Once again, the Verbum Ultimum ("To the Class of 2014," Oct. 1; "The Countenance of Change," Feb. 26) missed the point on sexual assault. On Wednesday, an anonymous author blitzed Dartmouth students a catchy (albeit cheesy) song about rape in Dartmouth fraternities, entitled "Out of Control." The Dartmouth condemned the action as "ineffective" for its anonymity and for "demonizing a campus constituency that has in fact often led the discussion on sexual assault."
I suppose that in my past four years I've heard of a couple panels on sexual assault take place at fraternities. Compared to the numbers of actual rapes that have occurred at fraternities, however, these "discussions" have been far too few and futile.
The Verbum completely ignored the primary reason people choose to remain anonymous: fear of personal retribution. Throughout history, people who expressed dissent have acted under pseudonyms. Were the Federalist Papers ineffective because Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay "hid" behind anonymity? Indeed, sexual assault activists at Dartmouth have every reason to keep their identities secret. Activists who speak publicly about the issue especially if they deviate from the tame, deferential position deemed acceptable by mainstream Dartmouth culture often become the subject of endless misogynistic epithets, ad hominem attacks and inquiries into their sexual experiences. Just take one look at Bored@Baker, or the comments page below any article addressing rape, for proof.
The demand that individuals only communicate their concerns about rape in an "open discussion" is stealthily oppressive. These discussions allegedly pioneered by frat brothers are predicated on the assumption that brothers are the "good guys" and frats are not to blame. That kind of prerequisite does not allow for an "open discussion," but, rather, silences individuals whose legitimate problems with the Greek system are inextricably linked to sexual violence. Oh, and God forbid you say anything "inflammatory," as The D laments; when it comes to rape, nobody is supposed to get angry or point fingers.
Sorry to be a downer, '14s, but "Out of Control" wasn't that far off the mark: the truth is that fraternities promote a safe haven for sexual violence. Most brothers are not rapists, but those who are thrive off of a fraternity culture that treats hooking up like conquest, that propagates the motto "bros before hoes" and that glorifies sometimes even enforces binge drinking, the surest way to eliminate the possibility of consent.
The "demonized" brothers on the Inter-Fraternity Council will never solve this issue. The resolution lies not in another inconsequential meeting, but in a fundamental overhaul of the Greek system's misogynistic culture. It's not enough for brothers to promise never to rape anybody; fraternities need to actively root out any behavior that contributes to a climate of sexual violence. Until that happens, as one online commenter noted, "they remain complicit." Realistically, that would require a fully co-ed Greek system, where women and men hold each other accountable for what takes place under their roof. Not a likely recommendation from the IFC.
The creator of "Out of Control" is not responsible for telling all the facts about rape at Dartmouth, proposing fraternity-friendly recommendations, or solving the problem of sexual violence entirely, as the ever-loquacious Zachary Gottlieb '10 ("Out of Control," Oct. 4) suggested yesterday. Those who took literally the lyrics "Dartmouth frat brothers steal your soul" misunderstood the message; the words were not a rallying cry for an anti-rape movement, but an effective piece of agitprop. In our cynical, ironic, post-everything generation, humor and brazen action are often the only ways to get people to care about important issues and this is the first time in a while we've seen any kind of sustained campus-wide conversation about sexual assault in particular. That some fraternity brothers have openly discussed playing the song in their basements to show their defiance is not the fault of the song's creator but a testament to how fraternity life cultivates immature and irresponsible behavior.
I applaud the editorial board for calling out the administration's slow pace on combating sexual assault. But their argument primarily expressed concern over the supposedly damaging consequences of "Out of Control," as if the song itself had raped campus. Makes me wonder why it's only the feminists that get labeled "hysterical."
