Hazing: worse in prison than in fraternities

4 fraternity geeks arrested for role in alcohol related death of pledge:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090522/ap_on_re_us/us_fraternity_death

It's about time. This kind of stuff can't be tolerated. penalty should be a bit harsher, though--1 and 3 years isn't much for what is essentially manslaughter.

 

The national fraternal organization should receive some sort of sanction as well.

 

Every time I see a story like this I think, "Do they still have fraternities?"

 

Call them frats, JR. I always do.

During my own college days, a frat boy heard me do it and insisted that they had to be called fraternities. His argument? And I quote, "Would you call a country a c-nt?"

Never mind that frat has no meaning other than fraternity and c-nt does, but yes, I would, if I had as little respect for some country as I do for most fraternities. (Cue some member of Alpha-Sigma-whatever informing us of all the wonderful charity work his beloved brotherood has engaged in over the years). Sorry, a bunch of guys who pay to hang out and drink together doesn't quite deserve the same respect as a nation.

Truth is, I just find the whole thing silly most of the time. But there are incidents like this, and some I know of that are worse, that are troubling. I know college students will do stupid shit with or without the Greek system. Sometimes I just wonder if it would happen a little less without them.

 

"They can't do that to our pledges."

"Yeah ... only we can do that to our pledges."

 

I would have responded:

"No, I wouldn't. I'd call you a c-nt, though."