I quickly learned about the level of spirit students have for fraternities and sororities here at Washington College. I frequently see the shirts worn which proclaim particular membership. When I saw them with such frequency, I decided to learn more about these Greek organizations, so I went on the school website. As I was searching the page, I noticed the Kappa Alpha fraternity. When I went to look at their page more closely, I discovered that they listed Robert E. Lee as their spiritual founder. It seemed strange to me that they would have a fraternity such as that on campus.
As I thought about that fraternity, I asked, why would anyone join that Greek organization in particular? To name anything after Gen. Lee is to honor him and in a way signify that what he did really was not all that bad. He is not someone who should be glorified.
Lee was a man who turned his back on his country, but it was not for a reason that could be understood in terms of morality. It was not because of slavery and black oppression. It was not because of how women were treated. It was because his home state of Virginia was seceding to join the Confederacy. There can be no mistake as to why the Southern states left America. They knew that with Lincoln in the White House, slavery was going to eventually come to an end. Something had to be done, and abandoning their country so that they could retain slavery they believed to be necessarry. The popular belief is that Lee did not believe in slavery, but did that really matter? He left the United States so that the "peculiar institution could be protected."
One of the other disturbing things that I read on the page was the reasoning behind selecting Lee to be the spiritual founder, since he was not a formal member. It is said that he emphasized honor and chivalry. Does it not seem ludicrous that someone who fought to protect slavery should be glorified in this manner? This was someone who was willing to fight to the death to keep a whole people forever chained in slavery, embodying the south's ignorance. Even during Reconstruction, he vigorously opposed giving rights to patriotic blacks who had given everything they could to this country while campaigning to give traitorous ex-Confederates their rights back. There is absolutely no amount of rewriting of history that could make this person halfway decent.
If we are going to start honoring all leaders who supposedly honor with a fraternity, then who better than Hitler? He was a decorated veteran who served his country of Germany in World War I. He was a vegetarian, non-smoker, non-drinker. He was also said to be a very charming person, provided that you were a blond-haired, blue-eyed member of the Aryan race.
I do not want anyone to believe that I am attempting to paint this fraternity as Washington College's answer to the KKK. I have shared a class in the past and am currently serving in two classes with members of this fraternity and I do not believe that they are racially insensitive. I would assume that the vast majority of the fraternal brothers are not racist and would be extremely accepting of me if I wanted to join. They are indeed a good group of people who perform charity work for important causes such as muscular dystrophy.
My only question is, what would be the appeal and interest of joining a fraternity named after such a heinous person, no matter what race you are-but especially if you're black?
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