<p>"There is a watermelon in some of the photos, which is targeting a specific stereotype. "</p>
<p>They had small watermelons carved out to hold alcoholic drinks. Sorry, but that is shocking . . . shockingly stupid and offensive. I have no idea whether the students are getting kicked out of school, but it wouldn’t be the first time someone was asked to leave college for being stupid.</p>
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<p>The great thing about us humans…we can always manage to see that which we wish to see…</p>
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<p>Well that explains why many ‘don’t get it’… As old as we may feel at times, what with handling all of our college kid issues, aging parents, ACA problems, personal creaky knees and achy backs…even US of that age aren’t quite old enough to be well versed in the antebellum period stereotypes since really Cobrat, we haven’t been around that long :D</p>
<p>However, you don’t need to ‘get’ the watermelon reference for it to have negative power. They weren’t trying to offend or disparage you. The point really is that these students chose to go there because they knew it was a thing - it wasn’t happenstance or an unfortunate coincidence. The party theme wasn’t 4th of July BBQ it was MLK. They chose to bring a powerful negative symbol into a context where they knew that it would be offensive.</p>
<p>Absolutely agree with Saintfan. This wasn’t “shenanigans.” This was planned and it was stupid, offensive, and racist. </p>
<p>As for the term “frat boys” being offensive, maybe it will disappear when they start acting like men.</p>
<p>I also agree with Saintfan. Every element of this party was planned to be racist and there is no excuse for it all.</p>
<p>The term white privilege is not racist it is simple statement of fact. The reality is that my life experience as as white male is fundamentally different from that of a person of color of similar background.</p>
<p>^How do you know that? Not doubting it’s true, but could you please state on what you are basing that conclusion? </p>
<p>I live in a very diverse area, where there is not one ethnic group clearly in the majority and where race can often be difficult to identify visually due to intermarriage. Here it seems that socio-economic background has the most impact on life experience. But it’s tough to say because it is unlikely that any of us have ever lived for a while as a person of a different race. That has been done by a few journalists, though.</p>
<p>Agree with saintfan and jmnva. It seems to me willful disingenuousness to not recognize that watermelons are being used in a hateful way here. Or that the experiences and opportunities open to a white male are different than someone from another ethnic group. Of course those circumstances can change or be changed by the person. But still-- come on. Really??</p>
<p>At the risk of being labelled a totally naive bleeding heart–does it not bother you that a black kid walking down the street always runs the risk of being screamed at from a car (which happens where I live)? More a chance ever than if you’re white? I just can’t imagine being a 20 year old, 14 year old, 9 nine year kid and dealing with that. It does hurt me, as a parent, that any kid deals with that.</p>
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<p>Exactly. </p>
<p>Actually, I think the rapper Ice Cube had a reality show in which one race dressed up as another with movie makeup, something akin to Eddie Murphy’s famous Saturday Night Live kit from the 80’s. The conclusion was that the white people were surprised at the different treatment, but that the African Americans were surprised at how limited the so-called “white privelege” was. I think Ice Cube said, in slight hyperbole, that the black people were surprised that white people couldn’t just walk into a store and get free stuff.</p>
<p>Remember the book “Black Like Me?” White guy darkens his skin and lives as a black man in the early sixties. </p>
<p>I am with you saintfan; those kids knew exactly what they were doing. </p>
<p>I can also believe there are adults in America who don’t understand why watermelon could be used to insult black people. My husband is an immigrant and he wouldn’t get it. If I explained to him the connection he would be appalled, however.</p>
<p>Who said white privilege was a racist term? Wow, I learn something new everyday…</p>
<p>The watermelon stereotype was popularized around the turn of the 19th century when it came into popular culture to depict African Americans as “darkies” who were simple minded and only needed watermelon to be happy. Lots of prints were made at that time and it was incorporated into movies and minstrel shows all depicting African Americans as simpletons. If you can’t see the racial stereotypes in that and why anyone in their right mind wouldn’t be offended it is time to study history a bit more. Many people may be young enough they haven’t been exposed to this but if I were African American I would make sure that my children knew what this stereotype meant.</p>
