Long ago, the story got old. People try to do something good. The politically correct Left complains. The would-be good-doers apologize and cease. It’s a sad story. No, it’s an outrageous and damnable one.
I learned the latest from the Daily Caller (here). At Northwestern University, a fraternity and a sorority were planning a fundraiser called “Jail ’n’ Bail.” Its purpose was to raise money for literacy. The gimmick was to “arrest” people and put them in “jail” until enough money was raised to bail them out.
By some students — “carefully taught,” as Oscar Hammerstein would say — this was deemed racist. Because, you know, black people go to jail. Unfairly, of course.
One student wrote, “You’re employing aspects, the orange jumpsuits, of an oppressive system that operates as a massive encumbrance to the lives and literacy rates of black and brown children.”
Sounding like Rand Paul, another student wrote, “The fact that a group of wealthy Northwestern students are ‘playacting’ at being prisoners (most of whom are poor) is a blatant belittling of the realities of mass incarceration and the prison-industrial complex.”
The student continued, “I’m just saying that the Greek system is 71 percent white. In a situation in which roughly 40 percent of incarcerated people in this country are black, ‘Jail-and-Bail’ leads to the same situation presented in my first point, except this time with regard to race.”
How did the Greek houses respond? Did they tell their critics to stuff it? No. The fraternity — in that same clotted language — said, “Following oversight of the racial and socioeconomic issues associated with a planned and registered philanthropy event, the brothers of Zeta Beta Tau decided to withdraw from the event as previously planned.”
The sorority said that it “regrets organizing the Jail N Bail event due to its offensive nature.”
Mao might be smiling up at us Americans, with our penchant for self-criticism.
Journey back to last April, at Dartmouth. A fraternity and a sorority — Phi Delta Alpha and Alpha Phi — were planning their annual “Phiesta.” This was a fundraiser for cardiac care. But one student complained.
She said, “There are various problematic structures and ideologies regarding a Cinco de Mayo-inspired event.” Where do these kids learn to talk? I know: their teachers and professors. The student went on, “As a Mexican-born, United-States-raised, first-generation woman of color, it was sadly unsurprising that a culturally-themed party was seen as a casual venture for such a privileged institution as Dartmouth.”
Blah blah blah. So, how did the Greek houses respond? Did they stage their event for cardiac care? No, they canceled it, immediately. A frat spokesman said, “We felt that the possibility of offending even one member of the Dartmouth community was not worth the potential benefits of having the fundraiser.”
Well, at least that was in clear English. But if everything in life were canceled because of the objection of one person, everything in life would be canceled. Is there anything that attracts no criticism whatsoever? Even my innocuous lil’ blogposts have been known to attract criticism . . .
You have got to tell unreasonable and bullying critics to stuff it (politely, if you want). Otherwise, they will hamper you at every turn. You will die by a thousand cuts. They will harry you till the end. You must stand up.