Prohazing Comments
I am a newly initiated brother of a national fraternity and I was hazed as part of our pledging process. EVERY FACET of EVERY PLEDGE NIGHT had infinite, priceless value for me. No night was more important than the next. Each night allowed for a pledge to step forward as a leader and demonstrate that because he would do anything to BECOME a brother, he would do anything FOR a brother. I learned my strength on every level, physically, emotionally, and academically as they required me to complete my assignments and study.
I would sacrifice anything for my father. I would sacrifice anything for my mother. And now, I would sacrifice anything for my brothers and I can trust that they would pick me up from any problem I have to face. I earned their trust by completing the traditional pledging process that all brothers before me have completed.
I was never in danger, but I wanted to be. I wanted to be hazed worse. I wanted to bleed for them. I wanted to faint from exhaustion. I wanted to be branded. I wanted torture. Why?
Because I wanted to prove that God forbid, if one of my brothers needed me to risk my life to save them, I would. I would donate an organ, I would run into a burning car, I would take a bullet for them. Hazing is symbolic of that. By the end, it came naturally, as natural as love should come. And now I understand true love. I love my brothers.
Fancy rituals and elaborate texts could never, by themselves, convey love to a brotherhood. Mystery, difficulty, and mutual hatred of the process bring the pledge class together as one. We were one pledge completing the tasks together, like a batallion, like an army. An army of one. I would never deny next year's pledges the opportunity to experience what I did. It's hard, but it becomes the most selfless and prideful accomplishment of a brother's life.
I abhore the efforts of your organization for your advocacy for the abolition of ALL hazing. I agree that hazing should never endanger the life of a pledge and I fully believe that recent reports of deaths have encouraged Greeks to reform the safety and traditions in their processes. Hazing as I experienced it is something I firmly support. If you don't like it, save your talking points for your children and let Greek men and women use it as we see appropriate.
Greeks are the leaders on every campus. I personally serve on Student Government, sing in a flourishing acappella group, lead the music ministry at Catholic services, am a double major, and participate in theatre productions. We consistantly demonstrate laudable academic and philanthropic accomplishments in our communities. We understand what it means to be selfless, my number one priority as a practicing Christian. We are men and women who understand the consequences of our actions. We would never endanger someone who we CHOSE as a future brother or sister. Not anymore.
Please reform your efforts to solely advocate against hazing that endangers the long-term health of pledges. Broken bones, allergic reactions, muscle pulls, joint dislocations, STDs, or death should never be the consequences of a pledging process. That is the only point on which we agree.
I am a brother. I understand self-sacrifice and why my pledge process was successful. The hazing I experienced WAS SUCCESSFUL in teaching me each facet of brotherhood. If you have never experienced it, you have no grounds to advocate against it. I'm better than you because I understand true love in the purist form. Getting initiated will be equally as important to me as getting married and having children. For the rest of my life, my brothers will look to eachother for support just like we did during pledging.
A hazee and a hazer
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