Two flamingos dead after bungled Mississippi fraternity prank

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Two flamingos dead after bungled Mississippi fraternity prank

Flamingo abducted by college student during scavenger hunt had to be euthanised because of injuries

Associated Press in Hattiesburg, Mississippi
theguardian.com, Thursday 9 October 2014 16.50 EDT

Police say a Mississippi college student has been arrested after a bungled prank led to the deaths of two Chilean flamingos at the Hattiesburg Zoo.

Hattiesburg police spokesman Lt Jon Traxler says 19-year-old Devin Nottis of Pascagoula is charged with grand larceny. The University of Southern Mississippi student was arrested Wednesday night.

Police say that during a fraternity scavenger hunt, Nottis took a flamingo instead of taking a picture of the bird.

The executive director of the organization that runs the Hattiesburg Zoo says a female bird was taken at 1.08 am Tuesday and found later that morning, several miles away. Rick Taylor says it was returned to the zoo and had to be euthanized because of its injuries.

Taylor said a second flamingo was injured in the incident and died Wednesday. He said zoo officials believe the male flamingo died from injuries sustained while defending his mate during the attack.




Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2014/oct/09/fraternity-prank-kills-two-flamingos-mississippi-zoo

[Judi Lynn]

1. Arrest made in Hattiesburg Zoo flamingo snatching

Arrest made in Hattiesburg Zoo flamingo snatching
By Associated Press
Published: October 9, 2014, 1:30 pm | Updated: October 9, 2014, 1:31 pm



HATTIESBURG, Miss. (AP) – A 19-year-old college student on a scavenger hunt has been charged with snatching a Chilean Flamingo from a Mississippi zoo in what police say was a prank gone wrong.

Hattiesburg police spokesman Lt. Jon Traxler says Devin Nottis of Pascagoula is charged with grand larceny. The University of Southern Mississippi student was arrested Wednesday night.

The executive director of the organization that runs the Hattiesburg Zoo says the female bird was taken at 1:08 a.m. Tuesday and located several miles away. Rick Taylor says it was returned to the zoo and had to be put down because of its injuries.

Hattiesburg police say the students were on a scavenger hunt but Nottis took a flamingo instead of taking a picture of the bird.

Security cameras captured images of the kidnappers.

http://fox10tv.com/2014/10/09/arrest-made-in-hattiesburg-zoo-flamingo-snatching/

[Divernan]

5. Six Pi Kappa Alpha boys too stoned/drunk to read directions

Police said security cameras captured images of six people, including Nottis. Traxler said the investigation is continuing.

USM responded Thursday by suspending Nottis and the Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity of which he is a member.

“This is a terrible and heinous act that has occurred, and inconsistent with the values of our institution,” USM Vice President for Student Affairs Joe Paul said in a written statement.

Paul said Nottis is prohibited from campus for any reason other than judicial proceedings with the University’s Dean of Students Office and is subject to arrest if found in violation of the order.

He said the fraternity has been ordered to cease all activities until further notice by the university. In addition, the national office of the fraternity has placed the chapter on administrative suspension, requiring that it cease operations for 30 days while executive officers determine its future, Paul said.

http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2014/oct/09/fraternity-prank-kills-two-flamingos-mississippi-zoo

I agree with this comment from the Guardian article:

Fraternities and sororities are a plague on the collegiate system, along with high ranking executives and football coaches who rake in millions per year while tuition sky rockets. Put an end to all this nonsense and just make education easily accessible. We will ALL benefit by a society with more educated citizens.

[liberal N proud]

20. Fraternities and sororities are a plague on the collegiate system?

No one ever looks at the good things that fraternities and sororities do on campus. Do you throw the whole bag of apples out if one is bad?

Fraternities and sororities are an education in themselves where students learn to self govern, and manage a business. They are responsible for billions of charitable funds raised across the nation. They provide leadership on campus and off.

The social experience is a part of the education as much as the academics. Campus life without the fraternities and sororities would become very bland.

Deal with the bad apples but save the rest.

[Divernan]

21. W/ exception of service organizations (APO), they are elitist snobs

Skull & Bones, writ small. You tell me, why don't they have open enrollment like other campus organizations? Students learn to "self govern" and "manage a business" in non-greek organizations. The social "greeks" exist to screen out those who are "different". They are so determined to do this that members are strongly pressured to date/socialize only with other Greeks. There are professional/honorary fraternities which have academic requirements - fine.

