College Frat disrespects wounded veterans

[B4UTRUST]

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The University of Florida and Emory University are investigating allegations that Zeta Beta Tau fraternity members disrespected wounded war veterans last weekend at Panama City Beach, Florida, by spitting, urinating and pouring beer on them.

"They actually spit on me and my service dog as well, and that's just so disrespectful and it hurts. I come and I feel honored and I feel safe and that I belong, but now I feel like I'm defending myself," wounded veteran Nicholas Connole told CNN affiliate WJHG.

"People were urinating off the balconies, throwing up in the elevators, making suggestive and sexual comments about veterans with their service dogs and derogatory and suggestive comments about their wives," said Linda Cope, organizer of the Warrior Beach Retreat.

Both the University of Florida and the international office of Zeta Beta Tau are investigating, have apologized to the veterans group and the international office suspended activities for the fraternity chapters at the Florida school at at Emory in Atlanta. The fraternity's executive director, Laurence Bolotin said in a statement that three fraternity members from the University of Florida have been expelled from the group.

"While the details of their actions are still under investigation, there is no doubt that some of our members engaged in ugly and unacceptable behavior," Bolotin said. "On behalf of our entire organization, I want to apologize to veterans, both those who were in Panama City Beach, and those who have felt the pain from afar, as well as to their families and all who support the Warrior Beach Retreat and had worked to make it a positive and meaningful occasion for attendees."

"I am personally offended and disappointed by the behavior that has been described to me," University of Florida Student Affairs Vice President Dave Kratzer said. "This is not representative of our students or of the university."

A reporter for CNN affiliate WFOX went to the University of Florida fraternity house on Friday seeking comment from members. Nobody answered her knock on the door or would talk when she approached them in the parking lot.

Do fraternities make men behave badly?

Emory University issued a statement saying it was appalled to hear of the disrespectful acts but said "no evidence has been found to implicate Emory students in these reported incidents."

Cope said the Wounded Warriors stayed at the same resort where the fraternities were having their spring formal. She said the fraternity members had too much to drink the night of April 17.

"We had an American flag flying outside and there was urination coming down from the balconies going onto the flag," she said. "One of the drunk kids pulled a veteran American flag out of the ground and [we] made the boy put it back. This all happened Friday afternoon, through the night, into the late morning."

She said the veterans and their families did not retaliate.

"These men and women acted like the leaders they are of our country," she said.

Cope told WJHG she received an apology letter from the University of Florida president and the president of Zeta Beta Tau at that school.

The website for Zeta Beta Tau says it's the the world's first Jewish fraternity and prides itself on being an inclusive organization. In 1989, it became the first fraternity to abolish pledging from its organization, the website said.

This is just disgusting. I first read this this morning and saw red and I'm still pissed off 12 hours later. Disrespecting veterans is bad enough. Wounded vets and their families just makes it that much worse. I'm torn between the desire to see the little shitstains curbstomped by some vets and the knowledge that it would just be bringing us all down to their level. But damn is the desire strong. I am just absolutely incensed over this. It's bad enough we get shit on and fucked over by our government without a bunch of snot-nosed little asshats doing this shit. Gah. I want to fucking hit something, right now, dammit.

[rhoenix]

Completely disgusting behavior on the part of the frat dickbowls, but I do have to commend the veterans for their decorum.

However, one would hope that their decorum wouldn't be tested in such a manner on the soil of the country they fought and bled for.

[General Havoc]

I applaud the vets for not lowering themselves to the level of these dickheads. I, however, am perfectly willing to lower myself to their level, and suggest that a group of like-minded people and I introduce these fucks to the business end of a tree branch.

[Lys]

Can't we settle this like civilized adults by having them expelled from their institution of higher learning, thereby making space for more deserving individuals?

[B4UTRUST]

Well, supposedly some people have been expelled from the fraternity. I think the whole charter needs to be pulled for any school involved plus expulsions for those directly responsible from the school itself. However, I think there may be a concern for safety at this point that by expelling them names may get out resulting in a threat to their safety.

Personally, they lost the right to be dealt with as civilized adults the moment they spit on wounded vets and harassed their families. They fucked with veterans, people who have sacrificed years of their lives so these dickstains could have the freedom to attend college. Worse, they targeted and fucked with wounded vets. People who, short of actually laying down their lives for this country, have sacrificed the most for it. And these moronic, booze-infused shitsuckers fucked with them, spit on them, poured beer on them, harassed them and their families and even went after a service dog. These fuckwitted assclowns liberal-arts majors with delusions of adequacy, got drunk and fucked with people who have done more and sacrificed more for their country than these little cock-knobs probably ever will. No, they shouldn't be treated and dealt with as adults, civilized or otherwise. What they need and deserve is a group of vets kicking in their front door and hatefucking them until they understand what exactly they did. They deserve their teeth kicked in and a long extended wall to wall counseling session.

More deserving individuals will probably come take their place. But they should have a really, really good reminder available for reference on why dumb frat-fucks do not ever fuck with vets.

[Lys]

Expelling these fratholes from their school is not the only option available for civilized adults, just the least of them, the absolute bare minimum. What they did is a crime called "assault and battery", and while i understand the visceral appeal of inflicting said crime upon them, it would be far preferable to simply bring them up on charges and make them stand trial for it. It would be difficult to find a jury that would not convict them, and it would make it clear enough that this kind of behaviour is unacceptable.

[LadyTevar]

I'm just hoping there's a ROTC branch on campus.