This whole thread has gotten entirely out of hand.
KABillyMac's point is that EVERY Greek organization has SOME bad chapters that cause problems and embarrassment to the entire Greek system. Nobody is perfect, and I don't see why some people in this forum have suddenly started bashing Kappa Alpha Order. You would think by reading some of these posts that they are the ONLY fraternal organization in the world that's had problems.
Kappa Alpha men went through Rush and picked the organization whose members made them feel the most comfortable -- the same as any other rushee does. They are no different than any other fraternity member in that regard, and it is an insult to them that people stereotype them as racist and ignorant on a daily basis. The VAST majority of KA's are decent, upstanding men and everyone would do well to remember that.
You simply can't pigeonhole an entire organization as being racist just because of the ignorant actions of a few members, which is why the articles that freethinker posted carry no weight with me at all. From personal experience, I know that the media loves to blow things out of proportion and I take no stock in most articles they publish about Greeks, anyway. But, even if those articles were 100% accurate, I still wouldn't judge the entire KA Order based on the idiocy of a few members.
The main thing that makes KA a target these days for so many unenlightened people is the fact that Robert E. Lee, a famous Confederate general, is a person who the fraternity continues to salute as being a great help to the founding of the organization. If some people had their way, KA would be forced to bury their history in the sand in order to be 110% "politically correct" and not offend anyone.
The truth is, it would be very wrong of KA to ignore the influence of Lee on the Order. Not only would it be unfair to Lee's memory to not inform future generations of KA's about the impact he had on the Order, but it would be a gross misrepresentation of the fraternity's history to leave him out.
The fraternity was founded during a controversial period in our nation's history and, by chance, it was assisted in its start-up by someone who was on the losing end of a civil war. The gentlemen of KA respect the history of their GLO, and they are proud of it --
as they should be! After all, there is absolutely nothing wrong with showing pride in your organization.
You can't wipe out history, people, and it's dead wrong to criticize and negatively stereotype an extremely large group of men simply because their organization was created during a time of civil unrest, and because some of its members in more recent history have acted in a manner unbefitting their Order. I guarantee you that the Southern gentlemen of KA are just as upset as you are (probably more so) about those idiots who brought embarrassment to their organization.
One final thing before I close: Icon, I don't know what group of which you are a member. However, I'd be very willing to bet that not all of your organization's chapter members have halos above their heads. People living in glass houses shouldn't cast stones. So please stop the KA bashing. As Greeks, we should be working together to make things better in our communities -- not tearing each other down by perpetuating stereotypes. If the KA chapter at your alma mater isn't the best in the area, that's fine. But please don't paint the entire KA Order with the same brush you use for the local chapter at your school.