10-24-2009, 10:17 PM
Strange, violent things taking place on or near various colleges ... 
It is a reflection of a society that has become increasingly fragmented and yes, (pseudo nod to the late Uncle Janko), Balkanized. People are encouraged to view themselves as members of groups (racial, ethnic, religious, sexual orientation, etc) rather than as members of society as a whole. Unfortunately, the reality is that individuals have to interact with other individuals and not just other members of their chosen group. This all seems to have come about when the notion of the Melting Pot was replaced by the Cultural Mosaic. The results speak for themselves.
From the UCLA incident:
Children of immigrant parents with the opportunity to study at UCLA are throwing it away because they have chosen to self-associate with some other Asian-American students in a fraternity that resembles a gang. The students are making a very bad long-term choice but their actions are not suprising consider the prevailing cultural ethos to which they have been exposed.
It is a reflection of a society that has become increasingly fragmented and yes, (pseudo nod to the late Uncle Janko), Balkanized. People are encouraged to view themselves as members of groups (racial, ethnic, religious, sexual orientation, etc) rather than as members of society as a whole. Unfortunately, the reality is that individuals have to interact with other individuals and not just other members of their chosen group. This all seems to have come about when the notion of the Melting Pot was replaced by the Cultural Mosaic. The results speak for themselves.
From the UCLA incident:
Quote:"Let us show you how Lambdas throw the sickest house parties in town and experience the social life that you can't experience any where else!" a flier advertised. "It will be a perfect chance for you to meet people from all over Southern California."
That's when the trouble started. After the rush event ended, fraternity members said, the crowd grew in the early hours of Sept. 22.
A fight broke out. One fraternity member was stabbed in the stomach, another student was stabbed in the arm and another hit over the head with a bottle.
Seven people, including three students, were arrested. Four were ultimately charged with attempted murder and aggravated mayhem. One student was charged with being an accessory to aggravated mayhem.
They were "uninvited guests," police said.
Charges against all five suspects include gang enhancements because there is evidence they were affiliated with a gang, said UCLA Police Capt. John Adams, though he said there was no indication that the incident at the fraternity was a gang fight.
The fraternity, which was only recently taken off of suspension after an altercation last fall with members of another fraternity, once again found itself seen in a negative light, which members say was unfairly cast.
"Everyone reads newspapers and acts like we are all gang members," said Kalvin Tsui, 23, fraternity president. "But we are students at UCLA. We're here to take midterms and finals like everyone else. Just because we are in a fraternity doesn't mean we want to start trouble."
Tsui said that fraternity members had tried to get guests to leave the party after police responded to a noise complaint but that people continued to flood in. He said he did not know any of those who started the fight.
"It was a shock," he said. "I've never seen anybody get stabbed, let alone in my own place of residence."
UCLA officials are investigating the incident to see if fraternity members violated any campus policies, said Robert Naples, associate vice chancellor and dean of students. The university has not yet taken disciplinary action, he said.
Children of immigrant parents with the opportunity to study at UCLA are throwing it away because they have chosen to self-associate with some other Asian-American students in a fraternity that resembles a gang. The students are making a very bad long-term choice but their actions are not suprising consider the prevailing cultural ethos to which they have been exposed.