Well 33Girl,
I will respectfully agree to disagree.
Without understanding the consequences of an action, change for the better seldom occurs. That's something you learn in parenting and in business -- really in much of life.
To point out past transgressions that people at the same school, in the same era, obviously didn't learn from, or chose to ignore, is an important factor in showing the disregard for the "good of the order." Besides, as any good journalist (which, although my background is in media, I've never claimed to be) or any good lawyer knows, the background (history) leading up to an event is important to consider when trying to decide the outcome and ramifications of the present circumstance. That's probably why the new article that Fraternal News quotes mentioned the SAE incident as well. It shows a pattern of unacceptable behaviors which aren't being corrected.
When you're standing at bat, you can't simply ignore those first two strikes. After the third, you know what happens.
As division officers and alumni volunteers, it is worrisome that someday we could be on the wrong end of one of those lawsuits simply because we are trying to help our fraternity. How foolish would we be to not have brought problems to the attention of those people and that system that we have dedicated our efforts to? And, no, none of the chapters I advise have ever been closed. A local chapter did close, probably for good, but it was before I became involved in the Division.
I will say this, 33 -- I admire your spirit and sometimes (perhaps even often) agree with you. And you make your points with eloquence. I wish we had been standing side by side in the 60's during those turbulent times of unrest when I was, in fact, 19. Even as we grow older, though, as you were so kind to point out, the "passion" does remain. But as we gain in our life's experiences it is not uncommon to become frustrated as errors are repeated time and again.
Finally, I don't believe that everyone on GC has his/her head in the sand. But read through some of the posts on "Hazing is good," or "Anti Hazing has gone too far." I submit that what you consider negativity (pointing out adverse and natural consequences) may be necessary to counter some of that stupidity.
Although I don't totally agree with concept of "tough love," my experience tells me that standing silent can be more damaging than pointing out those consequences.
Fraternally,
DeltAlum
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