First Amendment should not excuse racism

The University of Oklahoma has closed its chapter of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity after a video was leaked of some members singing a racist chant.

An OU black student alliance group called Unheard OU leaked the videos, and was happy about the response it evoked from the public. Even the national president of SAE was ashamed of what these members were spewing on video.

It is a very short video — maybe 10 seconds — and yet, it is downright disrespectful, rude and overall, idiotic. I watched it and was immediately disgusted, as I am black myself. Not only was the chant racist and wrong, but the fact that it was recorded for laughs and harmless banter is beyond me.

The common debate is that the fraternity brothers had the right to say what they said, because it is in their First Amendment rights.

I completely agree with this statement. Of course, I in no way, shape or form agree with anything they said, and I despise how disgusting the video is, but it is true — they had the right to say what they did.

Everyone is entitled to say or think how they want, regardless if other people disagree with them or not. So, regardless of how wrong the video is, they did indeed have the right to say it.

The real problem, however, is that just because they feel they can say what they did, does not mean they should have. Anyone can be a closeted racist, but many people have the common sense to not blatantly announce it to the world.

Nonetheless, the video sparked great controversy across the OU campus and the nation. Racism has been and still is prevalent in the United States, and it is about time that a case like this did not go unnoticed. Some people do not realize the lasting effects racism has until they have experienced it themselves.

The fraternity brothers may have felt nothing wrong in their chant, and felt that there was nothing racist about it, but it does not mean that others would not think otherwise.

A similar case happened at the University of South Dakota during the 2013 Dakota Days. Members on a float had ridiculed a USD student and her son for wearing traditional Native American clothing. This caused President James Abbott to speak out and say that USD would not stand for racism.

It is the same kind of problem — if more people get away with saying things that spew racism, then it will only build up until it becomes destructive and damaging.

Combating racism is definitely a work in progress, but it is uplifting to know that in this case the people who said hurtful things are being brought to justice.

The fraternity brothers deserved to be expelled. It seemed so easy for them to sing this chant and not realize the lasting effects it had on other people, so let their punishment be a lasting reminder.