"Texas fraternity's gunfire leads to brief police standoff"

[AZTheta]

Originally Posted by NWguy

Okay, let's say they were all experienced with handling guns (hard to believe, but I'll go with it), so what were they shooting at in the dark? At a firing range, there are targets - i.e. clay bunnies - that you can visibly see in daylight, but in the dark?

I understand guns are part of the Texas culture, but I haven't heard of California fraternities planning a surfing outing, or Colorado fraternities coordinating a rockclimbing outing. The liability if someone was to get hurt - by participating in something potentially dangerous that was organized as a chapter outing (vs. some of the guys going out on their own) - would weigh heavily on the chapter. They could've been sued for liability, had someone been accidentally shot.

1) why is it so hard to believe? Just because it's outside your (perhaps narrow, based on your posts) area of exposure or knowledge means nothing.

2) again, just because you haven't heard of something happening doesn't mean it didn't occur. It just didn't cross your radar, or get any press, or whatever. Point in fact: a sorority I advised did an "adventure challenge" course involving rock climbing, zip lines, and various other activities. Did you know that? I don't think so. It happened. You just didn't hear about it. We didn't tell you.

As for a surfing outing, oh my gosh. You have got to be kidding me. We forgot to tell you about that too, apparently.

You might want to broaden your perspective a bit. And not stereotype locales while you're at it. I'm actually agreeing with Kevin, so I'm going to take a screen shot just to prove that this really happened.

[rockwallgreek]

Originally Posted by AZTheta

1) why is it so hard to believe? Just because it's outside your (perhaps narrow, based on your posts) area of exposure or knowledge means nothing.

2) again, just because you haven't heard of something happening doesn't mean it didn't occur. It just didn't cross your radar, or get any press, or whatever. Point in fact: a sorority I advised did an "adventure challenge" course involving rock climbing, zip lines, and various other activities. Did you know that? I don't think so. It happened. You just didn't hear about it. We didn't tell you.

As for a surfing outing, oh my gosh. You have got to be kidding me. We forgot to tell you about that too, apparently.

You might want to broaden your perspective a bit. And not stereotype locales while you're at it. I'm actually agreeing with Kevin, so I'm going to take a screen shot just to prove that this really happened.

Thank you AZ Theta!! My grandson shoots targets with his daddy, a Federal Marshal, with a 22 at age 2 and a half. That is normal in rural areas of Texas. As an Alumna and Volunteer Service Team member, I don't know if I would approve such an activity on the West Coast, where I was born and raised, but here I probably would. Girls shoot too!

[NWguy]

Originally Posted by AZTheta

1) why is it so hard to believe? Just because it's outside your (perhaps narrow, based on your posts) area of exposure or knowledge means nothing.

2) again, just because you haven't heard of something happening doesn't mean it didn't occur. It just didn't cross your radar, or get any press, or whatever. Point in fact: a sorority I advised did an "adventure challenge" course involving rock climbing, zip lines, and various other activities. Did you know that? I don't think so. It happened. You just didn't hear about it. We didn't tell you.

As for a surfing outing, oh my gosh. You have got to be kidding me. We forgot to tell you about that too, apparently.

You might want to broaden your perspective a bit. And not stereotype locales while you're at it. I'm actually agreeing with Kevin, so I'm going to take a screen shot just to prove that this really happened.

Guess there's no such thing as a friendly, rational conversation on here. "Perhaps narrow, based on your posts" - that's low. I find that offensive, actually.

If we disagree about something, that's fine. But I'm not going to put you down for it, make you feel like a coward.

I don't find this particular story/topic to have a right or wrong, however I do think that this "outing" would not fly in many other parts of the country. I would have never signed off on it; even with the slightest risk factor, there are other things to do, I'm sure, in Texas.

[Sororitysock]

Originally Posted by NWguy

I would have never signed off on it; even with the slightest risk factor,

Really? Suddenly you're a fraternity adviser when a couple of weeks ago you didn't even know how to donate your discarded furniture to your chapter or whether or not they would want it.

You repeatedly make posts acting incredulous about Greek happenings and campuses when it is clear you haven't been involved with your fraternity post-college and those other people are very active in their organizations on local, national and conference levels.

[Cheerio]

Originally Posted by Sororitysock

Really? Suddenly you're a fraternity adviser when a couple of weeks ago you didn't even know how to donate your discarded furniture to your chapter or whether or not they would want it.

You repeatedly make posts acting incredulous about Greek happenings and campuses when it is clear you haven't been involved with your fraternity post-college and those other people are very active in their organizations on local, national and conference levels.

And Greekchat doesn't have room for all points of view? And inquiries from Greeks of all ages and all points of the globe? (tulip86 and the posters from Indonesia and England, thinking of you)

SS, I temporarily removed you from my GC ignore list here to see whether you posted something worthwhile. In this case, again, not. So back to the ignore list you go.

[AZTheta]

Originally Posted by NWguy

Guess there's no such thing as a friendly, rational conversation on here. "Perhaps narrow, based on your posts" - that's low. I find that offensive, actually.

If we disagree about something, that's fine. But I'm not going to put you down for it, make you feel like a coward.

I don't find this particular story/topic to have a right or wrong, however I do think that this "outing" would not fly in many other parts of the country. I would have never signed off on it; even with the slightest risk factor, there are other things to do, I'm sure, in Texas.

You're connecting dots that aren't even in the same time zone, for the love of Mike. Sorry I'm not sorry. NEWS FLASH: I can't make you feel anything. I don't have that kind of power. That's on you, not me. Nope. Not my issue. Seems there's something else at play here.

By the looks of things, you don't like it when someone disagrees with you, or doesn't say something the way you want to hear it; and you take umbrage at what you perceive to be a slight, or any comment that isn't bathed in sugar and kid gloves. You won't get much rainbow blowing here, so if that's what you need, you're going to be disappointed.

Hint: there's a great feature on GC where you can ignore a poster. I suggest you put me on your ignore list so I won't hurt your feelings ever again. Others probably will, but I won't.

[Ag_Sis]

"The group didn't surrender when police shouted out instructions over a loudspeaker. So about 25 officers entered the ranch."

I'm guessing that this is the crux of the issue here. That, and the fact that the gunshots were heard at night and the police were called after midnight.

There's no issue here in Texas for a few friends to get together in daylight and shoot some clays. BUT gunshots in the middle of the night plus not heeding police instructions plus the high possibility of alcohol being involved.

This issue also goes beyond whether or not these guys know how to properly handle the guns. The gunshots beg the question of what exactly what they were shooting at. Target shooting in the middle of the night with potentially drunk people walking around sounds like a terrible idea. Shooting straight up in the air, Arab Spring-celebration style sounds equally harebrained.

Those guys are lucky that things didn't escalate when they didn't immediately respond to the police's instructions.