Over-reaction on campus....

[poop]

There is a fraternity, TKE, here at the University of Louisville that is on permanent probation with the University, which basically means they get kicked off of campus for anything they do wrong - indefinitely.

Well, a couple of guys from TKE went to a halloween party in black face. Another went dressed as a KKK member. The joke was that the KKK guy, who was black, was chasing around the white guys in black face. It apparantly freaked some people out, because they thought it was racist. Now the NAACP is all pissed off that such a thing could happen. The party was off-campus, but since there were 3 students together, they are calling it a 'school event'. Now, there is talk of expelling TKE from UofL, and having the three students involved suspended from school for at least a semester.

The basic concensus of everyone I know is that the University is over-reacting. It was just a joke, and it was in no way slighting whites or blacks. It was just something some guys decided to do. The current hope is that this doesn't blow up. We are all afraid Jesse Jackson will show up and start lots of trouble over this. He did it last year over some cops getting medals when they killed some kids in self defense. Well, that resulted in a big scandal, and our chief of police was forced into resigning. Sigh.

[ilike2bbarefoot]

Ooo, look, another university pretending to be politically correct!! I think we ought to petition Congress to allow for the implementation of daily neck-wringing for all officials in state-run colleges and universities so that we can be sure they have their heads on straight. They also ought to send Jesse Jackson to someplace like China without a return flight so that he can learn to keep his mouth shut or die. He SO rubs me the wrong way.

More to the point, I can fully understand your viewpoint, based on your retelling of the events. I have seen authorities (almost always public schools and colleges) overreact in manners far more inappropriate than the perpetrators involved in the original incident, way too many times. It's a shame that they are so far out of touch with reality that they think they can handle each situation as if some sort of morbid example must be made out of the participants. Perhaps there is more to be said for private schools that do not rely on government funding. Although Asbury College is a private school (that's my college, btw), it does get federal funding and thus is far too prone to make decisions in the name of political correctness, often at the expense of the students. The worst part of it all is that Asbury is supposed to be based on Christian values of education, ethics, and morality. Now, maybe it's just me, but I've always understood my Christian mindframe to be that of open-mindedness, thoughtful audience of foreign thoughts and ideas, and graciously dealing with situations that are less than desirable. If Asbury can act in the same way as UL on issues, then I don't see much of an administrative difference between the two. And I'm not the only Asbury student who feels this way.

Down with political correctness!! Let PC stand for what it should mean: personal computer!!

[/rant]

[Splitfire]

Hmmm, couple of thoughts:

1. TKE isn't exactly renowned for being a gentlemen's club. They are under investigation at Texas A&M after 3 pledges died in a car wreck at 3AM coming home from a retreat. I can't tell you how many other stories I have heard of TKE across the country doing really dumb stuff. So they aren't exactly the most upstanding group to begin with.

2.

It apparantly freaked some people out, because they thought it was racist.

Gee, how did they ever get that idea?

3.

...they are calling it a 'school event'.

Wow, UofL sponsors keggers? Where do I sign up! That's a stretch if I've ever heard it.

4.

...and it was in no way slighting whites or blacks.

Forgive me for saying so, but if you believe that you are a fool. The entire premise of the KKK is based on racism and slighting blacks. Now you want to say that dressing up as a klansman and chasing a "black" person around isn't going to stir up some people? Come on man.

To me, it sound more like the university is looking to get rid of TKE more than be politically correct. Granted, the PCness is a just a means to an end, but the end is legitimate. Personally, I wouldn't be oppsed to seeing them gone at all universities across the country.

[poop]

Well, after the party, they KKK guy went and burned his costume. Does that sound like he is condoning the KKK? I think not.

Here is a choice quote from our SGA president: "We will not tolerate intolerance." How stupid is that?

I figure this will come down to a 1st amendment issue. When you are not allowed to express yourself (however innapropriate) because you might offend someone, your rights are being trampeled on. I can understand the demand of an apology, but suspension? Geez.

[Splitfire]

I really wish I could resist the urge to post in these types of threads. But anyways....

I figure this will come down to a 1st amendment issue. When you are not allowed to express yourself (however innapropriate) because you might offend someone, your rights are being trampeled on.

Not true. The Supreme Court decided long ago that free speech can only be free if it is a political speech. That means that <i>actions</i> used as "speech" <b>can</b> be limited. For instance, you can't run into a crowded movie theater and start yelling "FIRE," then say its your right to free speech to do that. You also can't get up in front of an angry mob and start telling them to kill so-and-so because you are free to do so. You can't run around in costumes of klansmen, get sued, then say that your actions were protected as a freedom of speech. The law just doesn't work that way. Not to mention the fact that I fail to see ANY political intentions behind the "speech" of a bunch of drunk college frat guys. I don't think the courts will either.

But my original assesment stands that this is probably the opportunity the university has been waiting for to get rid of TKE altogether.

[d_b]

To me this has nothing to do with PCness, but rather a bunch of moronically stupid frat boys with their heads so far up their ass that they couldn't see the repercussions of their actions. Not to mention it just ain't right.

[Corn]

Well, it's nice to see the thought police make an appearance in this thread.

Your guarantee of free speech has nothing to do with "political speech". The limitations placed on speech are centered solely upon threatening the safety of other individuals--such as mob incitement, your "fire" example--and, to a certain extent, libel and slander.

This halloween "joke" is protected under the first ammendment of the constitution.

I fail to see why a parody about a group, whose racist ideals *are* protected by the first ammendment, is, or even should, be regarded with such scrutiny. Sounds like an "agenda" to me.

Just another example of the liberal "religion" attempting to force it's beliefs on others by virtue of attrition. What I find most amusing (but not suprising) is the blatent hypocrisy of these "crusaders" at UoL and their selective morality. Evidently our institutions of higher learning are no longer interested in being associated as places that foster free thinking, but instead are only interested in chruning out a fleet of RoboGores.......

[Splitfire]

Now THERE is an insightful post...

[Corn]

Wasn't meant to be "insightful".

Perhaps you can elighten me with regard to this "investigation" against TKE at Texas A&M for I can find no information about it at all.

I can, however find plenty of articles with regard to a similar incident in which 2 Texas A&M Delta Tau Delta pledges were killed in an accident coming home from a retreat 3 weeks ago.