kid at this school tried to be funny by starting a group on facebook (he has already apoligized and now realizes how hurtful his actions were). on facebook, when most kids are invited to a group they click accept without even really reading what the group is about. nobody realized the extent of how hurtful their actions were, and the mere fact that this has become such a big deal has taught them. i can assure you that there is no actual secret group in fox chapel devoted to the hatred of asians, and i can also assure you that these kids will think next time before they do something like this.
you wanted the truth, so there it is. now everyones obsession with getting these kids in more trouble will hopefully stop (even though i realize that is very wishful thinking on my part)
adam borowski said,
July 6, 2007 at 11:04 pm
you guys made the choice of turning this issue of a website with jokes on it, into a racist, anti-asian controversy.
now its going to turn into a whole new issue: one involving freedom of speech, and cencorship.
adam borowski said,
July 6, 2007 at 11:18 pm
humpey, you need to go back and edit your racist remarks before you accuse someone of being racist.
“Amerikkka” “whiteboys”
stereotype much? i think im gonna go call your high school and numerous civil rights groups because someone offended me on the internet
the teacher said,
July 7, 2007 at 2:43 am
very, very, very well put by adam borowski
wow said,
July 7, 2007 at 2:53 am
If the administrators at fox chapel actually take action on this, I will be extremely disappointed. The group was a rude joke, but was completely legal. The way you guys (from fallout central) dealt with this situation is MUCH more immature than the group itself.
"group member's aunt" said,
July 7, 2007 at 5:51 am
I have read enough of this nonsense ! My nephew is devestated by seeing his name posted on the internet associated with this all by a an honest mistake. He clicked and accepted onto this group by mistake and now is horrified by the fallout. No one talked to him about this or made any inquires prior to all these postings of names and letters. Very poor judgment in my opinion on the parts of the school admin. and whoever posted the names of these youths. Next time do a little investigating before you traumatize a teen unnecessarily.
"group member's aunt" said,
July 7, 2007 at 5:55 am
i like what “the teacher” said on 07/06/07 @ 7 55pm. !!!!!!!!!!!!
"group member's aunt" said,
July 7, 2007 at 6:03 am
My nephew had no idea what kind of group he had clicked onto and now he is horrified that is name is in print on the internet associated with this hate group. I wish the school would have done more investigating and spoke with the teens involved ( and the parents) before jumping the gun and assuming all kids on that facebook group belonged to AAA because THEY DIDN”T!
honestly... said,
July 7, 2007 at 8:25 pm
i think ur all gay, go find something better to do with ur live then try to ruin other peoples u hypocritical fucks
"white boy" said,
July 7, 2007 at 8:27 pm
so its ok if i call u yellow boy?
gaddfg said,
July 7, 2007 at 8:28 pm
i don’t like you guys
pimp masta fly said,
July 7, 2007 at 8:30 pm
sounds to me like u guys are just as racist if not more then us, with these threats and shit u hypocritical fucks
this is gay said,
July 7, 2007 at 10:57 pm
we should call a bunch of government agencies and notify everybody we can that these people are abusing freedom of speech. we should start websites about it, alert a bunch of agencies, and just generally try to get everyone in as much trouble as possible.
that would be pretty sweet, we could do what these people did in reverse, and be very mature!
Clueless said,
July 8, 2007 at 1:13 am
I like what phark said on 6/29 about antilocution which means a majority group freely makes jokes about a minority group… is also called hate speech… seen as harmless by the majority… sets the stage for more severe outlets for prejudice.
Yes, the joke is totally lawful, well within the 1st Amendment rights. So, are the comments of humpey, the teacher, Adam, and mine… But there’s a big difference between lawful and ethical or moral. Is it ok to joke at the expense of others? Is it ok to joke so that the overall atmosphere sets the stage for more prejudice? When Billy created the AAA and posted those jokes, isn’t he simply exercising his freedom of speech? When it was removed, isn’t that some kind of censorship?
Did you wonder if similar joke targeted the blacks or jews, what kind of responses you’ll be getting?
I’m not interested in crucifying these stupid kids to suffer the consequence of their stupidity. I rather like to know why, in the first place, it was (and still is) ok for them to joke about certain group of people, thus “setting the stage for more severe outlets for prejudice”. I would like to know what “the teacher” would do to teach the kids so that antilocution will be curtailed in your school.
To those who are clueless why it turned out to be a big deal: have you actually sought a dialogue with a minority and tried to understand why it’s a big deal?
Guys, why are you blaming falloutcentral? Don’t shoot the messenger. Anyone is free to post their comments here. If you don’t like what you see, you can stop reading, post your rebuttal or make a real joke (might as well, we need to lighten up the discussion here… it’s too heavy for me.)
female senior @ FC said,
July 8, 2007 at 1:15 am
humpey, you are making yourself look like an idiot. No one agrees with you, yet there are multiple people backing up what everyone else has to say.
The truth is that even if they hated asians, they have every right too. They aren’t causing you any physical harm or threatening you in any way. Leave all these kids alone.
And also, so what if you’re offended? Grow some balls. Everyone else in the world has to deal with crap being said about their sex, race, religion, body-type… whatever. i guarentee you fat people go through the same stuff, probably to a greater extent.
There is no way you will ever be able to wipe out the hate. So instead why don’t you work on not taking such offense to it? Let real racists (not these kids) look stupid for their ignorant actions? It makes you look just as stupid if you jump right in with them. No one respects you for that.
Eve said,
July 8, 2007 at 1:17 am
Adam: say sorry first and make amends BEFORE you ask someone else to do the same.
seriously. said,
July 8, 2007 at 1:49 am
come on, i no most of these kids.
first off, they go to a real school, and they’re all good kids.
second off, most kids on facebook join groups without even reading what they’re about. they are not racist.
and very well put adam, you’re right. humprey is being just as much racist to americans.
none of this is fair, it was not illegal and billy said he was very sorry. they’re stupid teenagers.
they’ll learn from this experience, punishing them will not help the matter, and the school should not have the right to punish them considering they were not in school and only go to that school, so what?
yah, it was stupid to make the group in the first place, but they’re sorry, just listen to them.