Alpha Phi Omega is a coeducational national service organization that provides it members the chance to develop leadership skills through service projects on their campus, in their community and across the nation. While other groups volunteer, making the world a better place is not their primary focus. This is why more than 400,000 students have chosen APO since our founding in 1925.

We are an inclusive group, open to all nationalities, backgrounds and genders, and we welcome you to become part of our amazing organization so that together we can pursue a common goal - leading through service to others.

Joining a social fraternity or sorority greatly limits a student's social interactions to other Greeks. And then there's the whole problem with alcohol, date rape, etc. The most recent report:
Texas Tech Frat Loses Charter Following 'No Means Yes, Yes Means Anal' Display

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/08/texas-tech-frat-no-means-yes_n_5953302.html
The Phi Delta Theta fraternity at Texas Tech University was effectively removed from campus this week by the national office following an unsanctioned party where brothers displayed a "No Means Yes, Yes Means Anal" banner.

On Sept. 19, the Phi Delta Theta fraternity held a hurricane theme party where a "No Means Yes" banner was put up in addition to a display of a woman's genitals around a sprinkler. The national office investigated the incident after photos leaked online and announced Monday it was placing the Texas Tech chapter "in escrow" and removing members involved in organizational violations.

"When reviewing this reprehensible behavior, there was a clear lack of leadership that created an environment that was disrespectful to women,"

[liberal N proud]

31. The school where I attended and belonged to a fraternity did not limit our social interactions

We had socials each week with other organizations and open event on the weekends. All in an effort to boost social interaction and teach that everyone can work together while still competing.

Many schools would be nothing more than classrooms without the social organizations called fraternities and sororities. These organization provide the backbones for such events as homecoming and student intramural events. The organizers of these events are in most cases provided by the fraternal organizations.

If all you looking only at the bad apples, then that will be all that you put in your basket.

[Gormy Cuss]

37. Without greeks, campus life does all of that.

Social gatherings, intramural events, homecoming, community service projects, etc. Students manage to organize without it.

[liberal N proud]

38. Sigma Chi, for 2012, had donated a total of 1,436,883 dollars to charity.

That is just one fraternity. Can your campus life students do that without an organization?

http://www.statista.com/statistics/238827/us-fraternity-ranking-by-funds-donated-to-charity/

[Gormy Cuss]

41. Yes.

Can and do. The donations just aren't ascribed to a group.

[liberal N proud]

44. Where is the evidence?

[Gormy Cuss]

45. Since there is no national organization tallying its efforts, the evidence would have to be compiled

by polling each college and university and netting out the greeks. I don't know of a survey that does that but there's probably literature out there.

[liberal N proud]

46. probably?

I will take solid evidence over probably any day!

[Gormy Cuss]

53. Data is my business and I use cautionary words with intent.

I avoid using definitive statements when I don't have proof. I thought that I made it clear that there isn't a comparative metric and the reason why that is the case. AFAIK there is no national compilation of student fundraising activities.

$1.4M sounds like a lot but if that's from 200 chapters* it's an average of ~ 8K per chapter. That's a good charitable donation but hardly stellar which is why I wrote that non-greek charitable fundraising on campuses can do similar.




*there are more chapters than that in the US but 200 is a nice round number

[liberal N proud]

56. There is one thing your loner students will never have...

Brotherhood 30 years later.

How many students who never joined a fraternity or sorority return to their school and continue to contribute on an ongoing basis. I return to my Alma matter several times each year, I contribute and participate in both fraternity and university events. This last May we had a anniversary celebration where 300 alumni and active members gathered to reminisce, share and honor achievement of those who served.

We had the University President at our event, so there must have been some value to the organization.

Another event planned around Homecoming in two weeks. In all the homecomings I have attended, I don't recall seeing any of the non-Greeks that I knew in school.

The Greek organizations are a rounded experience exprience for which I am forever grateful for.

[Gormy Cuss]

57. I'm not one who said they had no value. You stated some absurd things about non-greeks upthread

That's what I have been countering.

And yes there are many students who never were in frats or sororities and yet they maintain attachments to their old schools and give money.

[liberal N proud]

60. Nothing I have said is absurd, it is how it is in the real world

[Gormy Cuss]

61. In the real world, some think frats and sororities detract from school identity and social life.

In fact, many campuses don't have them and don't want them because of chuckleheads like the flamingo killers.

But again, not once did I assert that frats and sororities were useless or harmful or anything else negative. I just take exception to your characterization of students who don't join them. Being in a frat worked for you. Not being in a frat or sorority works for others--people who aren't loners, who are engaged in community service and who will continue to support the college long after graduation --- all absurd notions you put forth in this thread.