<p>First of all, the whole charge of “white privelege” which beachlover asserts is prevalent on this thread is not even accurate. I was under the impression that the OP and several others that don’t want this to be in the news were of minority ethnicity. It seems that they don’t want this to be made a national incident worthy of coast-to-coast news coverage not because they think white people should be able to say anything and get away with it, but rather, because it grants an importance to these ASU people that they don’t deserve. There are also some lawyers on this thread that are sensitive toward the idea of the government punishing people for their thoughts, however offensive. </p>
<p>The term “white privelege” is offensive for obvious reasons. One, as I said, it implies that white people feel they should be able to do or say anything without consequence, while others should not. Secondly, it implies that they haven’t earned their achievements; rather, they were handed to them by society because of their race.</p>
<p>Any type of lumping is offensive, isn’t it?</p>
<p>I’ve heard adults/teachers talking rudely to groups of teenagers or children and I found that offensive. My son is in a fraternity, and I find the many rude references here to ‘frat boys’ offensive. I am tall and everyone would always ask me if I played basketball and I found that offensive. Always the first question, with a laugh, like it was the first time I heard that joke. If someone said that to an African American, it would be racist. </p>
<p>I’m sure every poster here has insulted someone belonging to a group at some point. Probably more often than you realize. How can anyone compare the hurt of one group to the hurt of another? </p>
<p>Not taking away from the ignorant behavior of that one fraternity, but you all have to think about how you look at other groups of people.</p>
<p>I could have misinterpreted the tone, but it felt to me like a number of the early posters were just kind of tired of the “here we go again” nature of these civil rights incidents. I have heard people say that about racial incidents and quite a bit about the marriage equality fight as of late. Sometimes people “blame” the members of the group who are pushing back against discrimination for constantly bringing it up. Kind of “why do they have to keep bring this up?” thing. Well, if it didn’t keep happening then there would be no need to keep challenging those attitudes. Unfortunately, many people take that to be whining or seeking “special” consideration. When people are usually treated equally maybe you won’t have to put up with the fussing anymore, but it’s the fussing that keeps the progress moving in the right direction.</p>
<p>Trust me . . . those who are pushing back would just as soon not have to either and they are just as tired of it.</p>
<p>I am fairly certain that the OP, who apparently thinks that giving these idiots too much publicity if an error, is a black parent. I’m sure s/he doesn’t blame the victims.</p>
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<p>Hopefully not. However, being of the same race as the one being targeted doesn’t necessarily mean a few won’t take the position of identifying with the one doing the targeting or blaming their own marginalized race for victimization. </p>
<p>There’s many examples of this in history ranging from some social-climbing Indians during the days of the British Raj identifying strongly with the British and blaming their own people for the repressive aspects of British colonial rule to some examples in US history, some older Chinese folks I’ve encountered who blame the Chinese for their victimization during European/Colonialist rule*, etc. </p>
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<li>Calling them collaborating traitors usually served as an effective comeback to that sort of victim-blaming tripe. Especially considering most of them were collaborators during the war or descendants of such.</li>
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<p>I did not say the OP specifically I said a number of the early posters and I am not touching the above argument with a ten foot pole.</p>
<p>cobrat, give me a break and spare me the lecture. We are all familiar with the phenomenon and you are not the only one who knows anything about history. LakeWashington is not a self-loathing social climber. :rolleyes:</p>
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<p>The OP wrote in post #1:</p>
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<p>Perhaps the OP is just saying that since the fraternity merely caused its own destruction and put itself and the partygoers up for ridicule as being idiots and racists, and was not in any position to diminish other people’s rights or opportunities in the first place, it is not worth turning up the outrage to the maximum for this incident, compared to incidents which actually do have a bigger impact on other people’s rights and/or opportunities.</p>
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<p>White people are born white. They can’t control their race any more than any other person can control their race. Saying someone is privileged simply because of something that cannot be controlled is racist. It would be the same as saying blacks are non-privileged at birth. Whether someone is privileged or not depends on behavior and circumstances not race.</p>