[15335] in APO-L
Re: All Male Chapters and Survival.
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Magellan)
Thu Nov 7 17:27:48 1996
Date: Thu, 7 Nov 1996 17:25:23 -0500
Reply-To: Magellan <tonnet@RPI.EDU>
From: Magellan <tonnet@RPI.EDU>
To: Multiple recipients of list APO-L <APO-L@VM.CC.PURDUE.EDU>
In-Reply-To: <199611072158.QAA09304@mail1.its.rpi.edu>
> As stated above, no person has the *right* to join APO. To join APO you
> have to fulfill requirements and meet certain guidlines. If you haven't
> met those, then membership is denied. Membership can also be taken away
> under certain conditions. In this sense, joining APO becomes a privilage
> or opportunity as opposed to something that is guaranteed in the form of a
> right.
>
> I suppose it's a knit-picky technicallity, but apparently the original
> poster didn't appreciate the implication that non-coed chapters were
> taking away a human *right*. The implications there are very strong.
Well, I've been rather quiet during this whole discussion for various
reasons, but here's a thought or two of mine.
We seem to have gotten into a discussion of "rights." This can be
messy. It is often very difficult to determine what is a right and what
isn't.
Is joining APO a right? I like to think that you have a right to
*pledge* APO. It it my belief that everyone should be given the
opportunity to try for active membership. Whether or not that active
membership is granted, however, depends on how the person lives up to
various requirements and expectations. (Determined by the chapter at which
a person pledges) That is the whole point of pledging, to see if you are
ready for active membership. Now, by following this train of thought,
active membership is still a privilage to be earned. It is the
opportunity to try to earn this privilage that is a right. Slight
difference, but it is something that I see.
Now, please note that I have not commented on my opinion about all-male
vs. co-ed chapters. That is a decision I am still debating with myself.
I see a few other circumstances to take into account. Because of that,
the argument above has other things to contend with.
Tor
--
"To secure peace is to prepare for war." - Metallica from "Don't Tread on Me"
Torberg Tonnessen tonnet@rpi.edu http://www.rpi.edu/~tonnet
Correspondence Secretary - Epsilon Zeta Chapter, Alpha Phi Omega
corsec@apo.union.rpi.edu http://apo.union.rpi.edu