[Divernan]

68. Phrase,"loner students"?Typical greek contempt for non-greeks.

Insecurity is revealed in those who derive self-esteem by labeling people and looking down on those who are not in one's own group. You know, they're "different"! That way lies racism, as we all know. Speaking of which, none of the fraternities which I observed on campus were racially diverse - perhaps a single, token black jock but even that was rare.

You actually still think all students who were not in social greek groups as "loners"? And you feel free to insult all the DUers who were not greek by expressing that derogatory term here? I guess that's because you were so totally immersed in your narrow greek world that you didn't have the opportunity to observe/notice/let alone make friends in other student groups where involvement was intense & fun, and lifelong friendships were formed. Examples I recall were members of sports teams/leagues, the theatre groups/drama majors; staffs of school newspapers/yearbooks; music majors re various chorus/bands/orchestras; ROTC organizations; fellow students with the same majors.

At the risk of shocking your tender sensibilities, non-greeks also had great college experiences and made lifelong friends during their years on campus. They graduated, grew up, and kept in touch, all on their own initiatives. Funny thing though - those long lasting friendships never involved greeks, who kept themselves apart from the campus hoi polloi (the masses/common people). I have old classmate friendships from debating, from working on the college newspaper, from a professional fraternity (no applicants excluded), old roommates, etc.

http://gawker.com/u-of-alabama-greeks-win-fight-for-their-right-to-be-ra-1550457536
U. of Alabama Greeks Win Fight For Their Right to Be Racist Dicks(HEADLINE)

Last summer, the University of Alabama campus was rocked by allegations that the fabled Greek scene was racist. Well, not allegations: The school's all-white sororities rejected two women because they weren't white. The school's student Senate had a chance to fix things. But last week, they said "fuck it."

A modest proposal encouraging Bama's fraternities and sororities not to discriminate or segregate on the basis of race died in the student Senate last week—after it was sunk by senators with Greek sympathies, according to several of the bill's sponsors.

It was that school paper that first broke the news last summer that the school's all-white sororities had rejected two uber-qualified pledges because they weren't up to racial snuff. Thus far, only one black woman and another multiracial student have gained acceptance to any of those sororities since the school's founding in 1831. (That latter pledge also didn't divulge that she was multiracial until she'd been accepted in her sorority's ranks.) (University of Alabama Sororities Still Won't Rush Black Women)

And plenty of other campuses house fraternities that were begun by unrepentant Southern whites during reconstruction, or who share their beginnings with a secret society that formed the basis for the Ku Klux Klan. As I write this, one frat on the local campus in Tallahassee is preparing for its annual "Old South" ball by remaking its house into a fort, complete with cannonades.

http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/6-most-disturbing-acts-sexism-and-racism-emerge-frat-house-ragers-past-year

Six of the Most Disturbing Racist and Sexist Themed College Frat Events from the Past Year
From Duke to Dartmouth, disgusting behavior.…

1. “Thug Party” at Arizona State University

What’s the sexiest time for a bunch of privileged white kids to wear basketball jerseys, drink frat juice from hollowed-out watermelons, and flash gang signs? According to members of the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity at Arizona State University that would be MLK day (correct answer: never). This past January, students congregated in what they interpreted as thug attire, posted copious pictures of the charade on social media, and even got creative with tags like #MLKblackout and #hood and studded their Instagram posts with watermelon emoticons.

The New York Times reported that the fraternity was suspended after outraged students allied with civil rights leaders. The fraternity had already been on probation after one of its members was suspected of beating up a black classmate on campus. The ASU undergraduate student population is 5 percent black.

2. “USA vs. Mexico” party at Randolph-Macon
In November, members of Kappa Alpha fraternity threw a party where guests were encouraged to dress like “illegal Mexicans” and border patrol agents at Randolph-Macon University in Ashland Virginia. Participants, who sported sombreros, large fake mustaches, and border patrol disguises, were encouraged to play a drinking game in which the students dressed as agents tried to “catch” students portraying immigrants. According to NBC Latino, the fraternity’s guiding slogan is “The moral compass for the modern gentleman.”

Randolph-Macon University is only the most recent example of this insolent strain of frat party. The University of Texas at Austin had promoted such an event in September 2012. “Alpha Tau Omega Presents Fiestau” advertised a veritable obstacle course of institutional racism with guests told there would be some sort of faux-wall in the middle of the party with Mexican-themed drinks on one side and Texan-themed drinks on the other. There’s nothing borderline about the biases of those who planned the event without raising objections. In response to pressure from a slew of UT students, the party name was unhelpfully changed to “Alpha Tau Omega Presents the Alamo” and then canceled altogether.

