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Sigh. I knew I wasn't going to be able to word that last statement in a way that conveyed my thoughts appropriately. I don't want them punished because they were on mtv- but I don't understand why people feel like we should support them for doing so. I didn't mention the koi in that last post because I was pretty much tired of finding new ways to say "fish killing". It basically makes a bad situation worse in my opinion. And they never wore those shirts previous to mtv's presence, or killed a koi fish, or anything to the extreme extent that has occured in recent months. It seems to me that mtv's presence is related to this upsurge in offensive activities. That, to me, is intolerable. Aside from being completely moronic, are they doing to impress cameras, or to further support their reputation as the crazy party guys? If there's another reason, I would definitely love to know what it is. Doing something stupid because you made a mistake- that's human, and I don't think anyone should be reamed because of it. But doing something stupid for the above reasons just doesn't deserve the same tolerance, in my humble opinion.
Nor have the members of DOC seemed to have any actual regret about how things are going...a point which I felt was reiterated by Educated posting on here about how little the organization cares about what other people think about them. I realize they could regret it very sincerely and just not express it, but it's hard for me personally to trust that coming from a group that has continously lied, been disrespectful, etc. But not everyone has those same experiences, so I don't expect anyone to trust my opinions on the matter.
And to be honest, I think that level of press DOC has received on this matter is ridiculous- in large part because it is a more unique act than someone getting killed. I think that a human death is much more of a tragedy, but you hear about that in the papers every day. Media is designed to attract attention, and the best way to do that is with something suprising and different. And, for what it's worth, the main fraternities involved in that fight mentioned were from San Jose, and there was a great deal of press coverage.
Ok, the point I most wanted to express. I definitely don't think that being Greek puts you in a position where you can learn/feel/experience things that others can't possbly understand. I do, however, feel that any experience can open you up to new opinions and new viewpoints...part of what makes all of us humans unique is that we each have gained different things from different activities. But I think that it isn't automatic- if you choose not to join a Greek organization, there's a good chance that you aren't aware of many of the facets of that experience. If you want to learn, of course I feel it can be done. But if you're going to dismiss these things-like the poster Educated has seemingly done-then I don't see how you can truly understand. Being a part of a sorority has changed my priorities- I have come to a point where being involved in this organization is more important to me than I ever would have anticipated. Before going Greek, so to speak, I was one of the people who was very wary of the whole thing. I didn't see what could be that amazing about the experience. And I don't feel that I was ignorant, or naiive, so much as just lacking that experience. Why would it be such a priority for someone who isn't involved? And surely people who aren't Greek can understand why those of us who are might be upset at negative stereotypes of Greek life perpetuated. Buuuut...I wouldn't look down upon them if they didn't, because some people need that personal factor and involvement to truly know. I feel so frustrated right now because I work SO hard to be openminded, and closedminded people frustrate me more than anything else. For someone to interpret my own thoughts and words as such as very disconcerning to me. So, I apologize if I was offensive and/or elitist. I'm honestly making an effort to understand the points of view behind other people's words, and why we keep disagreeing.
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