For the past two weeks, anonymous posters and chalk graffiti have highlighted the issue of sexual assault and alleged that Greek houses degrade women and protect rapists. If the students responsible intended to engender dialogue about sexual assault, their intent has miscarried. By targeting the Greek system, they have obscured an issue that merits serious discussion.
Rape is not a Greek vs. anti-Greek issue. But when a person writes "Frats rape" on a sidewalk, Greek supporters disagree, and Greek detractors applaud. There are no constructive results, only polarization and bitterness.
These anonymous students have provided no evidence to support their statements. But the problem with these attacks is their anonymity. These students have made very serious allegations, but they have been unwilling to accept any of the consequences of free speech. If they want the College or the Greek system to be more responsible, they should be willing to accept responsibility for their own actions.
They should come forward. They should be courageous enough to make anti-rape statements in public and put the power of their reputations behind their opinions. These students have made the claim, "We are watching." If they sincerely care about sexual assault, they should be more than watching: they should be speaking, loudly and in public.
Sexual assault is a serious problem in America. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, one in three women is raped in her lifetime. Clearly, sexual assault needs to be discussed. But addressing the issue in anonymous attacks obscures the real issue. What should have focused attention on a problem that effects the entire campus has been interpreted as just another attack on the Greek system.
