fraternity men make up 85% of Supreme court, 76% of senators, 85% of fortune 500 execs

[Liberal_in_LA]

Here is where it’s important to recognize how much of an influence the fraternity systems have in these areas.

As a major examination of the United States fraternity system published by The Atlantic last year pointed out:

“Fraternity men make up 85 percent of U.S. Supreme Court justices since 1910, 63 percent of all U.S. presidential cabinet members since 1900 and, historically, 76 percent of U.S. senators [and] 85 percent of Fortune 500 executives.”


http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/03/12/opinion/charles-m-blow-university-of-oklahoma-fraternity-chant-rigidity-of-racism.html?referrer=

If this trend continues — and there is no indication that it won’t — the boys on that bus and others like them will be tomorrow’s leaders, and the attitudes they carry with them out of school and into the wider world will have a real impact on real people’s lives.

[Hekate]

1. Contacts, contacts, and more contacts.

And to think I used to believe in a meritocracy.

[niyad]

2. that was certainly the myth we were sold.

[raccoon]

26. I bought that myth too. nt

[yeoman6987]

3. And that is why situations like this need swift action

The University so far has been decent but needs to continue to get to the source and the a remedy to ensure it never happens again.

[Hekate]

4. I think Chancellor Boren has done splendidly. Unfortunately, the problem is nationwide

Even absent the in-your-face racism of this chapter, there are systemic issues that need to be addressed, among them alcohol poisoning from hazing and rape in which alcohol is implicated. Considering you are dealing with a bunch of 18 year olds, they shouldn't be having any booze for a good three years after they start college anyway. Yeah yeah yeah, I know kids drink -- but it shouldn't be as embedded in Greek culture as it is.

And other attitudes -- which lead us to the CEO mentality.

[xocet]

6. That time must have been pre-W who was a...

...ΔΚΕ?

[aikoaiko]

13. Yes, but networking and making useful Contacts is a part of the same game as dirt

[Maedhros]

7. You mean, people like me?

What did I ever do to you?

[xocet]

17. Interesting question. Enlighten me about the good of fraternities. In my limited experience, they

seem to be about legacy-based membership, cheating (homework and test files, etc.), hazing (i.e., killing the occasional pledge with too much alcohol etc.), extreme partying (i.e., killing the occasional brother with too much alcohol etc.), and re-enforcing a sense of elitism on campus. All of these things seem to violate the essence of arete.

Maybe I am wrong and am missing the larger picture.

[Maedhros]

22. You said it yourself - your experience is limited.

Much of what you describe can be found in the Greek system. However Greek organizations are not monolithic, nor clones. Mine comprised mostly decent guys, some more than others. It had open membership, no cheating that I knew of, did not haze, and didn't go in much for the elitism. I have to plead guilty about the partying, though nobody ever died.

You're jeering at a caricature - and there are some fraternities out there that conform to it pretty closely. But it's never a good idea to make generalizations about any group of people.

[xocet]

35. I apologize to you and retract my earlier statement. Thank you for your reply. n/t

[Maedhros]

36. Thank you.

[Spider Jerusalem]

8. And what percentage of college rapists? I imagine the numbers are similar. (n/t)

[Fumesucker]

9. A trend recognized quite some number of years ago

[Calista241]

47. That is quite possibly the best movie of all time.

[Tsiyu]

10. Yup

A government for the elite, run by the elite.

And it's just wonderful for everyone who is elite.

[moondust]

14. Elites?

I don't think I'd call them elites.

More like gangs of drunken racists and rapists who own and operate the U.S. for their own benefit.

[Tsiyu]

33. Si, moondust

A better descriptive phrase than I could give.

[former9thward]

42. President Obama does not seem to share your views on the subject.

[Renew Deal]

29. Going to college makes one "elite"?

That's RW demogaugery.

[Tsiyu]

32. Many, many people go to college without joining frats

or sororities.

4 of my kids have degrees or advanced degrees, and none of them has joined a frat or sorority.

The OP was about fraternities.

Focus.

[Renew Deal]

34. Does that somehow make them better people than other college graduates?

It sounds like they lack experience.

[Tsiyu]

40. Sounds like you have an axe to grind.

They are all employed in their fields except the one in law school. And they all make pretty modest wages so they can do work to help their communities, something all the frat boys running this country could stand to learn about.

Sounds like you may lack some experience in that concept?

Helping your country, not your fellow frat boys. Wouldn't that be awesome?

lol

[malaise]

11. Precisely - which is why the elites perpetuate and continue to institutionalize racism, misogyny

etc.

Excellent post

[leftynyc]

12. Are you seriously tagging all

fraternities with these disgusting young men from one fraternity?

[TheKentuckian]

18. No, not everyone we exclude Lamda Lamda Lamda

[leftynyc]

24. LOL

I will still watch that movie every time I come across it. But seriously, I've known several men (including my father and nephew) that were both "brothers". Dad went from that to law school and wound up being one of the legal counsels for Dr. King. Nephew just started his new job and I'm so proud of the man he's turned out to be.

[TheKentuckian]

25. I have no question fine people are involved but I don't hold with the scene generally

I don't want them banned or anything but I discourage, feel free to disparage, and don't think positively generally,

[leftynyc]

27. I admit that when

I was in college - over 30 years ago - I wanted nothing to do with frats/sororities - the only people I knew at ARizona State that were part of that were athletes and the women who date athletes. But I have noticed they have become more and more popular again and it appears all the "kids" I know are joining. My sister and I still laugh about how both her kids are part of something we know absolutely nothing about and frankly did nothing but disparage for years.