Clueless said,
July 8, 2007 at 3:46 am
I like what phark pointed about antilocution which means a majority group freely make jokes about a minority group…is also called hate speech… seen as HARMLESS by the majority… but it sets the stage for more severe outlets for prejudice.
My problem with the joke is that it reinforces the negative stereotype and does provide the atmosphere for more severe form of prejudice. Kids always push the limit. Up to what point do you think they will stop? Just merely joke about it? What’s the next step after that?
It’s not my interest to crucify those kids with that stupid posting. I rather want to know what it was (and I still feel from the comments here that it still IS) that made it OK to joke about it. Talk is cheap. Saying sorry is easy. The question is why joke about it in the first place? And what would the likes of “the teacher” do to educate the kids about racial issues, free speech, hate speech and the consequences of exercising them.
When Billy created the AAA and the kids posted those jokes, they are exercising their free speech rights. The same is true for humpey, the teacher, and everyone else who care to post here. It’s not a question of breaking the law. Hate speech is even protected by the First Amendment. But is it ethical? Is it moral? Is it OK?
I wonder if the joke targeted the black or the jews, what response you’ll be getting? Did you even ask a minority what he/she felt about the joke and why it’s a big thing or not, and why fuss about it?
Don’t shoot the messenger. Falloutcentral simply delivers the news that you will never see on the any of the news media. If not reported here, I bet you the AAA group at facebook will still be around. I am not advocating censorship. I am for MORE speech, but a dialogue, not one-sided where all you hear is your own.
Clueless said,
July 8, 2007 at 3:49 am
I’m really clueless.. see… I thought my first posting did not go through… Now, how’s that for something really funny…. Yeah stupid, I know.
Calm down said,
July 8, 2007 at 4:15 am
To “the teacher”:
Thanks for testifying that what you said about the kids and the school are true. Why, would you believe everthing posted on the internet? Are the postings here confirmed by reliable journalists/sources? You can’t simply believe everything you read from the internet.
Anyway, I lived long enough to know something about the human nature. No one can assure anyone that there’s no secret hatred going on towards this or that group of people. Besides, according to the “senior female @ fc” — I suppose fc means “Fox Chapel” — “The truth is that even if they hated asians, they have every right too.” Have the right? I suppose it’s legally right. But morally?
Ok, let’s hear from other “fc” residents, specially the minorities. What do they have to say?
Ain't a racist said,
July 8, 2007 at 4:22 am
Do you become a racist only when you are an adult, or you grow into one since you’re a kid, when you acquired it from your parents and other adults in your community since it’s ok to joke about folks who don’t look like them?
the teacher said,
July 8, 2007 at 4:33 am
hey “aint a racist”
nobody said this was ok. nobody is trying to say that this facebook group was ok. we are simply saying that its not as big a deal as everyone is making it, and if kids are trying to apoligize for their ways then let them. we are not trying to prove them right, we are simply showing the many ways that this has become ridiculous
Clueless said,
July 8, 2007 at 12:42 pm
Why’s my posting keep disappearing?
Still don't get it said,
July 8, 2007 at 12:49 pm
To “the teacher”: I suppose we can all forget about what antilocution implies? Forget about where it would lead because it’s just a joke? I bet you AAA at facebook would still be around if not for Fallout making some fuss about it.
concerned parent said,
July 8, 2007 at 1:18 pm
What sort of programs Fox Chapel H.S. have to create more inclusive, safe and welcoming learning environments like the one offered by NCBI?
http://www.ncbi.org/what_we_offer/customized_programs/schools/
MedcalDenDoctors said,
July 8, 2007 at 1:38 pm
Hi
Bye
the teacher said,
July 8, 2007 at 7:06 pm
ok…i am going to say this one more time
there is no actualy group for hating asians. there is a kid who thought he could be funny starting a group, and other kids just entered the gruop without really reading what it was about.
and you are acting like it was like an active organization that actually did things. you said “AAA would still be around if not for Fallout making some fuss about it” if you read the comments, they ended like a month before the letter was sent to the principals of fc. this group was not an active group devoted to hating asians, it was one kid trying to get a laugh, and other people joining
i personally was not part of this group. i just go to school with these kids and i know them all and i know what their intentions were. their intentions were simple…to be funny. they realized, because this has become such a big deal, that it is not funny in the least bit. they try to apoligize, and they just get yelled at more and are told that their apoligies are not acceptable. everyone on “my side” of the argument is only saying that these are good kids and they realize what they have done, so if they have the balls to apoligize, then forgive and forget. we are simply saying that they made a mistake, they are sorry, and it is not necessary to try to get them into as much trouble as possble.
i know the next comment is going to read “why dont you let them speak for themselves and apoligize?” well, numerous kids have tried and they have been ridiculed for doing so, so that is why i am saying this.
and again, to stress the fact, i need to say this one more time. most people just do not use facebook so they do not understand, but a group on facebook does not imply that they actually meet together and talk about their cause. it mostly consists of clicking accept once, and that is it. they did not get together and scheme on how they can hurt asians, and they made no threats or had any violence towards asians.
enough said
what's the fuss said,
July 8, 2007 at 8:03 pm
Got ya teach. All points are well taken… And here’s the but… What made it ok, in the first place, for the joke to have taken place?
We need to be reminded the postings here are not moderated. Anyone — sane or otherwise, involved or just oberver — can post anything they wish. So you get all sorts of absurd and crazy mumblings. You just have to do some filtering. Regardless, there are some truth in what many have said (minus the crap and mud slinging. I suppose you’re intelligent enough to know which is which.). And no one here is the spoke person for either side.
I don’t work nor support Fallout. I just learned about these postings while looking for something else.
FC High School Student said,
July 8, 2007 at 9:18 pm
I go to school with Billy. In all the time I’ve known him, I have never seen or heard stories about him treating any people differently based on race. I do not condone Billy’s decision to start a group called “Anti-Asians Anonymous”; however, I do believe Billy when he says that he did not try to inspire hate towards Asians. I also believe him when he says that his apology is sincere.
