Turning Someone In

[PeteZaHut]

I have kind of run into a moral dilemma. Something happened at my school, where they whole senior class got in trouble because they could not find out who did the act. A new transfer student was made to do something embarrassing by the senior and left the school because of it. I think it is all a bit of an over-reaction, but the act was still wrong and inappropriate. The administration has pretty much stopped looking for who did it.

There have been rumors that a certain kid did the act. I don’t know for sure and I didn’t see it happen. There is another person who is rumored to have seen it happen. Is it my responsibility to confront the witness and pressure him to turn someone in if he saw anything? Also, I think the punishment for the culprit would be more severe than he deserves. Do I have any moral responsibility to act here, or is it okay for me not to act since I didn’t see anything happen and don’t know for sure who did it?

 

[pyropam]

I personally would tell what I know. Just make sure to explain where the information came from and that you didn’t see it. Also ask to remain anonamous.

I’m not very experienced at answering these types of things… this is just my personal oppinion.

God Bless.

 

[sprout]

There have been rumors that a certain kid did the act. I don’t know for sure and I didn’t see it happen. There is another person who is rumored to have seen it happen. Is it my responsibility to confront the witness and pressure him to turn someone in if he saw anything? Also, I think the punishment for the culprit would be more severe than he deserves. Do I have any moral responsibility to act here, or is it okay for me not to act since I didn’t see anything happen and don’t know for sure who did it?

These are rumors. A rumor is “an unverified account or explanation of events circulating from person to person and pertaining to an object, event, or issue in public concern.”

Don’t automatically assume the rumor is true. Assume it’s just gossip. Remember that game in grade school where someone tells the person next to them a secret and it goes around the room then the last person tells what they heard? It’s a fun game because of how dramatically the story changes and teaches a good lesson on rumors & gossip.

Since you “didn’t see anything happen and don’t know for sure who did it” then confronting the rumored witnesses to pressure them into telling would be uncharitable.

At best, I think you could confide in the person, if you know them well enough, to let them know that there are rumors going around that he/she saw it happen and may be protecting the culprit. That way you’re not confrontational as if you actually believe the rumors. If this person did, in fact, witness the incident they might decide to come clean with the school before the rumors reach the ears of the administration if they haven’t already.

Here’s a folktale about gossip:

There is a 19th century folktale about a man who went about town slandering the town’s wise man. One day, he went to the wise man’s home and asked for forgiveness. The wise man, realizing that this man had not internalized the gravity of his transgressions, told him that he would forgive him on one condition: that he go home, take a feather pillow from his house, cut it up, and scatter the feathers to the wind. After he had done so, he should then return to the wise man’s house.

Though puzzled by this strange request, the man was happy to be let off with so easy a penance. He quickly cut up the pillow, scattered the feathers, and returned to the house.

“Am I now forgiven?” he asked.

“Just one more thing,” the wise man said. “Go now and gather up all the feathers.”

“But that’s impossible. The wind has already scattered them.”

“Precisely,” he answered. “And though you may truly wish to correct the evil you have done, it is as impossible to repair the damage done by your words as it is to recover the feathers. Your words are out there in the marketplace, spreading hate, even as we speak.”

 

[BobP123]

“But that’s impossible. The wind has already scattered them.”

Something the news media and politicians know very well.