When trying to decide an organization that I believed essentially, "wore their values on their sleeve". I thought of orgs like PETA, or since I am conceited, I thought of an organization I am involved in, Teach for China, sponsored by Teach for All. However, both of these screamed cookie cutter answer to me. So I thought a little deeper, I decided the question did not say the organization had to have good values, or values I even agree with. So although I am not really familiar with this organization, I chose the Westboro Baptist Church. I picked the Westboro Baptist Church because I find their values both humorous and appalling. For those of you who do not know, Westboro Baptist Church is an organization that is staunchly against homosexuality, in fact their website is godhatesfags.com. Don't go there. They have also been known to picket soldiers funerals and desecrate the American flag. This "church" merely has 70 members and yet they are consistently in the media, around the country, and even on our campus. I thought the Westboro Baptist Church was a prime example of a couple of things.
First off, no matter how small your organization is or even as one person, you can still make a huge impact, positive or negative. One person getting shitfaced in their letters, getting in a fight, and then defecating in the street, or sexually assaulting a woman, for example, allows the community to perceive that the entire fraternity and sorority community's values align with that individual. Just as one member of a fraternity helping a woman jump her car makes that woman perceive the community in a different light.
This brings me to point two, and this link. That no matter how many great things we do, negative things will always get the most publicity. The reason I know Westboro Baptist Church's values is because they are ridiculous and appalling and the media feeds on that. Furthermore, we cannot run from our past or dismiss it. The article above appeared in the paper this past Saturday. April 23rd, 2011. It uses an event that took place almost 30 years ago. Autumn 1984. To argue that woman would be drastically safer without fraternities on college campuses. We must combat that argument. Not with words. But with actions. And sometimes, inaction.
This is a great post. I think you made some really interesting points about the Westboro Baptist Church. I never really thought about their actions from that perspective.
ReplyDeleteYou also make an awesome point. Sometimes the best action is infact none at all.
You are a wise fellow. I am very sure that you wrote this post while you had a beard, not that goatee.