With all the knee-jerk brouhaha and as usual reactive style of our law makers, allow me to throw in my 2-cent’s worth on this fraternity hazing issue.
How many more deaths by hazing must come about before we start thinking out of the box on certain issues, this happens to be one of those?
Hazing and similar initiation rites have a been around since way back, and this writer is of the belief that it cannot be stopped, for whatever reason one would want to be a part of a brotherhood or sisterhood is every man’s right. In fact, most of those who join, do so voluntarily and are fully aware of the initiation rites.
Repealing the current anti-hazing law with intent to strengthen it and put more teeth to it as some senators would want to do, will not solve the problem and will only push these exercises to go further underground. Given the numerous un-called for deaths brought about by various reasons during hazing rites.
I am of the belief that instead of outlawing hazing, it is time for the government to legalize it and regulate it. A lot of us were lucky enough to have gone through a frat hazing, this writer being a member of the Tau Gamma Phi Fraternity (UP Diliman Chapter 78). Mind you, the Tau Gamma has one of the most difficult initiation rites if not the most difficult (I refer to physical pain) – all those paddles that will run to over a hundred plus. If hazing and other initiation practices would be legalized and regulated what will happen is, hazing/initiation rites will now be done under the watchful eyes of government. Meaning, every hazing rite must have in their presence a medical practitioner, an MD at that and an ambulance (at no cost to government, paid for by the concerned frat) and the whole exercise will also be video recorded. This commonsensical approach may help save more lives and spare others unnecessary injuries that we don’t hear of in the news. Throw in other accountability measures as harsh as possible on the frats that do not comply. Once everything is done above board and perfectly legal, it makes these fraternities compliant from the onset – registration, initiation process, etc.
Those who say that a hazing ritual is a brutal and barbaric thing of the past are both right and wrong. But as I always say, one thing I hate are hypocrites and since we live in a society with some of us having such hypocritical views, let me just remind you that the so called “sport” of boxing is equally brutal and barbaric and if you want more barbarism than that, just watch your favorite MMA or mixed martial arts “sport”, no difference. By the way these 2 so called sports can also be credited with numerous unwanted deaths/injuries. Therefore, dear learned and wise lawmakers, if you outlaw hazing, then please look into outlawing Boxing and MMA!
