I feel your pain, those of you that grow exasperated at hearing about chapters being closed and the antics that lead to the closing.
And certainly news organizations such as Fraternal News exist to share with us the negative aspects of Greek Life. And they have no obligation to do Greek Human Interest stories either.
You have to admit, most of us take what we read at face value.
Even though we are often allowing the press to create the famous "box" (the one we are supposed to think out of) for us, where the problem is both created, defined and proven, often independant of any type of rigorous empirical proof.
We also know that the simplest and most emotive messages are what get across to the largest audiences. So by using words like binge drinking, and casting allusions to "rape cultures", its a lot easier to sway the general audience than try some highly learned approach to some of our social issues.
How emotional is the word Rape? How hard is it to even have discussions about issues involving Rape?
I'm rambling a bit because I am working on 1/2 hours sleep (I feel for you ZTAngel) so back on track . . .
It is a test of leadership to be able to create a cognitive framework that allows us to read both intellegently and be aware of the box we are in as well as what lies outside that box. A box that is created for us by the perspective, beliefs, and agendas of others.
We see some good thinking here when people say: Wait, Greeks do good things also which aren't covered, and Greeks seem to get more attention when they do what others are also doing.
When I am reading articles Like Delta Alum was talking about, and the read his comments, I sit back and try to place it in perspective.
As a specific incident it doesn't look good. But is it something that that should prompt such general feelings of digust? Generalized to the entire system?
As Delta Alum said earlier we lost 40 chapters this year to incidents ranging from silly to dangerously stupid to just tragic accidents.
But . . .
I don't how many of you think about this
but there are over 5145 Male Fraternity Chapters currently active as well as over 2936 female sorority chapters active! OVer 8000 chapters active total!
If we lost 40 chapters this year to dumb stuff, we lost .005% of out Chapters. Even at a hundred chapters lost we lost only .012% of the chapters that are existing on our college campuses.
Given that perspective, perhaps, just perhaps, we have gotten a little too focused on the negaitves, too bitter, too consumed with what we deem to be social problems.
And dare I say it? We have gotten so used to seeing ourselves through the eyes of those people that hate us, or don't approve of us that we have become like many victims of abuse, we have come to abuse our selves.
And by abusing ourselves, we come to merit abuse because we accept the image that others have given us.
Thanks for taking the time to read my rant
James