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This is just the kind of article I was afraid would come as a result of this incident.
In many respects I agree with what ElephantWalk said above- the mistrust and racism runs both ways and is counterproductive for all.
One can argue an imbalance in the ability of some races to oppress other races, but when it comes to racist feelings that generate mistrust and conflict, everyone is guilty. It is a human thing- born in fear and isolation.
This is one of those "life ain't fair" situations folks. Those 7 guys, Chi Phi at UGA, the Greek system at UGA, and the Greek system nationwide just took a hit over an incident that was likely not nearly as maliciously crafted as it has been portrayed in the media.
I expect most people who have read the article have the same positive or negative feeling about Greeks that they did beforehand- but surely some folks have gone over to the negative, or at least had negative feeling re-enforced.
The author of this article has pointed out some specific examples of media portrayals of black women as caricatures of a dominated figure- but she has failed to point out that the media hype over this incident (including her article) is part of the problem.
Race is a sensitive issue and this is one more case where an inappropriate incident is being elevated to an extreme level in order to further a much larger agenda. Notice that the author of the article mentions getting Congress involved in the solution to the portrayal of black women in music videos. It is not just about Chi Phi.
When incidents like this are used to frame the national debate, it just further separates both sides.
To put it another way- I have been out of college for a few years now. I have lived and worked in the real world. Black women as a group in the US, especially the significant percentage who are single working mothers, ARE in a very bad position that is not entirely of their own making. This is a very real and urgent problem that needs to be addressed.
But using the bad decision of some kids to make that point does nothing to further the cause. It just creates resentment.
In the end, however, this all started when those 7 guys made a decision to do something very inappropriate that they should have known would draw this kind of attention. And yes, they MADE that decision. You can only use the "I was forced to" (i.e. the hazing) argument so far. At some point you have to make your own decisions about how your actions will reflect on you and those you associate with- regardless of whether others are trying to influence those decisions.
I do not think, based on the facts known to date, that Chi Phi has been fairly treated in this article. And this will not be the last mention of it I fear.
But this is the reality that could have been forseen.
The Risk Management issue here is that any fraternity needs to gather its pledges together the DAY they are formally tapped in and let them know the ground rules. Not just the rules of how to conduct one's self, but the rules about who is allowed to give orders and who to approach among the officers if something like this incident is ever ordered.
We may never know if these guys did this on their own, or were prompted. But the risk management approach I mention above should deal with that assuming the chapter does not consider this action acceptable.
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