Sorority suspended for "Indian Party."

[macallan25]

Originally Posted by breathesgelatin

Oh, come on, Kevin. These girls are from North Dakota. I think almost everyone knows that "cowboys and Indians" isn't all good fun, especially if they're from North Dakota. As t*p said - they should have known better. They have been disciplined by their nationals. End of story.

And besides, almost any group/person that does something offensive and gets called out for it is going to claim it was all in good fun and not meant to be offensive - unless they're an open racist or just an idiot.

An incident happened at my college - that never hit the media somehow - where a guy showed up to a sorority's "Famous Lovers" date party dressed as Liesl's boyfriend from The Sound of Music. He came in full-on Nazi paraphernalia. He went around doing "Heil Hitler" salutes and multiple other offensive and Anti-Semitic gestures. He was told by several Jewish members of the sorority in question to cease and desist. He did not. He was told by male guests at the party who were in fraternities and student government to cease and desist. He did not. He took tons of party pictures that were later posted online doing the "Heil Hitler" salute. He was consequently brought before W&L's Student-Faculty Hearing Board (which deals with issues of sexual assault-sexual harassment-discrimination-offensive behavior, etc). He ultimately wasn't disciplined. But what did he claim to the newspaper, the dean, and the SFHB? He "didn't realize he was doing anything offensive." Even after multiple people told him to stop and he was being offensive, he claimed he didn't know. This is just how people defend themselves! Claiming that "it's all in good fun" doesn't mean the people in question actually thought that - or that what they're doing is OK.

So you can't have a Cowboys and Indian party in any state that is/was home to large Indian populations?

And I really can't believe you are comparing a Cowboys and Indians themed party with a kid dressing up like Nazi SS.

[breathesgelatin]

Originally Posted by macallan25

So you can't have a Cowboys and Indian party in any state that is/was home to large Indian populations?

And I really can't believe you are comparing a Cowboys and Indians themed party with a kid dressing up like Nazi SS.

I think the argument would be you can't have a Cowboy and Indian party period, actually. Or at least you shouldn't do so if you don't want to get called out on it.

I wasn't really comparing the two parties/incidents, and don't want to. I was just pointing out that people who do offensive stuff are always going to use the excuse that "it was all in good fun," even if it's clear that that's untrue.

[macallan25]

Originally Posted by breathesgelatin

I think the argument would be you can't have a Cowboy and Indian party period, actually. Or at least you shouldn't do so if you don't want to get called out on it.

I wasn't really comparing the two parties/incidents, and don't want to. I was just pointing out that people who do offensive stuff are always going to use the excuse that "it was all in good fun," even if it's clear that that's untrue.

Why should I get called out for having a Cowboy and Indian party? That's absolutely ridiculous.

........dressing up like a Nazi probably wasn't in all good fun. Dressing like some Cowboys and Indians that you would see in any cheesy western is completely harmless.

[breathesgelatin]

Originally Posted by macallan25

Dressing like some Cowboys and Indians that you would see in any cheesy western is completely harmless.

Well, as this incident makes clear, a lot of people don't find it harmless.

[texas*princess]

Kevin, I don't understand how the GPhiB incident is related to a cheesy western movie that you keep trying to relate this to.

Every article I can find on that doesn't ever mention anything about Cowboys.

The girls showed up in Indian "maiden" dresses, and guys showed up in makeshift loinclothes and red 'war' paint.

Oh! And the Gamma Phi house is right next door to The American Indian Student Services House.

But hey, they shouldn't have been put on TEMPORARY social probabation because "it was all in good fun".

[macallan25]

Originally Posted by breathesgelatin

Well, as this incident makes clear, a lot of people don't find it harmless.

No. They don't.....and that really shouldn't matter. Maybe the people that really want to cry and whine over a bunch of college students having a party should start filing law suits and taking on some of the bazillion places that manufactures and sells Indian and Western costumes.

The ridiculous amount of PCness that is expected of everyone in this country is ludicrous.