On another note, racism in high school is something that is not only present in the Pittsburgh area. I do not think it is fair for such a beautiful, recovering area to be deemed the center of racial ignorance based on this one widely publicized incident. I have cousins in eastern Pennsylvania and Virginia. I have heard their friends use racial slures, but I have never seen an example of violence against another based on race. In fact, I have never even heard a first-hand account of race-related violence.
the teacher said,
July 9, 2007 at 12:40 am
nothing made it ok. its is not ok…so that is why they are apoligizing for it. the only comment that i found terribly offensive and unacceptable, was from a random kid who does not go to fc. not that the other comments were ok, but you can see most of them were clearly done to get a laugh. this argument has become repetitive, and i am sort of sick of it. either let the kids apoligize and move on, or refuse to see their side and try to get them in more trouble.
Lindsay Cowher said,
July 9, 2007 at 12:42 am
Dear…well…everyone,
I know many/most of the people who were involved in this group; however, I believe them to be good kids not trying to do any harm. Many people aimlessly join these facebook groups without realizing what they were about. As you can see, I just clicked join without even reading the title seeing it was from Billy, and even left a comment (you can see it above), but left the group shortly after. I don’t think any of these kids are racist, but as I can see this caused controversy. Of course, this may have taken it a bit far…but coming from a third person standard I just wanted to clarify that I am sure no harm was meant. I am not agreeing with what they did nor all the commotion it called…just that it was definitely not meant to be a threat of any sort. Take care!
-Lindsay
humpy's gay commentator's gay said,
July 9, 2007 at 5:23 am
so calling somebody’s gay going to solve anything?
are you aware that most homophobes are closet homosexuals themselves? so i guess all the douchebags calling humper’s gay must be gay themselves.
you take your own advice and practice what you preach and focus on more important issues than bashing asians on an asian empowerment website.
HYPOCRITES!
humpy said,
July 9, 2007 at 5:27 am
as far i’m aware, “whiteboy” isn’t a racial slur in the same way that “honky, redneck, hick” or “crakkker” is. see, if i called billy or any of his numbnut followers like teacher here a “crakkker” then i’d be racist, but since i didn’t call anybody a crakkker i can’t be racist because i have friends who are caucasians of european descent with USA citizenships.
and i apologize for anybody who’s offended my remarks have hurt. it was never my intention to be racist, now maybe the caucasian european descendants with USA citizenships can focus on much more important issues like how paris hilton just got of jail, instead of trivial issues like how asians have been racially attacked.
see, if asians can’t be offended by groups like AAA and racist remarks that aren’t meant to be racist, then why can’t white europeans with USA citizenship be offended by a non-slur that’s not intended to be racist?
humpy said,
July 9, 2007 at 5:30 am
and it’s good to know that white european caucasians with USA citizenships don’t think racist slurs against asians are racist at all and that asians need to go get a life and a sense of humor.
it’s good to know that white privilege still acts as a shield against responsibility.
white privilege, telling minorities what to do and think and defending the racial hierarchy status quo since 1942.
humpy said,
July 9, 2007 at 5:32 am
sorry 1492, thats.
humpy's gay commentator is gay said,
July 9, 2007 at 5:35 am
so, how’s calling somebody gay contribute anything to the discussion
they say that homophobes are really closet homosexuals. so maybe all the closet homosexuals who call humpy gay can finally go suck each other off rather than trolling on the internet defending white privilege!
the teacher said,
July 9, 2007 at 5:50 am
we never said what they did is not racist. we just said that they themselves did not have cruel intentions, and were not making this to hate asians, but rather to get laughs.
and if you are going to, once again, speak out against racial slurs, then you should have thought about that before you included one in your response before.
we also never said get a sense of humor about this. it is not funny. we all realize that. thats why kids are apologizing for it, but things are said like “why can’t you whiteboys come up with better excuses after the racist remarks?”. nobody is saying laugh about it, we are trying to get you guys to understand how it was just a stupid thing on facebook and you should worry about actual threats to asians
the teacher said,
July 9, 2007 at 5:53 am
and you have yet to explain why it is the tragedy of the century when a facebook group is made containing racism, but its ok for you to use racial slurs.
humpy said,
July 9, 2007 at 6:03 am
post your own facegroup,myspace, etc. or if you’ll really want to discuss issues, i can show you some real websites.
Los Angeles Rules ALL said,
July 9, 2007 at 8:22 am
Who cares about a little crap town in Pennsylvania? Its probably a third world state.
Los Angeles Rules ALL said,
July 9, 2007 at 8:23 am
I hope the midwest takes back Brett Tomko. That guy sucks major balls. Jason Schmidt too. Please go back to Ida-friggin-Ho.
SugarShark said,
July 9, 2007 at 9:16 am
lets see where to start
“There is no way you will ever be able to wipe out the hate. So instead why don’t you work on not taking such offense to it?”
okay that’s just terrible, it doesn’t need explaining
“humprey is being just as much racist to americans”
okay this response is bad because humpey was specifically speaking of white americans, it might be creative semantics but when one person is talking about white people and you reply “hey dont bad mouth americans” the non-white americans can’t help but feel left out.
“I have heard their friends use racial slures, but I have never seen an example of violence against another based on race.”
yuppers there’s those not so bad slurs ya know the kind eh? calling your heterosexual white friend a nigger or a faggot is okay right? right? nod your heads
there is alot of “this is okay, that is not okay” going on with this situation, hopefully there’s not too many asian americans in the “this is okay” category because even a little denigration or assault of anothers dignity is too much.
the school’s decision and relative inactivity is disappointing. there have been almost identical situations at other schools on both East and West
coast.
there have been schools that ban/prohibit the use of
Facebook/MySpace entirely; because it isn’t being used responsibly. other schools have enacted a probationary ban and have explained the reason for their action.
Real Issues said,
July 9, 2007 at 2:09 pm
To humpy: pls post those web sites that deal with real issues.
Lesson Plan said,
July 9, 2007 at 2:30 pm
“The Teacher”, here are some material for your next lesson plan.
What is Racism?
A. Dictionary
Oxford English Dictionary: a belief or ideology that all members of each race possess characteristics or abilities specific to that race, especially to distinguish it as being either superior or inferior to another race or races.
