1) National SAE leader called for equality one year before racist video
Fraternity has stepped up efforts to weed out incidents like one in Oklahoma http://news.yahoo.com/national-sae-l...ory&soc_trk=tw

2) What's a Nice Jewish Boy Doing Leading a Fraternity Like This?
Brad Cohen Denies Broad Racism Charge After Oklahoma Video Flap
Read more: http://forward.com/articles/217024/w...#ixzz3V48B0ji5

Highland Park HS grad Levi Pettit to publicly apologize Wednesday for role in racist SAE video-Levi Pettit, the Highland Park High School graduate seen in the now-infamous University of Oklahoma SAE video chanting racial epithets, will make his first public remarks Wednesday at an event hosted by an Oklahoma state senator. http://share.d-news.co/0ML5hYC

This really rubs me the wrong way. He's making an announcement at a political event, invited by a politician. It's an apology not a political speech. Not to mention he didn't even apologize, his parents released a statement online. It's disgusting the publicity he's getting for being a racist. I also seriously question the judgement of the politician who's involved themselves in this.

Very strange that his apology is being made at Fairview Baptist. I'm not sure what the racial makeup of that church is, but it would really surprise me if they had many black members. This is a very politically active church. They've had members run for city council and for the state legislature. They are very Tea Party, very conservative and very politically active. They also play host to a Bible college where all of their leaders get to confer doctorates on themselves. I haven't been there, but would assume this is the whitest of the white churches around.

Fairview Baptist Missionary Church is a whole different story. I'm guessing the DMN doesn't know its OKC churches... because Fairview Baptist Missionary is a predominantly black church, but probably not the preeminent one in OKC.

His press conference is bullshit. Obviously he won't discuss how he learned it or anything like the. He also says he knew the world's were wrong "but never knew how or why".

Bullshit. I refuse to believe a upper class white kid from Dallas doesn't know how or why those words are bad. This whole press conference isn't about an apology it's about trying to fix his image. I don't understand why anyone is standing up with him.

Fairview Missionary Baptist.

How could he not know what the words mean? His Jesuit education is nothing to brag about, evidently.

I am tired of the apologists who say, "it's just another 19 year old doing stupid things, no biggie," or "everyone did this in college" No. They don't. I am a sorority woman, former chapter advisor, and the mom of 3 male 20 somethings, two of whom joined fraternities. Somehow all of us managed not to destroy or befoul venues (remember the Underground Railroad Museum?), assault women, stash drugs in the chapter room, send sisters/brothers to the hospital or the cemetery, or insult everyone who doesn't look like us. It's not too much to ask of a 10 year old, much less someone who is 18-23.

Either we address the issues or others will address them for us, and we won't like their methods.

I completely agree. What has been going on today represents a new low. And one that the public at large has recognized. We who are Greeks who fail to recognize this are doing so at our own peril.

Totally agree.

He has to clean up his image in time for the job search! Unless he has a job in the bag, that is.

Here's a question only tangentially related to the racist chant: why do so many kids from the Dallas metroplex end up at OU? There are just as good, if not better, schools in Texas (UT-Austin being one). I know a few people who went to OU from the Dallas area, but most were recruited athletes.

10% Rule had a lot to do with that when I was in school (not sure if it still exists)

The major schools' classes fill up pretty quickly, so rather than go to a "2nd tier" university in the state, they are lured to the top tiers in surrounding states.

Yes, we still have the 10% rule in Texas. It is very difficult for a Texas student that does not excell academically to get into the premier state schools, like UT Austin. They may not even get into the "feeder" school, Blinn.

Also, lots of Oklahomans end up in Texas. Can't count the number of my sorority sisters who migrated south. Many of their children go to OU or OSU.

He probably does, his father owns a successful company.

I'm most bothered that he won't answer questions about how he learned the chant, it's origins or any other info about how this happened. If you're truly sorry and want to spend the rest of your life working for equality, tell people where this originated from so that it can be fixed. The bigger the picture we have the better we can combat this behavior.

It also pisses me off that not a single other person was named as being on the bus. The school has even agreed that even if other students are identified in the future, they will not face expulsion.

None of them learned anything other than it only counts if you get caught on video. Shame on all who were there and continue to keep their mouths shut.

Considering the threats of physical violence against SAE and other GLO members just by association, I think it's pretty fair to keep their identities out of this.