In this digital age, passive activism is at an all time high, and everyone wants someone to point the finger at. A group who is unwaveringly being blamed for all of society’s problems are members of the Greek community, particularly fraternity men. With statistics regarding sexual assault claiming that one in five women will be victims, it’s easier to blame a group based on your own misconceptions than it is to dig deeper in search of a problem.
Sites like Reddit, Jezebel, and the other Gawker Media brands went into a frenzy recently with a move to ban fraternities. After a study full of sloppy reporting and manipulated statistics was released saying fraternity men were 300% more likely to rape women than non-fraternity men, the media went crazy, and the war on fraternities is more heated than ever. People wanted frats gone, because they were so willing to believe anything bad that was said about them, but as AEI Senior Research Associate Caroline Kitchens and self-proclaimed feminist points out, “if you believe that we should punish innocent people based on unproven stereotypes that you hold against their group, well, you might not be a voice for equality and social justice after all.” Her video details just how bogus this all is.
A statement from Caroline was sent to me by her intern regarding what moved her to produce such a video.
I was in Delta Gamma while I was Duke and had an overwhelmingly positive experience with the Greek system. I believe that fraternities and sororities can be a force for good, but they often face unfair condemnation from critics. Few seem willing to defend them. I decided to make this video for two reasons. First, because fraternity men in particular face unfair stereotypes about sexual predation that don’t seem to be borne out in any responsible research. I wanted to encourage people to question the biases they hold against fraternity men. Second, and more importantly, I wanted to remind people that members of the Greek community have diverse experiences and aren’t part of a monolithic group. It should go without saying that the vast majority of fraternity men are nice, decent guys who do not deserve to be vilified as potential rapists or collectively punished for the misdeeds of a few members. I hope that people will resist the sensationalized theories about “toxic Greek culture” and instead respect the dignity of Greek men and women as individuals.
Thank you, Caroline, for standing up for Greeks when they can not stand up for themselves..
Nice Move489
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Veronica Ruckh
Veronica (@VeronicaRuckh) is the Director of Total Sorority Move for Grandex, Inc. After having spent her undergraduate years drinking $4 double LITs on a patio and drunk texting away potential suitors, she managed to graduate with an impressive GPA and an unimpressive engagement ring -- so unimpressive, in fact, some might say it's not there at all. Veronica has since been fulfilling her duties as "America's big," a title she gave to herself with the help of her giant ego. She has recently switched from vodka to wine on weekdays. Email her at veronica@grandex.co
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