B. Sociological Definitions
In Portraits of White Racism David Wellman (1993) has defined racism as “culturally sanctioned beliefs, which, REGARDLESS of INTENTIONS involved, defend the advantages whites have because of the subordinated position of racial minorities,” (Wellman 1993: x).
Sociologists Noel Cazenave and Darlene Alvarez Maddern define racism as “…a highly organized system of ‘race’-based group PRIVILEGE that operates at every level of society and is held together by a sophisticated ideology of color/’race’ supremacy.
Sociologist Joe R. Feagin (2000: 16) argues that the United States can be characterized as a “total racist society”.
Race: social construct or genetic reality?
Many scholars maintain race to be a social construct with potent social and political effects but no basis in biological science. Scholars such as anthropologist Audrey Smedley (2007) point out that the very idea of ‘race’ implies inequality and hierarchy. Historians such as Theodore Allen (1994; 1997) have analyzed colonial records from Virginia and concluded that the idea of a “white race” was originally invented in the early 18th century to splice together various European ethnic groups who never before thought they had anything in common.
Sophomore Girl said,
July 9, 2007 at 2:41 pm
This is so f***ed up. My best friend and people I know well are on this list. I cant believe people want to blow this so out of proportion, that kids would end up getting expelled, most of the kids on there are sophomores, who are like 15 years old. Its just a joke, dont ruin someones future in education or what ever the f*** you people are planning to do because of a stupid group on facebook that no one would ever incorperate into daily life. My friend, and the rest of the sophomores on that list do not deserve to be arrested, or anything else. They didnt do anything illegal, so why not just let it go, instead of making it into a bigger issue.
the teacher said,
July 9, 2007 at 3:30 pm
humpy…
congratulations. you just proved my point. you said if i want to talk about real issues, then you can show me some sites. im glad you are finally realizing that there are other real racist issues, and this should not be the issue it has been made out to be. im not doubting there are real issues, i am doubting that this is one of them. and humpy, why do you keep avoiding my question? why is this facebook group that involves racism such a huge deal, but you using racial slurs is ok?
and to the person who just wrote all those definitions, i am going to be honest with you i did not read a word of it. i really dont care nor do i feel like looking at a bunch of dictionary definitions. i am not saying this isnt racist, because it is. im just saying let the kids apologize and move on
and to sugar shark, im not really sure what the point was of the first half of your comment, but you are disappointed the school hasnt done anything? first off, this was not in school. second off, seriously what do you want the school to do? if you think that just punishing these kids for racism is the best thing to do, then you obviously do not know them nor do you fully understand the situation.
and i like what one person said a while ago that was something along the lines of saying that punishing these kids is not the answer, if you really want to make a difference then teach them why their ways are wrong. if i got punished for clicking accept to a group like you guys are saying should happen to these kids, i would be pretty pissed off, and it definitely would not make me like asians more, nor would it inspire me not to do or say anything racist towards them. it would not solve a thing, and not help your cause at all. think about your cause before you think about dealing out as much punishment as possible
Lindsay Cowher said,
July 9, 2007 at 4:13 pm
immaturity.
Real Issues said,
July 9, 2007 at 5:00 pm
I believe the teacher and kids who said they don’t mean any harm. Just to get some laughs. I also think the kids don’t harbor any hatred towards any group. My issue, however, is that the conditions were just right for Billy to think it was cool to create AAA at facebook. That kind of atmosphere is actually everywhere, in varying degrees. Certain media outlets reinforces this kind of “cool” thinking. This incident is not isolated. It comes in different forms but, the bottom line is the same.
Days and weeks from now, all of these will be forgotten. What then the community at FC will do to make the environment there no longer conducive to the thinking it’s cool to create an AAA copy cat?
May I suggest this for starters. Every time you want to say “I’m not racist”, please stop, look yourself in the mirror and ask instead “Am I racist?”. And before you do, I think it helps if you read the definitions posted above.
Randy said,
July 9, 2007 at 6:30 pm
Ok, I’m going to chime in here.
First of all, to “Teacher”:
I find it ludicrous for you to claim that most of these kids joined the group without supposedly knowing what it was. The group’s NAME is “Anti-Asians Anonymous”.
Are you saying your friends can’t read?
And then they proceeded to add comments to the page where they laughed at how “funny” the site was, so it is obvious that they completely understood what they were joining.
To Billy HagBERG: That’s a Jewish name. You would think that someone with a Jewish background would be MORE sensitive to racism and intolerance.
To those of you who say that this is just a stupid prank by kids, let me ask you:
How does one come up with the idea to create a “I hate Asians” site to begin with?
I am Asian, and never once in my life did I ever think it would be funny to create a group espousing “hatred” of another ethnicity, -even if it was supposedly done tongue-in-cheek. That kind of thought just wouldn’t occur to me.
So you have to ask yourself, WHY do these kids think it was funny and HOW did they come up with the idea in the first place? Did any of the kids say “haha, what’s this site? That’s kinda f***ed up?” No, they all thought it was just HILLARIOUS, because espousing hatred of other ethnicities is just naturally funny stuff, right?
If any of these stupid kids actually HAD any Asian friends, they would never have created that site.
Los Angeles Rules All said,
July 9, 2007 at 7:20 pm
These kids should be expelled or else another Seung Hui Cho might happen. No one wants that.
Spare the rod. Spoil the child. Lets move forward America. Punish racism.
Moving On said,
July 9, 2007 at 7:29 pm
Sophomore Girl: no one is going to be arrested. Your buddies will not be expelled. I can ASSURE you that. And I doubt that any college will deny them admission because of this, but that’s a possibility after seeing one posting about that elsewhere… And, please stop using the f*** word. I thought FCHS is one of the “best” schools in PA.
To all supporters of FC kids: what do you suggest should be done by whom so “we” can “move on”? Reminder: In the same way there’s no secret group in FC plotting against Asians, there’s no organized “we” who take pleasure ruining the future of stupid kids.
