Jubilance1922-
I hear what you are saying but the in a real sense the only way to combat misinformation is to be more open, and encourage the open interchange od voices. Of course, within the bounds of what is appropriate. One of the things I see today, at least in my fraternity circles, is the growth of spurious "traditions, many of which are inimical to the the truly venerable traditions. Some of this is due to the lack of transmittal of true traditions and meaningful interaction of older brothers with younger brothers as mentors. What are seen as venerable traditions are really recent innovations;but those who don't have the chronological perspective to understrand these things, take these things as "gospel." Input and mentoring from 20-, 40- and 50-year brothers would help them contextualize these developments and see their fraternity experience differently. I suppose the same could be said of women's groups also?
And this applies to extr-group communications. I was a Greek Teaching Fellow at my seminary Alma Mater, and I had a two Korean-American students, a husband and wife. After the wife found out that I was a Que, she told me her best friend was an AKA. And the first thing that came out of her mouth about me as an Omega man was I was a "bulldog." Later, the husband jokingly told me that in a conversation with her that she told him that I "acted like an Alpha." I interpreted that to mean that my persona didn't fit the Nasty Que dog image. (Mind you, our interaction was in a graduate school context in a theological seminary--was I supposed to "set out a hop" in class, and have some beer and chicken during the break!
)I thought this was funny, and it showed how people who, seemingly, would not be affected by these stereotypes, held them. Only by exposure to other people and viewpoints can these assumptions be called into question. This is esserntially my argument and rationale for open dialogue, esp. in a forum like GC. Hey, you'll always have some knucklehead(s) try to stir something up to jerk your chain. But you don't have to take the bait.