[onenote]

15. suspect data, stereotyping and a "trend", if it exists, that isn't continuing

At least with respect to the Supreme Court.

The claim that 85 percent of the Supreme Court Justices since 1910 have been sorority members is one of those numbers that gets repeated ad nauseum on the Internet but for which there is no back up data in support. And what data there is, paints a much different picture.

In particular, of the current members of the Supreme Court, I could find evidence of undergraduate fraternity (or sorority) membership for two Justices: Roberts and Ginsberg. If in fact the other seven members of the court weren't fraternity or sorority members, not only is the "trend" not continuing, it would call into serious question the 85 percent figure.

Moreover, to the extent that being in a fraternity or sorority suggests a certain mindset, its probably worth noting that in addition to Ginsberg, other Supreme Court justices that have been members of a college fraternity include Justice William O. Douglas, Justice Stevens, Justice Thurgood Marshall, and Justice William Brennan. Not exactly your stereotypical "Animal House" types.

One has to wonder whether the oft-repeated statistic regarding the percentage of Supreme Court justices that belonged to fraternities isn't skewed by inclusion of members of the co-ed, law school "fraternity" Phi Alpha Delta. Five of the current court members belonged to P.A.D. -- Ginsberg, Sotomayor, Kagan, Breyer and Alito all were members.

By the way, I am not nor have I ever been a member of a college fraternity.

[LeftinOH]

16. Some fraternities are total crap; most are not.

Sigma Alpha Epsilon (founded in Alabama) has a lot of problems, and their chapters frequently take center stage in high-profile incidents like the one in Oklahoma. As a fraternity alumnus myself, I cannot fathom how or why this particular organization continues to exist. SAE has a serious leadership problem, and the rot goes all the way down.

[hifiguy]

43. Correct.

The fraternity I was in at the U of MN in the early-mid 1980s was a good one. Our national banned hazing back in the 1970s, before it was ever an issue, and a couple of chapters got their charters yanked so fast that it made their eyes spin when hazing occurred. There were some sons of privilege, but there were a lot of regular middle-class guys like me. There were a few assholes, but there are bound to be a few assholes in any group of 60-70 people. Three of my best lifelong friends are guys I met in the fraternity. There were Asian-American and African-American brothers in the house during my time there and I never saw anyone treat them other than respectfully and as they would treat any other brother.

And two of my fraternity's more distinguished alums are FDR's VP, Henry Wallace and former SCOTUS Justice William Brennan.

It all depends on the culture of the chapter and the sort of culture the national encourages. The fish rots from the head down.

[John Poet]

19. So it's a Greek conspiracy.

I never saw that coming.

[KittyWampus]

20. how many are bilderbergers? bohemian grovers? jooz?

[BainsBane]

21. Remember all the discussions about fraternities and rape?

all the data that shows that fraternity guys are something like 3 x more likely than other men their age to rape? A number of people insisted that pointing fingers at fraternities was unfair, was guilt by association, etc... Then we have this racist chant, and suddenly everyone agrees fraternities are bad. The racist behavior is unacceptable, awful. But you know what, so is rape. In fact, rape is a violent crime that destroys lives. So if someone is reading this who defended fraternities in the discussion of rape, I hope they ask themselves why.

[Maedhros]

37. What about those fraternities that aren't racist, and don't harbor rapists?

They certainly exist. I was in one.

[BainsBane]

38. Naturally you raise that when I mention rape

and not to those talking about the racist chants.

[Maedhros]

39. Here's a post elsewhere in response to a generalization about fraternities:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=6358384

So, I'm not just responding to the mention of rape. Here's what I said in that post:

Much of what you describe can be found in the Greek system. However Greek organizations are not monolithic, nor clones. Mine comprised mostly decent guys, some more than others. It had open membership, no cheating that I knew of, did not haze, and didn't go in much for the elitism. I have to plead guilty about the partying, though nobody ever died.

You're jeering at a caricature - and there are some fraternities out there that conform to it pretty closely. But it's never a good idea to make generalizations about any group of people.

I'll reiterate that here. Racism, rape, elitism - all deserving of criticism, obviously. However I object to displays of tribalism, whereby a group we don't like is selected for a Two Minute Hate.

It's never a good idea to make generalizations about any group of people.

[hifiguy]

44. That quote sounds like my fraternity.

Generally a good bunch of guys who were decent human beings.

[Wella]

23. This explains why frats get away with what they do: they have friends in high places.

http://www.theatlantic.com/features/archive/2014/02/the-dark-power-of-fraternities/357580/

[Euphoria]

28. Wow, great article! A must-read for anyone trying to

figure out what's going on w frats, colleges, student behavior and safety and the priorities of those at the top.

[Wella]

31. It came out late last year

And it's pretty comprehensive.

[Liberal_in_LA]

45. amazing article. thanks

[ileus]

30. and they'll join the Masons next...

[City Lights]

41. Disturbing.

Guess the latest frat slugs have a bright future ahead of them.

[dumbcat]

46. I wonder how many DUers were in fraternities

in college? Then again. how many would admit it? A poll would probably not be accurate.

Me, yes, I was in a Greek fraternity in college. Tau Epsilon Phi. It was a pretty descent house of regular guys. I still keep in touch with them 45 years later. I was also in the national brotherhood of Eagle Scouts. And I didn't rape anyone or perform racist chants.

[Maedhros]

48. Chi Phi [n/t]

[yortsed snacilbuper]

49. Skull and Bones

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Skull_and_Bones_members