Randy said,
July 9, 2007 at 8:08 pm
What should be done? Maybe those kids should write a paper on the history of discrimination and racism against Asians in the USA.
Make them do a book report on “The Chinese in America” by Iris Chang. Or perhaps a report on Vincent Chin?
The first step towards eliminating racism is fostering a sense of EMPATHY in people. You cannot know where Asians are coming from if you are ignorant of our history and what we have had to endure in this country.
I see that many of the whites that post here are saying “what’s the big deal?”. They say that because they don’t have a historical perspective on racism against Asians.
Telling people to “just get a sense of humor” when they have lived through murder, rape, and oppression due to the color of their skin is ludicrous.
Maybe once those kids learn some history, they won’t think this is so funny anymore.
the teacher said,
July 9, 2007 at 8:43 pm
i dont see where it says get a sense of humor on here. i have repeatedly said, its not funny
and regardless of if they read it or not, im not sure if you have a facebook or not, but usually when people are invited to a group they just click accept without looking further into it. yes, they probably read the title, but probably did not give it another thought and clicked accept like always
and even though this was not done in school, great idea that the school should issue a book report. seriously, you guys have some golden ideas on how to fix it. if in the middle of summer i had to do a book report because of one button i clicked (”accept”), i would be pretty pissed off and i dont think i would learn to accept asians. and your right, people did leave comments. the worst one was left by a kid who does not go to fc, and some other bad ones were left from kids at fc. but the kids who tried to apologize and got yelled at for that were kids like nick bacco and mike paradise. Where are their comments on this? they did nothing but click accept, then apologized for it later. ya, lets make them write a book report on asian history
-also, billy is not jewish, just so you know
-to the person who calls themself “real issues”, thank you for being one of the few people who looked at this reasonably and gave decent ways to fix it
-im also glad you are speaking for them and can say that everyone thought it was just “HILARIOUS” (you used all caps as well). for example, lindsay cowher said “billy your terrible”. that sounds like she thought it was HILARIOUS.
-and who is it that you think should be dealing out this punishment? it was not in school, and the principals said this as well, that they cannot do anything about it. should the police get involved and issue a book report, even though the kids didnt break a law? i have no idea what fallout central even is, one of my ASIAN friends just showed me this site (he agrees with what i am saying), should they issue this book report. you want these kids in a lot of trouble, and i think each kid got a letter sent home already. so who should punish these kids?
Bleak Outlook said,
July 9, 2007 at 9:35 pm
I like what Randy said. But I’m bracing for the worst. Kids today lack that sense of empathy simply because their excessive self-love. Just read the report by Jean Twenge, et.al. which says:
“The Internet, with all its MySpace and YouTube braggadocio, is letting that self-regard blossom even more, said the analysis, titled “Egos Inflating Over Time.” Jean Twenge said she and her coauthors are not suggesting that more students today have a pathological narcissistic personality disorder that needs psychiatric treatment. Still, traits of narcissism have INCREASED by moderate but significant amounts, said Twenge, who last year published a book titled “Generation Me: Why Today’s Young Americans Are More Confident, Assertive, Entitled — and More Miserable Than Ever Before.”
And if you think that many of the FC kids live in the wealthiest neighborhood in Pittsburgh, no wonder many of them are clueless to the world outside their privileged bubble.
If you’re a parent, here are some pointers on what you can do: http://dadtalk.typepad.com/dadtalk/2007/03/generation_ys_s.html
SugarShark said,
July 9, 2007 at 10:41 pm
I think banning facebook/myspace access in school is a just solution so that the other closet racists/classmates can get mad at the AAA members for getting caught.
“and i like what one person said a while ago that was something along the lines of saying that punishing these kids is not the answer”
this continues to happen at a more alarming rate at colleges where students are “adults” and feel less contrained to consider the feelings of others and the history behind why the minorities they are degrading feel that way.
as recent as a few months ago 8 college students dressed up to celebrate the Cinco de Mayo holiday as gardeners and landscaper unionists “Spic and Span Inc” after it became public the college in it’s infinite
wisdom decided to censor and blur out the students online faces to protect them from undue harrassment
and “facilitate the healing process”
!!!
all claims to not punish these kids amounts to the same thing.
FC student said,
July 10, 2007 at 12:16 am
THIS IS GOING BEYOND WHAT IT NEEDS TO BE…yeah the kids were acting immature about making an “Anti-Asian Anonymous” facebook group, but now its to the point where the organizations getting these kids into trouble are acting even more IMMATURE. Half of the kids on this list did not even visit this site. BUT even so they did agree to join a group that was racism. OKAY so they did! Now they got punished. YES THEY GOT PUNISHED. They said they are sorry and as soon as someone told them about this they STOPED!…and to this..’I thought FCHS is one of the “best” schools in PA.’……okay so we might be known as ONE of the better districts in PA..and we are. But even so no matter where you live and how you are educated there is still opurtunity for trouble. There is no such thing as “PERFECT”!
…to randy:….your teaching us kids real well by using the F word.
Oh and why are only guys getting in trouble..you know there were girls on this facebook site…WHO POSTED..AND GO TO FC?
Randy said,
July 10, 2007 at 2:21 am
to FC student, sure, throw another red herring out there about the “F-Word”. Anything to deflect attention away from Hagberg’s actions.
Perhaps I missed it, but how exactly did the students get “punished”? Who punished them? Their parents, the school, who?
Instead of focusing on red-herrings and straw-man arguments, perhaps those of you who support those students should just pause for a second and think how HURTFUL that site was to the Asian students in your school, if there are any. Do you kids even KNOW any Asian students? Would you even have the GUTS to go up to one and say “yeah, I created an anti-Asian website because I thought it would be funny.”.
Nobody is here to force you to parrot the line “Racism is BAD, Ummm-kay?” They’re trying to teach you to have a bit of empathy for other people and understand the real impact of your actions.
You know what would mean more to me than a million apologies? Go read this book:
http://www.amazon.com/Chinese-America-Narrative-History/dp/0142004170/ref=sr_1_1/103-8324151-0391851?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1184033912&sr=8-1
It’s the History of the Chinese in America, by author Iris Chang.
