Many want to write off Donald Trump as an aberration, a joke — what America isn’t. But I think The Donald’s success thus far within our "free market" and absurd election process,is a testimony to America’s values: deep-seated racism and misogyny. His popular support and misplaced recognition by erstwhile serious media outlets also evidences there are, indeed, many Americans who are little Donalds themselves.
I would also venture to guess the resurgence of widespread racism and misogyny we are witnessing is, in some part, a consequence of Obama’s presidency. One needs only observe the type of criticism received by Obama and his family to realize that for racist white males in the U.S., Obama’s authority was an affront to their egos and a harbinger of their doom.
Admittedly, I think Obama, while charismatic and successful, still upheld the "free market" and the status quo and is somewhat selective in pulling the black card. Despite this, he is still accused of being a Muslim radical who will declare martial law and confiscate all the guns — and oh, yeah: The U.N. is involved somehow. America’s greatness has been shattered, they assert with trembling pointed fingers.
Beliefs this deluded stem from mentalities under attack, whether legitimate or just perceived. I am convinced the progress of the struggles for greater civil and human rights for ethnic minorities, women and non-hetero people has been nothing short of near-fatal blows for those who have historically benefitted from the oppression and marginalization of the aforementioned groups. We also cannot forget that the struggle for rights and recognition never ceases, as the structures of white male privilege die hard.
Last semester, I wrote a column titled, "On a scale from one to frat…" in which I performed a discourse analysis of a sign on a frat house and asserted Greek life, with its glorification of white masculinity and the objectification of women, is inherently misogynistic and does not belong in a center of higher learning.
Unsurprisingly, I was criticized for my beliefs and, much to my amusement, accused of using a thesaurus! Commenters asserted I couldn’t interpret popular culture, was putting words in women’s mouths and was "butthurt" because I didn’t get a bid. (Ask anyone who knows me: The image of me in a frat is painfully comic.)
I am thus taking this opportunity to consider those types of criticisms and hopefully reignite the crucial debate we need to be having about the role of Greek life at UF.
As our university is not an island but rather a microcosm of the whole country, we can assume it is a training ground for the world, our future careers and social interactions. I won’t make generalizations; rather, I’ll ask: What degree of accountability do the members of Greek life have? What privileges are they afforded that average students are not?
I ask further how UF should address countless studies such as one from The Guardian that shows frat men rape at disproportionate rates compared to non-Greek-affiliated students and sorority women are much more prone to rape than other college women.
Yes, the tendency to write off any pattern of behavior as a single series of aberrations or an isolated incident is the typical modus operandi of society, of which universities are a crucial part. But I believe this comes up short in a disastrous way, and in an effort to curb the scourge of white male privilege in the U.S., it is necessary to get as close to the source as possible.
My hope is that our Student Body, as well as administration, may take a sobering look at the reality of Greek life within UF and how it serves as a continuation of an unfortunate and oppressive status quo.
Yes, boys will be boys. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t hold them accountable or that they shouldn’t suffer the consequences of their bad behavior.
Jordan MacKenzie is a second-year UF linguistics master’s student. His column appears on Wednesdays.
