[DeltAlum]

Lil_G

You're absolutely right about the law not always representing society. No argument.

You're also right that many minor infractions are sometimes overlooked. But if a cop is feeling especially nasty, he or she may decide to carry out the letter of the law. That's what a lot of universities are doing right now. They simply don't want us around in our present form -- or at all. So, when we play fast and loose with the rules, we play right into their hands. Don't we?

I don't go out of my way to jaywalk if I know a traffic officer is standing on the other side of the street. I don't drive over the speed limit if I know I'm in a notorious radar trap. So, is that hypocritical? Maybe. But it's also self preservation.

There are numerous things I don't agree with.

But they're still the law until the law is changed.

And when you break the law and get caught you suffer the consequences. Not agreeing with a dumb law is not going to keep you from paying a fine or out of jail. Not agreeing with a national or university rule is not going to save your charter. You're going to lose those cases.

By the way, guess who is at fault for all of the laws and rules? We are. There wouldn't be a law against bank robbery if nobody had ever robbed a bank. There wouldn't be laws against hazing unless people had been hurt (mentally or physically) or killed or injured otherwise.

By the way again. Has anybody noticed how many alcohol and hazing related deaths there have been this year? Way too many.

Now, I'll say it again -- as I've said in other threads -- the intrepretation of some of these things is silly. But if we keep playing little games trying to beat the system, they'll just get more silly.

You're also right that I've said this over and over again. Someone has to keep saying it until we stop losing chapters -- or the system dies completely which makes the point moot.

As for my chapter, while I would not be at all happy about it, when I accepted my position I agreed to carry out the policies of the Fraternity. If I had to close my chapter, I would. I'll bet there are lots of cops who think certain laws are stupid -- but when faced with a complaint, they are duty bound to uphold those laws.

So, am I going to start a crusade to change the laws? Nope, because I don't have any problem obeying them -- whether I agree with them or not. Besides, one sign of experience and maturity is learning which battles are worth fighting, and which ones are just a waste of energy.

It's no threat to my manhood if I can't scream at someone in a lineup, or do other sophomoric things to humiliate another human being. Calling people silly or degrading names if for children. I don't get any kind of kick out of paddling someone or otherwise assaulting them. I get no big charge out of making someone do pushups. And (here's another one of those things I've said before), over the past thirty-five years I haven't seen that hazing makes brotherhood any stronger.

In my opinion, if I felt I wanted to (or had he right to) haze someone because someone hazed me, that doesn't say much for my personal character. It wasn't right back then and it isn't right now. The times have changed. When I used to get into trouble and use the excuse, "But everyone else does it," my grandfather used to ask me if everyone else jumped off a cliff, would you do that, too? Trite, but effective.

What I have a real problem with is the people who are fooling around and killing the Greek System and are too myopic to realize it.

Enough.