If you really want to learn something, read that and then maybe you’ll understand where we are coming from.
the teacher said,
July 10, 2007 at 3:02 am
no, they are not trying to just teach of to have a bit of empathy. they are trying to get the kids punished. that was made clear long ago
and yes, we know asian students. many kids have said that they have asian friends and the only response to that was that either 1-they were lying, or 2-it is irrelevant
they got a letter sent home from the school about it, and most of them got in trouble with their parents. i still dont understand why the school is involved in this, but still.
and all of us get made fun of because of race. not that its ok, but we do know what it feels like. these kids (i know this from talking to them) feel very, very bad about this. your next comment is going to say “if they know what it feels like then why did they do it?” well here it is. THEY WERE BEING IMMATURE AND STUPID. THEY WERE NOT THINKING. NOTHING THEY HAVE SAID ABOUT RACE HAS BECOME THIS BIG A DEAL. NOW IT IS A BIG DEAL, AND THEY REALIZE WHAT THEY DID WRONG.
and to randy…the fc student said a whole paragraph then said one little line about you saying the f word. i would hardly say that qualifies as “Anything to deflect attention away from Hagberg’s actions.” he wrote a whole paragraph talking about hagbergs actions, so next time try to use a little better arguments when attacking the comments of someone else
Let me guess said,
July 10, 2007 at 3:29 am
Why school got involved? I suppose because the kids identified themselves as going to FCHS
Moving On said,
July 10, 2007 at 3:33 am
Teacher: for this to move on, should this page or this entire site be taken down as well? Is that what you want? Please be more specific.
the teacher said,
July 10, 2007 at 4:02 am
ok for let me guess…
if i commit a crime, say i steal something, and i tell the police that i am from fox chapel, then the school should get involved, right?
well here, they did something that really pissed a bunch of people off. they were outside of school. they identified themselves as going to fc. oo ok, so i guess that gives the school the right to intervene
good logic
when did i say something about taking this site down?
Sophomore Girl said,
July 10, 2007 at 4:11 am
you go “the teacher”.
not humpy said,
July 10, 2007 at 4:14 am
@teacher’s comment:
“and to the person who just wrote all those definitions, i am going to be honest with you i did not read a word of it. i really dont care nor do i feel like looking at a bunch of dictionary definitions. i am not saying this isnt racist, because it is.”
see, that’s the very definition of white privilege which your “teaching mind” should be learning (a teacher is always a student first), but instead of actually learning about racism you just use your almight white-privilege to lecture and pander to asians what’s considered offensive or not.
which is why humpy isn’t going to give you a full explanation, because he doesn’t want to get involved with this apologist website, but instead points you to CN Lee’s moderate website geared towards asian issues. (we’ll start you off slowly.)
http://www.asian-nation.org
of course, leave something in the forums and word will get to humper’s and he’ll reply on there.
randy's the man said,
July 10, 2007 at 4:16 am
randy’s solution is the best one there is for these students. but face it, are these white privileged kids and their “teachers” (apologists) really interested in asian-american history and politics? all they’re interested in is defending white privileged status quo, and that’s why they’re on here detracting from the real issues and questioning non-slurs like “whiteboys” in order to deflect the real racism.
Sophomore Girl said,
July 10, 2007 at 4:24 am
To the people critisizing Fox Chapel, what difference does it make which school these kids were from? Who cares? That is completely irrelevant! Its not the schools fault that this group was created, AT ALL. Besides that, what is the school supposed to do about this? Its out of their hands, the scandel took place when school was not in session. They have no power.
I agree with fc student, this is being blown way out of proportion. Just let it die. Listen to some Enya, relax, and consider this, the group was dumb, the kids were dumb to join, and the group has been deleted. amen.
Let me guess said,
July 10, 2007 at 11:52 am
Teach, it doesn’t help if you feed sarcasm with more sarcasm… and your logic isn’t any good at all.
Let me walk you through a highly credible scenario… Billy created AAA, some dumb kids joined the group without knowing what it was all about, dumber kids know what it was about and posted comments on AAA… Billy let the group stand for close to a year (I think Billy made a comment about it’s been that long)… Activists discovered AAA and spread the word. Sympathizers got mad and wanted to do something. They thought of posting protests on AAA but they didn’t want to register at Facebook. So, the next best thing was to write to the School Admin. They asked if these kids actually go to FCHS and if the kids did it within the school (if school has policy blocking access to sites such as Facebook)… School Admin responded to those inquiries… Fallout posted AAA’s activities and School admin responses… School wrote to the kids’ parents… Billy fumbled on making an apology, posted here (inflaming the activists/symphatizers with “buts”)… The teacher wondered why the heck the school got involved… blah… blah.
How’s my logic now? Will that get at least a “C” from the teacher?
Oh, one more thing… earlier you said something about AAA was inactive for a month. It doesn’t matter. It was still accessible world-wide for all to see. Not until this site posted its activities that it was pulled down. I don’t condone censorship myself unless it’s self-censorship. So, I hope Billy pulled it down himself.
Let me guess said,
July 10, 2007 at 12:07 pm
In addition…
When the activists/sympathizers discovered AAA, there were no indication that it was just a mere joke. Remember, there are volumes of incidences in the past that the kind of AAA postings could not be merely considered just a mere rude joke by the targeted group. There was, is and will be more than enough racist incidents here in the US and in Pittsburgh(!) to warrant vigilance on the part of the targeted group. Therefore, this site or its symphatizers should not be asked to explain its position but rather, if falls on the culprit to provide enough evidence and ASSURANCE that there is no hatred in those jokes. I say, there’s zero chance Billy can explain credibly that it’s an innocent, hate-free but ,yes, rude and ignorant and racist, joke.
Let me guess said,
July 10, 2007 at 12:20 pm
Why not answer moving-on’s questions? That person is guessing (hey that’s my role). So, you don’t want this page removed. Then, what exactly do you mean by let’s move on? You mean, no further comments?
How about … your school adopting what Randy said about knowing some American History? You still have not realized that moving on includes you (the school), the parents, the kids, not just “us”.
