Posted on Mar 9, 2015
Should Oklahoma University share the responsibility of a racist fraternity chant?
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This can become a particularly personal post with emotions, so I ask you to try to remain objective with me as I want to challenge you to really look at what you accept as normal in your circle.
Do you think this is a limited group of students, or is it the actions which is commonplace of the largest fraternity (Sigma Alpha Epsilon {SAE})?
Many will say the only difference between this group of young men using racial slurs and alluding to lynching and other young men that also spew garbage in their music are only different based on their color. Does it make it right for only one group to use racial slurs, or is it fair for all people to say these racially offensive/slang words?
How many other RP members have done what I have and actually confronted other people (of many different ethnicities) playing offensive music (e.g. Gansta Rap), using racially offensive slang words and forcing change on the spot?
Finally, how do we impact change? Is it worth the energy to avoid universities that allow that fraternity as part of their student body?
Again, I am asking for objective, thought out feedback. Feedback which this organization filled with professionals can go forward and learn from this AND take appropriate action. Thanks. Hooah, MJU.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/racist-chant-video-university-oklahoma-president-severs-ties/story?id=29500229
Do you think this is a limited group of students, or is it the actions which is commonplace of the largest fraternity (Sigma Alpha Epsilon {SAE})?
Many will say the only difference between this group of young men using racial slurs and alluding to lynching and other young men that also spew garbage in their music are only different based on their color. Does it make it right for only one group to use racial slurs, or is it fair for all people to say these racially offensive/slang words?
How many other RP members have done what I have and actually confronted other people (of many different ethnicities) playing offensive music (e.g. Gansta Rap), using racially offensive slang words and forcing change on the spot?
Finally, how do we impact change? Is it worth the energy to avoid universities that allow that fraternity as part of their student body?
Again, I am asking for objective, thought out feedback. Feedback which this organization filled with professionals can go forward and learn from this AND take appropriate action. Thanks. Hooah, MJU.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/racist-chant-video-university-oklahoma-president-severs-ties/story?id=29500229
Posted 9 y ago
Responses: 3
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You will be hard pressed to censor music as it is considered freedom of speech. Tipper Gore tried that in the 80's and had to settle for the "parental rating" instead. You would also be hard pressed to "tell" a Soldier/person what music they can and cannot listen to. It is not just rap music, almost every type of music has offensive words, I am sure even gospel music offends someone.
Once this behavior is accepted by a group of people and publicly displayed that's when you have some problems. I truly believe that the military has a pretty good model for equal opportunity, it's not perfect but, I don't think such a thing exists. Everyone is prejudice of something, the key is to let it be known that it's okay to believe in whatever you believe in but you can't display or practice it because the military will not tolerate it and you will be punished. That goes for in or out of uniform.
I have corrected Soldiers for loud offensive music because it was loud and the installation policy gives me the authority to do so, I mention the offensive language just because it adds more substance to the correction. The only way to impact change is continue to educate and enforce regulations/policy. The civilian sector could take some notes from the military model and I know a lot of them do.
Once this behavior is accepted by a group of people and publicly displayed that's when you have some problems. I truly believe that the military has a pretty good model for equal opportunity, it's not perfect but, I don't think such a thing exists. Everyone is prejudice of something, the key is to let it be known that it's okay to believe in whatever you believe in but you can't display or practice it because the military will not tolerate it and you will be punished. That goes for in or out of uniform.
I have corrected Soldiers for loud offensive music because it was loud and the installation policy gives me the authority to do so, I mention the offensive language just because it adds more substance to the correction. The only way to impact change is continue to educate and enforce regulations/policy. The civilian sector could take some notes from the military model and I know a lot of them do.
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I think offensive words are offensive -- no matter who is saying them. I don't think an offensive word is somehow not offensive because it is being used by someone from a different background or a different [FILL-IN-THE-BLANK].
Speaking of offensive music, CSM Michael J. Uhlig, just the other day a guy was playing some very loud music and here's what I heard (over and over): "F*** that N*****" (at least the *** words; it might have been F***ing N*****). I think I was at a 7-Eleven parking lot. I admit that I did not confront the individual driving the car. The Germans call that - confronting something like that - civil courage. I guess I lacked it. Either that, or my sense of self preservation overrode my duty to be civilly courageous.
As for the fraternity ... I hope that this group is an outlier. I would like to believe that - even in private - most (some, at least) people do not harbor racist feelings.
Speaking of offensive music, CSM Michael J. Uhlig, just the other day a guy was playing some very loud music and here's what I heard (over and over): "F*** that N*****" (at least the *** words; it might have been F***ing N*****). I think I was at a 7-Eleven parking lot. I admit that I did not confront the individual driving the car. The Germans call that - confronting something like that - civil courage. I guess I lacked it. Either that, or my sense of self preservation overrode my duty to be civilly courageous.
As for the fraternity ... I hope that this group is an outlier. I would like to believe that - even in private - most (some, at least) people do not harbor racist feelings.
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CSM Michael J. Uhlig
CW5 (Join to see), it makes you wonder what the house was like where they grew up!
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The fraternity is a sanctioned entity of the university. So, I say yes, the university does share in the responsibility of this. The university should share in the responsibility (to some degree) for the good order and discipline of its students and its student organizations.
Compare this to the Army for a moment. Did the Army share responsibility when a Soldier decided to use a Quran for target practice in Iraq? Oh yeah, you bet the Army did.
Compare this to the Army for a moment. Did the Army share responsibility when a Soldier decided to use a Quran for target practice in Iraq? Oh yeah, you bet the Army did.
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