[Divernan]

69. Racist greek parties target Hispanics, Asians, Blacks, Native Americans.

“Asia Prime" Party at Duke University

“We look forward to having Mi, Yu, You and Yo friends over for some Sake. Chank you.” So read Kappa Sigma’s invitation to its “Asia Prime” party, which took place at Duke University on Feb. 1, 2013. According to rumors of that “epic night” and photographic evidence posted to students’ social media accounts, guests dressed up in silk robes, fake sumo wrestler paunch, chopstick hair accessories, and parroted stereotypical Asian accents. The New York Daily News reported that by the time the party actually took place it had been renamed “International Relations.” Students immediately began referring to it as the “racist rager.”
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/duke-frat-suspended-hosting-asian-themed-party-article-1.1257624?ref=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alternet.org%2Fnews-amp-politics%2F6-most-disturbing-acts-sexism-and-racism-emerge-frat-house-ragers-past-year%3Fpaging%3Doff%26current_page%3D1

“Colonial Bros and Nava-Hos” at California Polytechnic State University

How can you be anti-woman, insult Native Americans, and signal your approval of genocide all in the same rager? Just do what Cal Poly did and throw a Colonial Bros and Nava-Hos party. Better yet, throw it on Thanksgiving. The party, which was thrown by three fraternities, was later denounced by the university president and a forum was conducted where students could air their grievances. One faculty member identified Phi Sigma Kappa as one of three Greek organizations that hosted the party,

Cal Poly is by no means the first to inflict this lame idea on the rest of the student body. Many other fraternities have tried to ride the same gravy train to party town only to be brutally rebuffed by their unchill peers. Harvard bros also threw a “Conquista-bros and Nava-hos” party back in 2010 in honor of Columbus Day (when brother Chris found America and cracked open a 40). Backlash eventually forced an apology from Sigma Chi, the fraternity that threw the bash.

The University of Chicago’s Alpha Delta Phi chapter also tried to throw such a party in May 2012, wooing guests via Facebook invite with a call to “conquer, spread disease, and enslave natives.” The name of the party was facetiously changed to “Hats” before it was canceled.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2512360/Frats-Colonial-Bros-Nava-Hos-party-investigated-racism.html

“Bloods and Crips" Party at Dartmouth

I’m all for brothers and sisters coming together to have a good, loving time, but that’s not even close to what happened when Alpha Delta fraternity and Tri-Delta sorority joined forces to heighten the powers of their racist antics. In July 2013, these two groups of Dartmouth students co-hosted a “Bloods and Crips” party which, for anyone who does not know, is a reference to arguably the most famous and violent L.A. gangs, both primarily African American.

One student who was on campus for “sophomore summer” and had attended the event wrote about it in an email, shared with the Huffington Post: “Individuals mingled for hours while dressed as bloods or crips while using racialized language. It then turned into a 'ghetto party' with racialized language, speech and dress. Over 200 individuals attended this event.”

In the morning everyone woke up, and lo and behold, became upstanding, politically correct citizens of their elite university again. Both the fraternity and the sorority acknowledged the party foul in diplomatic statements made, it would seem, through gritted teeth (Alpha Delta claimed “there was no ill intent,” calling the matter an “oversight”). No disciplinary action was taken, though Dartmouth administrators claimed to be possibly thinking about concocting some guidelines for not throwing parties that target minorities and women.

The very first lesson of history? It repeats itself. In 1998, white Dartmouth students — fake guns and fake afros blaring — threw a “gangsta party.” Students continued staging protests well after the fraternity and sorority behind the event issued their apologies. Black, Hispanic, Asian-American, and Native American students constituted less than 25 percent of the student body population 16 years ago; now that number is about 35 percent.

http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/6-most-disturbing-acts-sexism-and-racism-emerge-frat-house-ragers-past-year?paging=off¤t_page=1#bookmark

“Beer Olympics” Party at Columbia University

Sometimes you don’t have to look behind you for a history lesson; instead, look to your side. The Winter Olympics have closed, but the saga of sorority Kappa Alpha Theta’s “Beer Olympics” party, held just last weekend at Columbia, is still unfolding. If this particular story has one silver lining it’s that there's no lack of loyal opposition to what went down, since the party managed to be offensive to about half a dozen racial and ethnic groups.

