Quote:
Originally Posted by Gusteau
I get what your saying, I just don't think discomfort equals outdated.
Basically, one of the most important realizations for fraternity and sorority members is the acknowledgment that their organization is larger than themselves. Part of both the humility and pride of being part of such a vast and meaningful organization is sacrificing a little bit of yourself for the common good. If you can't make sacrifices for those you care about you (the general you) are just not fit for fraternity/sorority life. One member's occasional discomfort is not more important that the organization as a whole.
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From a minority person's standpoint, that discomfort is just one more in a long list of discomforts that they're expected to 'deal with' throughout their everyday lives. Newspapers assume the 'standard' person is white and only identify someone by race if the person is non-white. Co-workers assume that everyone's Christian and say a very specifically Christian prayer before a holiday meal. It gets wearing on a person when it's always "them" who is expected to be humble for the whole.
I really don't disagree that ultimately it's worth it for some people, but I don't think it's an issue that can be swept away as humility vs. pride. And I think that her opinions on whether or not ritual is outdated is not because of discomfort but because of the same thing that causes the discomfort, if I'm reading her right. In her description they're both symptoms of the same problem, not one caused by the other.
Again, the inability to talk in specifics makes this a pretty pointless discussion and only enhances my opinion that any sort of concerted effort among GLOs to 'recognize ritual' is fruitless. We should support our ritual - or work from within to change it if we so desire - but we can't really talk about things otherwise.
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