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University Daily Kansan Thursday. Feb. 15. 1968
To End Discrimination
The problem of discrimination by Greek houses because of race, religion or other minority group characteristics has complex roots that reach deep into their past and the history of the society in which they exist. No easy answer to the problem exists, but it can and should be dealt with.
The key thing to remember when considering how to eliminate discrimination in Greek houses is that their membership changes completely at least once every four years. With this continuous change in membership, more and more young people are entering the Greek houses who do not believe in the old system of discrimination.
Yet these new members are not able to act on their beliefs. They are blocked by written discrimination clauses, gentleman's agreements which insure the continuation of discrimination and the power of alumni groups that want the undergraduate members of their organizations to continue the old policy of discrimination.
THE ELIMINATION of these barriers that block any effective action on the part of the undergraduate members to end discrimination is the only action that can, effectively and on a long term basis, end the discriminatory practices now existing.
It should not be assumed that the elimination of these barriers will produce immediate or spectacular change. It is doubtful that many members of minority groups would be found in Greek houses for some time. The change would be a gradual one that would come as the change in fraternity and sorority membership produced local chapters whose members refuse to discriminate and instead base their acceptance or rejection of a potential member on his individual merit as a person.
It could be argued that even if the Greek houses did not face the present barriers that prevent the pledging of members of minority groups, they would not be likely to accept them unless they were compelled to. This argument is extremely weak for several reasons. In the first place, few of the present members of Greek houses attempt to defend the Greek system of discrimination. Most of them realize that it is wrong, but they do not quite know what to do about it.
THERE IS another point that is often overlooked. The fact that Greek organizations consider it necessary to eliminate formal discriminatory clauses from their constitutions shows that they are subject to social pressure. And while it is true that many organizations have done so in order to avoid trouble with university administrations, it is also true that many undergraduate chapters have worked for the elimination of discriminatory clauses simply because they felt they were indefensible and wrong.
It is also important to note that some chapters of Greek organizations have pledged members of minority groups in defiance of discriminatory national clauses or gentleman's agreements. Some have been expelled from their national organizations as a result.
a fraternity or sorority is discriminating. This would require several years to determine.
The elimination of discriminatory clauses and agreements will not provide an immediate means by which it can be determined whether or not
BUT THERE is an important obligation on the part of minority groups involved here. The Greek houses cannot end discrimination effectively entirely by themselves. Once a person (not a test group) who belongs to a minority group and is interested in joining a Greek organization knows that a Greek house is willing to accept individuals on the basis of their personal merit and qualifications alone, it would be his obligation to participate in the normal rush activities of that house. And it should be mentioned here that probably not all members of minority groups that participated in rush activities under these circumstances would be pledged. This should not be expected any more than it is presently expected that everyone who participates in rush will be pledged.
A question that is unavoidable is whether or not some action should be taken to require Greek houses to accept some member of a minority group as a sign of good faith. The answer should be clear. Such a requirement would only cause resentment, and that resentment (in addition to any prejudice that did exist) would make conditions intolerable for the persons whom the Greek houses pledged to meet the requirement.
NOW LET US return to the key factor and emphasize it once again. That factor is the increasing number of fraternity and sorority members who want an end to discrimination. It is absolutely necessary for the solution of the discrimination problem that they be able to put that desire to end discrimination into practice without hindrance from national clauses, alumni pressure or a more subtle form of unwritten agreement that carries severe penalties for its violation.
Once the local chapters of the various Greek organizations are free to begin accepting members without regard to race or religion, then the discrimination that presently embarrasses them should gradually disappear.
THE PROGRESSIVE fraternity and sorority members who want an end to discrimination may need help from the university administration in eliminating the pressures exerted on them by national organizations and alumni. For instance, a university regulation requiring the elimination of discriminatory clauses may be necessary in the end, in addition to university help and support for positive action.
Whatever form the final solution of the problem takes, it is necessary to remember that the problem of discrimination is a social problem. Its solution depends ultimately on the attitudes of the people involved. This places the majority of the burden on the Greek houses, whose members would have to carry out the actual elimination of discriminatory practices. This will be less difficult if it takes place in an evolutionary fashion as the number of members wanting an end to discrimination increases. But in order for it to take place, the Greek houses must be freed from the mechanisms for discrimination that exist at present.