For starters, women representing team Mexico donned all the unimaginative cultural cues: mustache, sombrero, maracas. Columbia’s Chicano Caucus criticized Kappa Alpha Theta’s choice of dress in a statement to the student paper the Spectator, which read in part, “The attire trivialized an entire nation’s history, its peoples, and its cultures. ... The term ‘cultural appropriation’ is not one that is discussed often at Columbia, and it is not one that is easy to define.”

Sisters on team Ireland brandished a sign that read “Kiss me, I’m a famished potato” (because nothing gets you in the mood like mass starvation), while those portraying Japan wore schoolgirl outfits and hachimaki.
The Columbia Panhellenic Association released a statement admonishing the sorority, “We are taking this matter very seriously and are working directly with members of the organization. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/24/columbia-sorority-party-offensive-olympics_n_4847827.html

[Scout]

81. excellent observations

i thought the same thing ... "loner" students... makes the poster sound like a conceited, arrogant ass.

[sendero]

24. I dunno...

..... my youngest son was kind of drifting until he joined a fraternity. They put some structure in his life, gave him an opportunity to do some work outside his area of expertise and hence learn, and frankly generally turned his life around.

He has moved on to another school, but despite the reputation these organizations have, they are not all bad.

[liberal N proud]

29. Exactly

Joining a fraternity probably kept me from dropping out of college.

Structure coupled with brotherhood and support kept me focused on the future. I am still in contact with many brothers that I went to school and an extend group of people that were both much older than I was and younger.

The right fraternity will build men, the right sorority will build women.

[wilt the stilt]

49. SUNY has no fraternities or sororities when I went to school

and we had to learn how to introduce ourselves and interact socially on our own. way better way to grow up.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

76. My college had no fraternities or sororities either.

Nevertheless, there were plenty of social events and other things to do - we very definitely weren't doomed to become lonely antisocial nerds stuck in our dorm rooms. I really don't see the need for them.

[KamaAina]

86. Yale let them back in after I left

led by DKE. The most (in)famous Deke was, of course, George W. Bush '68.

[Scout]

80. "Campus life without the fraternities and sororities would become very bland"

quite the overstatement, no?

[LeftinOH]

32. "They are elitist snobs".. a sweeping generalization from

someone who hasn't the slightest friggin' idea what fraternities and sororities are actually like. You think that some high-profile stories about hijinks gone bad and some silly films (like 'Animal House') are sufficient to make an informed opinion. Sports teams, marching bands - and lots of other organizations experience problems with hazing and out-of-control members, and they should be dealt with - but nobody ever suggests that they should be banned everywhere, outright.

Kindly take your misinformed opinion on this matter and shove it.

[Divernan]

54. I went through rush, turned down bids & joined a service sorority open to all who wished to join.

If greeks are not elitist snobs, give me one good reason why they so carefully screen out potential members, with multiple levels of rushing?


I've been a staff member (assistant dean of students) at a private university and a faculty member at a public university. I observed many problems with unhealthy competitiveness between houses for rankings, with plagiarizing term papers, with drunken behavior and brawling, hazing and with sexual exploitation and abuse by fraternity members of female "guests" at their weekend orgies. As to sports teams and marching bands - I came across no problems with hazing or drunken behavior with students in those organizations - but with the fraternities, it was nearly every weekend. The worst was when neighboring houses would get in public drunken brawls. It's fair to say I've had plenty of experience and opportunity to observe the greek system on multiple campuses.

But hey, don't take my word for it. Here's what peer reviewed research has proven!

Sorority girls are more likely to have body image issues and dysfunctional eating behaviors than their peers. Women in sororities are more likely to have body image issues and judge themselves on physical appearances than those who did not join a sorority. According to a study in the journal Sex Roles, research showed that first-year students who went through rush had greater signs of dysfunctional eating behavior than those who did not rush, and the body image issues continued for many new members. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100302112012.htm

The fraternity or sorority house is the largest on-campus venue for drinking. More students engaged in drinking at fraternity and sorority houses than any other on-campus venue or residence hall. According to the Harvard School of Public Health's College Alcohol Study, 75% of students living in fraternity and sorority houses were heavy drinkers, compared to 45% of students who lived in non-Greek housing and 35% of the overall student population. Students living off campus away from their parents and students living in fraternity or sorority houses had the highest rates of binge drinking. The amount of alcohol consumed per occasion appears to vary by setting (Harford et al., 2002b). Fraternity/sorority parties, off-campus bars, and off-campus parties were the sites of heaviest drinking. Although off-campus parties and bars were most heavily attended, a higher percentage of drinkers engaged in heavy drinking at fraternity/sorority parties
http://archive.sph.harvard.edu/cas/What-We-Learned-08.pdf


