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Originally Posted by DrPhil
Kevin, the problem with that logic is (the sharing of differing opinions aside) it is easy for you as a white man to say that a chapter being racially derogatory is worth no more than an apology and racial sensitivity training.
"Hazing" doesn't always harm people in terms of safety and jeopardizing lives. Sometimes "hazing" only hurts feelings. Sometimes "hazing" only offends. Sometimes "hazing" does neither but the "powers that be" decide that the behavior is inappropriate despite the people undergoing the "hazing" being perfectly fine or even excited about what they are experiencing.
So, if schools and GLOs can punish chapters for "hazing" regardless of the full context, schools and GLOs should also be able to punish chapters for being racially derogatory (even if every member of that racial and ethnic group is not offended).
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I'm glad you differentiate between the hazing where people are physically harmed and hazing where the only harm is mental. Both can be unlawful in many states. I can tell you that in at least my state, I think we have a decent statute:
https://studentconduct.okstate.edu/hazing
It doe specify mental health, but I have only heard of very harsh physical abuse ever being prosecuted. Hazing is already a crime, let the criminal justice system work it out. As for just being offensive, the criminal justice system can't always work it out because we have a First Amendment right to be offensive and insensitive.
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What the punishment should be will vary but apology and racial sensitivity training may not suffice. I refuse to believe college students with any half of a brain are unaware that a Taco Tuesday that includes stereotypical language and attire would be a good idea. White privilege and overall stupidity can be blinding but it is up to them to get their heads out of their asses. As we have seen with racially themed parties over the past 5 years, harsh penalties are required to buffer the over-and-over-again stupidity. Many of these people will still be bigoted idiots at the end of the day but some punishments have to be about retribution and not rehabilitation.
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I grew up a white kid with two professional parents in an affluent suburb attending mostly private school. I will not have you lecture me about how oblivious people with a privileged background can be to things you label as common sense.
You talk about "harsh penalties," but harsh penalties for crimes which only result in someone being offended should not exist. You cannot use harsh penalties to stamp out a culture of racial obliviousness.
Education is what is needed, not retribution.