To the Editor:
I was quite dismayed to hear about the actions of a couple of fraternity brothers, who undoubtedly made apparent their infantile and hurtful ignorance. No amount of excuses can explain their behavior, and to wit, no reasonable punishment from the fraternity should be resisted. Indeed, their acute disrespect and intolerance for a fellow Dartmouth student warrants action.
However, equally distressing were comments castigating the "system;" that is, in the words of Ms. Lierman and Ms. Oliviero in a recent Op-Ed, a "system that so loudly perpetuates the violent denigration of the majority of this campus?" Tough words for a "system" that gave me among the best four years of my life.
In any case, I estimate that, for these two ladies and other (I dare say) professional activists, "society" or "community" can really never escape the onerous circle of blame, for inevitably the rest of us (a la Greek community) share the insufferable trait of being guilty for the neanderthal actions of several Brother X's. When will these professional activists among us understand that the actions of an irresponsible few do not represent the whole? When will they learn that individuals should be punished for their deeds, and that society is too easy a target (a cop-out, so to speak) to substitute for the actions of individuals? Blaming society only leads us to remedies that often exacerbate the problem. Speech codes hell-bent on limiting free expression are such examples.
I suppose de-recognizing the brothers who watched in silence would send a message, but what kind of message? That the punishment ought not be proportional to the act? Sure, the guys watching in silence should get punishment, but do they deserve the full treatment as their foul-mouthed brethren? Punish both the silent and the neanderthals, but let us be fair and just. Let us never become a lynch mob, never blind and unfaithful to the requirements of justice.