So sorry said,
July 10, 2007 at 12:33 pm
My first posting here is not meant to ridicule the comments of innocent kids. All I want to know is for them to clarify their positions. So, I listed who responded so far and wanted to hear from all of them, directly and not from any self-appointed spokeperson.
With that… I’m sorry to have offended anyone.
So sorry said,
July 10, 2007 at 12:36 pm
I read again my first posting. Is that considered “yelling”? I think you’re simply over-reacting, teach.
FC student said,
July 10, 2007 at 2:37 pm
OKAY point blank the reason why none of us kids(FROM FC)want this to go to the school even more is because our school already makes us do beyond what we need to do…name me one PUBLIC district in PA that makes them do 5-10 PRACTICE PSSA’s YEARLY than the actual PSSA. HARDLY ANY…so you bringing this joke into our district is gonna make us have to do more stupid LOUSY CRAPY WORK all because a HANDFUL of kids from FC made A MERE JOKE to an ASIAN RACE….okay and the kids got “PUNISHED”..the school was notified by some asian organization….letter above…the school notified these kids parents(by sending a very lengthy and serious letter)and now the kids parrents are taking it way to far because half of you guys don’t know what the heck FACEBOOK is LET ALONE how the freak IT WORKS…and wait i want stop there right now…okay someone go to www.facebook.com..sign in and crap than go to search and search ANTI ASIANS..look at the groups THOUSANDS OF THEM..and look in some of them some HARSH threats…that aren’t jokes. FOCUS ON THEM. WE ARE 15 year old kids…we live in FC..um whens the last time you heard a crime there? NO ONE DID THIS INTENTIONALLY TO HURT SOMEONE OR TO HURT. A JOKE A FREAKING JOKE.
PERSONALLY i think you guys just want this to go as far as getting it nationally publizied just to make the DISTRICT look not as good as what it, the people that attend, and others say about it…and I have talked to several people about this and agree.
..this is kinda random but why NOT MISS CAUCASIAN AMERICA or MISS WHITE AMERICA???..they have a MISS ASIAN AMERICA….but us whites can only can join one beauty pagent and that just MISS AMERICA..where we welcome all races…WHY ARE US WHITES ALWAYS PEED ON? You guys have the life cause if anybody does anything to you you can always be like “OH RACISM” and us white people would be like “OH WE ARE SO SORRY BLAH BLAH LETS GIVE YOU ALL JOBS THAT WITH GIVE YOU WERALTH BLAH..ECT”…US WHITE PEOPLE NEED TO STAND UP. THE BLACKS PEED ON US AND NOW THE ASIANS ARE TRYING TO!
..that might be getting a little far but i am P/O at this whole situation I have asians friends and loved them now that this has occurred this makes me think twice about them. CAUSE IF I MAKE A MERE JOKE…and they don’t take it they might freaking come out with and kill me or tell on me about being “RACIST”..whatever i have been called so much racism words and i am never like OMG I AM SO EFFING HURT. NO I LET THEM ROLL OFF MY BACK. GET OVER IT!
THE KIDS GOT PUNISHED GROW UP AND LET IT ROLL.
FC student said,
July 10, 2007 at 2:45 pm
Morgan Masci (Fox Chapel Area High School)…why not on the list of getting punished..did she leave the group WHO CARES LOOK AT THE POST THE PEOPLE THAT POST SHOULD OF GOTTEN INTO TROUBLE NOT THE INNOCENT PEOPLE WHO JUST JOIN THE GROUP BECAUSE THEY KNEW BILLY!…sorry i had to add! I am friend this girl I don’t really want her to get into trouble but its NOT FAIR.
the teacher said,
July 10, 2007 at 4:11 pm
to “not humpy”-me saying that proves nothing, it means that i know it was racist. ive been taught what it is before, and me being white has nothing to do with that because i am agreeing with all of you that it is racist
to let me guess-ya, you wrote to the school. that was fine. everyone here is saying that they should get in so much more trouble in the school, and it is clear from our principals responses that nothing else can be done. so therefore, no, the school cannot and should not do anything else
and i think that this discussion should end. i realize that i am a major reason why it has not, so this will be my last comment. i understand you are all offended, but keep in mind these were a bunch of stupid high school kids who were acting very stupid. and you want assurance that it was meant as a mere joke…look at billys record!! he has one of the highest IQ’s in the grade (i know that doesnt mean he cant do anything racist),has never gotten into trouble, and…o ya he is 16. we all are. it was not meant to harm anyone, they are sorry, find some real issues
listen to what fc student said
Real Issues said,
July 10, 2007 at 6:09 pm
OK, everyone please listen to the teacher. This is it. No more comments, please. It will only go further downhill from here and it wont solve the problem.
To the Falloutcentral Admin: please disable more comments.
Randy said,
July 10, 2007 at 7:50 pm
So nobody took me up on my suggestion to read some books such as the one by Iris Chang.
So basically the only thing the students learned from all of this is that it’s ok to be racist as long as you don’t say things like that out loud. Keep the those racist thoughts to yourself. DON’T try to learn history, DON’T try to learn empathy, and DON’T try to learn where other people are coming from. They just “need to lighten up and get a sense of humor”. Right?
other fc student said,
July 10, 2007 at 8:14 pm
randy…your an idiot. the point is that these kids are not racist. they are stupid. they dont actually feel that asians are inferior. they just thought it would be funny. so i have no clue how you get the moral of that you can be racist as long as you keep it to yourself. the moral is think about what you say and that certain things arent funny
Chris Young said,
July 10, 2007 at 8:15 pm
I’m going to make this brief, and I hope this clears up a few things.
First, my name is Chris Young and I was asked to be the representative for the set of Asian-American organisations and citizens addressing this issue. I am a member of the PA Governor’s Advisory Commission on Asian American Affairs; however, the commission has not at this time taken a stand on this issue. I make that point for clarification.
Second, what our course of action will be has not yet been decided upon. We will be gathering to discuss further our options. Until then, it is useful to speculate what we will do or request. The input I have received thus far has ranged in opinion quite a bit.
Third, I should mention I have only had time to review some of the discussion here, just so you know.