William H. Mullins
LITTLE MAN ON CAMPUS by Dick Bibler
Editor:
Satire From the Left
Editor
Why are all these people criticizing Young Americans for Freedom just because it wants to investigate the economics and political science faculty?
Every once in awhile somebody needs to stand up and tell a professor that his thoughts are not his own, and that he has a solemn responsibility to the principles of Christian Americanism to indoctrinate his students in the tenets of a system which, as everybody knows, has made this country a wonderful place to raise a family.
The taxpayer parents have a right to know how well our state's professors are getting the message of Americanism across to us children. Fred Zimmerman
Kansas City junior
YAF and the Model U.N.
Editor:
By the way, it is now commonly understood that YAF chapters on several campuses are being partly financed by individuals of the John Birch Society. Would it be worth a study to ascertain from where the local YAF chapter is obtaining its funds?
Yes, it could have been predicted' If someone would have asked me to guess which nation the YAF would choose to represent at the Model United Nations on campus this spring it would have had to have been either Spain or Portugal. They are the only two bona fide fascist, totalitarian, anti-democratic countries available for the American right-wing to boast about and you could well win a wager if you would pick the YAF to represent a Salazar or a Franco.
Ronald A. Hibbs
RR 2
Dailu Hansan
University of Kansas student newspaper
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NEWS DEFENSE
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Managing Editors; Jerry Musil, City
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*YES I FIND ITS ALOT EASIER TO GET DATES NOW THAT I HAVE A CAR*
Comment & Criticism
The Jaundiced Eye
By Fred Zimmerman
All good Christian Americans may now give themselves a pat on the back. Junius Irving Scales is safely behind bars.
Our files show that this fellow was once an evil Communist. He read Karl Marx and The New Republic and all that other atheistic, un-American stuff.
He even admits he was a Commie. He got hooked back in the Thirties, when a temporary recession caused a lot of people to wonder about the merits of capitalism, even though nearly everybody was personally able to experience its wonderful blessings.
Scales was a sly one. He never made much noise about communism, so he was hard to catch. He didn't throw any bombs or we could have nailed him in a jiffy. He just sat around reading books. But we all know book-readers can be mighty dangerous: They get ideas.
A lot of assorted liberals, dupes, socialists and Comsympses are running around now in the name of "humanitarianism," saying the President should grant clemency to Scales. These characters claim Scales forsook communism because his conscience was outraged by what the Commies did to the Hungarian rebels.
But you tell me: How can a guy read Karl Marx and still have a conscience? Impossible. Just remember, "Once a Commile, always a Commie," and you'll never get confused.
There's just one catch—what the crooked lawyers call a "technicality." He claims he's not a Commie anymore. In fact he says he got sick of communism in 1956 because of the Hungarian revolution.
ANYWAY, WEVE finally caught up with the guy. He's behind bars right now, prisoner No. 28398-NE at Lewisburg penitentiary. Our children will be safe from this man for six years.
But he doesn't fool any of us right-thinking Christian Americans. We've all got a couple of anti-Communism seminars under our belts, so we can figure this guy. He's just trying to beat the rap.
So this guy Scales invents a new political philosophy, and look what trouble we'd be in. In the first place it would probably be a real complicated belief—these book-readers!--and I don't know who's available to figure it out.
IF WE LEFT it up to these "humanitarians," Scales would be free today. Imagine that. And there's no telling what he might be reading.
reading.
What's worse, suppose for a second this guy isn't a Commie any longer. Then what is he? He might invent something; and don't laugh. either—you can't trust book-readers.
who is available to figure it out.
Robert Welch is all tied up impeaching Earl Warren, and Gen. Walker is running for the governorship of Texas. Clarence Manion's got his radio program to take care of, and the House Un-American Activities Committee is probably producing another movie.
AND ONCE WE get it analyzed and labeled, who's going to denounce it? Billy James Hargis is busy with Nutri-Bio, and George Benson doesn't have room for it on his next Freedom Forum.
And who would infiltrate it? The F.B.I. is busy trailing Comsymps, Herb Philbrick can't get a sponsor, and Matt Cvetic is on the road with HUAC again.
So let's all whisper a prayer of thanks that the man is locked up, our flag is still safe and American motherhood has survived.
A lot of people are saying Scales should be released, and sometimes their arguments sound good. But on the other hand, you know what the Declaration of Independence says: "It's better to be safe than sorry."