To the Editor:
It never ceases to amaze me just how thoughtless and insensitive some frat boys can be. The individuals responsible for making those racist and sexist remarks to the "anonymous" young lady are obviously no exceptions. As a person with Native American roots and brother to seven sisters, I find that their actions were both uncalled for and unacceptable. Unfortunately, these shameless acts are all too common. For instance, I personally know many "brothers" who refer to their girlfriends as their bi#@%es and blatantly degrade women in other ways by treating them as sexual "objects." The situation is so chaotic that some have even suggested that on top of their Greek letters, fraternities should have cautionary signs that read "Be afraid, be very afraid" or "Enter at your own risk."
Moreover, while I was a freshman, during Homecoming Weekend I got to see for myself something that left me in complete shock, disbelief, and amazement: the infamous "Indian T-shirt." This T-shirt, which portrayed a bulldog performing oral sex on a Native American, was very insulting to me. I have Native American blood running through my veins, and I do not think it would have been funny if, instead of the Native American or the dog, there was a fraternity brother in the picture. I don't care if the Native American is, according to fraternities such as Psi U, the "official" mascot of this campus. That shirt was abominable and, above all, racist! Although Psi U has already expressed to the Dartmouth community that they are genuinely sorry for the thoughtless and inappropriate actions of some of its members and has taken measures to make sure this will never again, we all know that that is a bunch of baloney! These incidents will continue to happen again and again until this College gets rid of the Greek System "as we know it" once and for all, and begins to strongly advocate changes in the community to enhance our progress towards an equitable and racially harmonious society, based on mutual respect, understanding, compassion, justice, and reconciliation.