Fourth, if the kids still think this is just a harmless joke, then it shows how truly little they understand of the real world. 4.0’s and book learning is one thing; knowing and understanding the real world is quite another. To me it is clear that many of these kids are clueless (which is not atypical for many teenagers… they have very little experience in life). And this is perhaps the real point here.
Fifth, it seems obvious from the language that Hagberg was not sincere in his apology. He just wantred to stay out of more trouble. I was a kid too… I can tell. Many of us have been in trouble for things we probably knew werre wrong but wanted to do anyway, and then get mad because we were caught had have to fess up. I’m personally not surprised. I think at least some of the other kids are in the same boat.
Sixth, I think that most of us are much less interested in punishing those involved with this group than determining how pervasive anti-Asian sentiment is in FC, and in the metro Pittsburgh region as a whole. We are also interested in how serious it is and how to prevent it. To you the content of the site were jokes; to many of us, it is an an indication of how little you think of us just because of our race.
Finally, let me put this in context for you. Recently, in FC, I was apprised of what appeared to be anti-Asian vandalism in Fox Chapel. There have been anti-Asian assaults in the Pittsburgh region, including the Baumhammer shootings. I was actually attacked because of my race before. So, if you knew that these types of incidents have occurred to a group of which you were a member, how would you takes these “jokes”? They’re be a lot less funny.
I hope this clears things up a bit. Please keep in mind that right now I am mostly speaking as an individual.
Randy said,
July 10, 2007 at 8:43 pm
Right, like that other FC student who said:
______
“..this is kinda random but why NOT MISS CAUCASIAN AMERICA or MISS WHITE AMERICA???..they have a MISS ASIAN AMERICA….but us whites can only can join one beauty pagent and that just MISS AMERICA..where we welcome all races…WHY ARE US WHITES ALWAYS PEED ON? You guys have the life cause if anybody does anything to you you can always be like “OH RACISM” and us white people would be like “OH WE ARE SO SORRY BLAH BLAH LETS GIVE YOU ALL JOBS THAT WITH GIVE YOU WERALTH BLAH..ECT”…US WHITE PEOPLE NEED TO STAND UP. THE BLACKS PEED ON US AND NOW THE ASIANS ARE TRYING TO!”
________
Listen, I’m not really interested in apologies. All I care about is that the students use this incident as an opportunity to LEARN. Try to UNDERSTAND why people are upset. Read a little history so that you can put this incident in the context of how people of color have historically been treated in this country.
This is a GREAT opportunity to learn, but I’m not seeing anybody rising to the occassion. All I see is a bunch of denials, kneejerk responses, and dismissive attitudes.
FC student said,
July 10, 2007 at 9:29 pm
are you a loser? like honestly randy get a life you are trying to make a bunch of hormonial 15/16 year olds to read a book to “gain history”! HAHA WHAT A JOKE! GET A LIFE.
..sorry buddy but no one is gonna sit around and read a book about asians and there “problems” with “racism”..these days kids have enough to deal with! what a loser!..the kids already know what they did and it was wrong they don’t need anything ELSE. Now i think you should just stop commenting on this page because your making yourself look like an ass.
SugarShark said,
July 11, 2007 at 2:57 am
“To the people critisizing Fox Chapel, what difference does it make which school these kids were from? Who cares? That is completely irrelevant! Its not the schools fault that this group was created, AT ALL. ”
WELCOME TO THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF BEING STEREOTYPED
first timer huh?
the school has a responsibility to monitor and prohibit students online access to questionable content, guess what this AAA facebook page is, it might have even been created on school computers or had members join it from school property.
“they dont actually feel that asians are inferior. they just thought it would be funny.”
people[whites in this case] make fun of minorities for their religion
accented english or presumption of accented english, career choices, appearance, there is a big list of what you people have found to make fun of
making fun of gays, women, the overweight, persons with physical limitations is harassment and largely criminal
kids are dumb; yes, no one is disputing that
but learning their lesson is something not solved by giving a simple apology these days they need real consequences they can feel. They’re not 6 years old returning a toy they stole from a store, who will go on
to visit a different store and steal from them only to make another “heartfelt” apology.
antiestalishment said,
July 11, 2007 at 6:38 am
@real [tissues]
“To the Falloutcentral Admin: please disable more comments.”
submitted for your approval, the epitome of white privilege telling PoC what to do and what to think. and we thought that the age of colonialism and imperialism have ended?
so yes, massa, i’m sure they’ll lock the threads for you because you’re white and demands it.
Real Issues said,
July 11, 2007 at 4:48 pm
I myself is against any censorship. So, I suppose what I asked is too much… yeah, stupid.
My point then (not posted) and still is: those FC students and the teacher don’t get it and will never get it because they refuse to listen. They don’t and don’t want to realize how blind they are. All they care about is themselves. No wonder the same kind of situation is and will be repeated there and across the US. So, I felt it’s useless and hopeless to address them (at least) here. Not that “we” can’t handle the criticism, sarcasm and name calling. Just check the postings and who are the immature ones.
You misread my ethnicity. Go read my other postings.
Randy said,
July 11, 2007 at 6:05 pm
To FC Student:
Your attitude epiptomizes what is wrong with America today. We expect so LITTLE from our kids that we can’t even expect them to learn a little history. That’s just “too much” for a typical American teenager to handle, right?
So they are ignorant, stupid teenagers who will grow up into ignorant, stupid adults.
No wonder most American adults think the 9-11 hijackers came from Iraq and that most of them can’t even locate Iraq on a map.
Revel in your ignorance.
this is stupid said,
July 11, 2007 at 7:37 pm
to the person who just wrote a big paragraph, that is awful that you were attacked because of your race. that is absolutely terrible. also, that would be a real issue to focus on. was there a page on a website devoted to talking about how terrible the person was that did that to you? did you sue them? did you notify a bunch of organizations about it? that seems like a real issue to focus on
randy, you dont know everything. seriously, stop acting like you do. yes these kids are ignorant, but dont try to sum up what is wrong with america and pretend that you are perfect and there is nothing wrong with you
this whole argument is stupid
go ahead and tell me how i am so ignorant and i dont understand anyt