Editor’s note: “Landlocked” is commentary by students from far outside Iowa.

Robert: Fire up — not for Homecoming or Greek Week, but for another paper battle of the greek/non-greek conflict. It seemed a little too far into the semester for it to have not happened yet. I am a proud member of a fraternity. Friends back home laugh it off — fraternities are meant for rich white kids. There’s no way that Mr. Native Rights joined a fraternity, with radical political views, humble upbringings and Hawaiian ‘accent.’

Stereotypes of all kinds supersede us all. I adamantly stand against discrimination of against anyone, whether based on gender, religion, ethnicity or sexual preference. Having experienced racial discrimination growing up, I am as angered by these actions as anyone.

During my freshman year in the residence halls, a group of guys on my floor decided to go out and harass LBGTAA members during Coming Out activities.

Obscenities were yelled from Helser Hall, and objects were launched into the pride parade and perpetrators were identified. Where was the headline “Residence halls breed discrimination”? Even students who spend their school days in campus housing will become politicians, entrepreneurs and policemen. A cruel double standard exists in which people excited to see greek members fail are quick to bring negative events to attention. Does the $21,000 greek organizations raised for the Special Olympics make the front page?

Not so much.

The fraternity I belong to has been indifferent to my ethnic background — where my ancestors come from doesn’t change the person I am.

Greek organizations on campus have open membership, regardless of ethnicity. As a person of a multiethnic background, I feel no limits on what I can do.

Brothers have encouraged me in the things I do, and show interest and support for my Native Hawaiian culture and the other ethnicities I belong to. I have not been a witness or victim of racism as a fraternity member.

Destroying stereotypes will help end discrimination, but we can’t pick and choose what stereotypes we like and dislike. While important to eradicate racial discrimination, assuming that all Iowa State greeks do discriminatory things when we think no one is looking is alienating and discriminating against 12 percent of Iowa Staters.

The bad apples exist, but these members are not only in the greek community; they also live in residence halls and independent off-campus housing. greek houses have suspended members for this appalling behavior.

It is not the greek system itself that fosters these unacceptable behaviors, and both national headquarters and individual chapters make their stance against these kinds of actions.

My fraternity room proudly displays my Hawaiian flag, along with posters of Hawaiian language and support for Hawaiian self-determination. Chapters like mine have managed to move past ethnic barriers, and yet generalizations of discrimination have been a slap in the face. To end all types of discrimination takes participation on all sides; ‰a‰ohe hana nui ka alu ‰ia — no task is too big when done together.

Motun: African-Americans being hung by Klansmen, white men in blackface, African-Americans being shown as thugs and gangsters — what a fun party?

These are very sensitive issues, white men depicting African-Americans in such stereotypes.

In our society today, we claim to be moving forward — we are beginning to understand each other by learning about each other and diversifying our communities. Are we really?

It is such a shame that historically white fraternities such as Alpha Gamma Rho and Alpha Tau Omega are reported to have had a party theme that is disrespectful and racist in the opinion of the African-American community. This may not be what these fraternities stand for and probably is not their national policy.

There are many stereotypes about historically white fraternities, such as being strictly for upper-class Caucasian males; this may not be so. But with issues like these arising from time to time, how comfortable can an African-American male feel in such a fraternity? These issues give the impression that these fraternities are insensitive to people of color and to African-American history.

Some people might say that having such a party where white men have black faces and depict people being hung might have been done in the sense of innocent fun. After all, people make racist comments every day without even thinking or knowing about it. However, when it comes to such a large group of people in an organization, where thought and energy is put into every event before decisions are made, these events were plain wrong.

It was plainly a stupid and insensitive joke. If it were done on the spur of the moment, it could be thought otherwise, but the time and energy put into it makes me think it was a deliberate and planned activity by the frats.

Now, I agree that stereotypes about these fraternities are very negative and untrue, just as the stereotypes about African-Americans are negative and untrue, but in order for people to believe that these frats are not only for upper-class racist caucasians, frats such as Alpha Tau Omega and Beta Theta Pi need to understand what they have done was wrong.

They need to understand, appreciate and have a genuine understanding of why the theme for their party is unacceptable to any race. It surely touched raw nerves.

This is the 21st century. We should by now realize what is acceptable and not acceptable by those who surround us. “Another man’s meat may be another man’s poison.” Grow up boys!