Re: Auburn follow-up

On Fri, Nov 30, 2001 at 01:20:51PM -0500, Doug Henwood wrote:

> Former members of the now-disbanded Auburn chapter of Beta Theta Pi 
> fraternity have sued the university in state court, seeking 
> $100-million in damages -- $1-million for each of the chapter's 100 
> former members. The lawsuit contends that the university defamed the 
> students by portraying them as racists and that it violated their 
> First Amendment rights when it punished them for wearing blackface, 
> which the students say is protected speech.

The truth is (or ought to be) an absolute defense against claims of
defamation, I suspect.

> "We have the president of the university saying these are horrible 
> people," said Romaine Scott, a lawyer for the students. "Their 
> reputations have been damaged. They are going to have trouble getting 
> jobs."

Yes, it's such a well-known fact that White racists in Alabama are simply
unemployable; no one will have them!

If blacking up to simulate a lynching is an impediment to getting a job in
Alabama, which is as surreal a claim as one can make, maybe they oughn't to
have done it and had pictures made to memorialize having done it?

> Mr. Scott, whose son belonged to the fraternity but was not among 
> those suspended, argued that "the conduct -- even if it were racist 
> -- is protected by law." He added, "We intend to prove that they are 
> not racists. I would not be involved in this if I thought they were."

Sure, sure, simulating a lynching in blackface at an all White frat party in
a deeply segregated greek system on a southern university, that's not racist
at all. Only a mind weakened by the ravages of leftist political correctness
and anti-Americanism could have thought otherwise.

> Mr. Scott has said in the past that he believes the donning of 
> blackface by the students was intended as a tribute to African 
> Americans.

With tributes like *this*... I would love to hear this frat boy father --
who insists, of course, that if he thought his son's friends were racist, he
wouldn't defend them! -- make his argument about this party being
non-racist:

"Blacking up and simulating a lynching is a tribute to African Americans
because, uhm, lynchings were such a rich part of White southern culture, and
without the, er, participation of African Americans, our heritage, the fine
heritage of Alabama, would be less than it is."

> Photographs from the Beta Theta Pi party show many members appearing 
> in blackface, Afro wigs, gold jewelry, and T-shirts emblazoned with 
> the Greek letters of Omega Psi Phi, a historically black fraternity. 
> They are also pictured mimicking gang hand-signs.

And the "attention to detail" went so far as to include one of these racist
morons writing "FUBU" on his tshirt. Just part of the fine eye for detail
one needs to make an effective tribute?

Continuing on with the legal "proof" that this event wasn't racist:

"Just as these brave, generous students sought to pay tribute to the
participation of African Americans in creating the White heritage and
tradition of Alabama, so too did they want to pay tribute to the rich ethnic
and cultural diversity of contemporary America's urban centers, which are
the scene of a kind of grassroots political organization that too many
people dismissively call 'gangs', but which these students recognize as an
important part of American life today."

> The students had been suspended pending the outcome of a university 
> disciplinary hearing. The judge ruled that they should be allowed to 
> attend classes until the university decides what disciplinary action 
> it will take, which could include expulsion.

"Because, after all, we can't sully the fine name and reputation of these
outstanding students in order to protect a bunch of *oversensitive* black
students at Auburn. We refuse to capitulate to the tyranny of political
correctness and so-called "identity politics"! As the whole country has
learned since the tragedies of 9-11, "United We Stand" and "One People, One
America, One Bush" and other fine sentiments."

Maybe Attorney General Ashcroft will get a chance to put his careful and
keen endorsement of Southern Heritage to use in this case? It would be a
pleasant diversion from his daily toils and labors at justifying the
detainment of hundreds of Araby peoples.

Best,
Kendall Clark