Greek members abuse prescription stimulants more than their peers. Fraternity and sorority members are more likely to abuse prescription stimulants such as Adderall, Ritalin or Dexedrine than the rest of the student population. According to a 2004 article published in the journal Addiction, white fraternity members and sorority members had the highest rate of abusing non-medical prescription stimulants. Results: The findings revealed that fraternity and sorority members reported a higher rate of nonmedical stimulant use than nonmembers. In addition, regression analyses revealed that higher ratings of anxiety, stress, internal impulsivity, and internal restlessness significantly predicted nonmedical stimulant use.http://jad.sagepub.com/content/17/2/87.abstract


Sorority members are more likely to be victims of sexual assault. Sorority members have a greater risk of being sexually assaulted in college than non-members. According to the National Institute of Justice, nearly a quarter of sexual assault victims are sorority members, whereas only 14 percent of nonvictims were sorority members. These women also face a higher risk for violence in dating relationships than other female students. http://www.nij.gov/topics/crime/rape-sexual-violence/campus/Pages/increased-risk.aspx


Fraternity and sorority members suffer more alcohol-related consequences than their peers. According to the National Criminal Justice Reference Service, fraternities and sororities are more likely to suffer alcohol-related consequences than non-Greek students because they drink more. These consequences range from poor test performance, alcohol-related injuries, arguments, assault, property damage and sexual assault. In fact, Greek leaders and those living in a sorority or fraternity house experience the most negative consequences because of their own drinking habits and those of other students.This document discusses alcohol and other drug use by college fraternity and sorority members.
Abstract: The consequences of drinking on campus each year are 1,400 deaths from alcohol-related causes; 500,000 unintentional injuries; 600,000 assaults; and 70,000 cases of sexual assault and acquaintance rape. Fraternities and sororities are among the key groups that foster this culture of drinking on campus. Their members drink far greater amounts of alcohol, and do so more frequently than other members, setting a norm for heavy drinking. A national study on college drinking found that fraternity members were much more likely to engage in heavy drinking than their non-fraternity peers. Among women, 62.4 percent of sorority members engaged in heavy drinking, compared with 40.9 percent of other female students. Residency in a fraternity or sorority house was associated with even higher rates of heavy drinking. Fraternity and sorority-affiliated athletes are especially heavy drinkers. The largest on-campus venue for drinking is the fraternity or sorority house. Approximately 50 percent of students living in a fraternity or sorority house performed poorly on a test or project, versus about 25 percent of all students. The leaders of fraternities and sororities suffer even greater consequences than other members. One study found that 26.9 percent of fraternity leaders and 18.6 percent of sorority leaders had suffered an alcohol-related injury. Eighty-three percent of residents in a fraternity or sorority house experienced negative consequences due to other students’ drinking, such as a serious argument, assault, property damage, having to take care of a drunken student, interrupted sleep or study, an unwanted sexual advance, or sexual assault or acquaintance rape. Twenty to 25 percent of college women are victims of an attempted or completed rape during their college careers. Both the social environment of fraternities and sororities and the fact that new students that are already heavy drinkers are more likely to want to join these societies contribute to high rates of alcohol consumption. College and university prevention efforts should target these social societies by promoting alcohol- and drug-free social options; creating an environment that promotes healthy social norms; and limiting alcohol availability and access. https://www.ncjrs.gov/App/publications/Abstract.aspx?id=203748


The environment in fraternity houses contributes to rape culture. Research suggests that fraternity house environments contribute to the problem of rape. Fraternities' group norms and attitudes toward women and sex have led to this rape culture environment. According to research from the journal Sex Roles, individual fraternity men are more likely to display objectifying images of women in their rooms, have supportive attitudes about rape and believe women want to engage in rough sexual acts even if they act disinterested.

"Our examination of men's social fraternities on college and university campuses as groups and organizations led us to conclude that fraternities are a physical and sociocultural context that encourages the sexual coercion of women. Rape is especially probable in fraternities because of the kinds of organizations they are, the kinds of members they have, the practices their members engage in, and a virtual absence of university or community oversight. Fraternities create a sociocultural context in which the use of coercion in sexual relations with women is normative and in which the mechanisms to keep this pattern of behavior in check are minimal at best and absent at worst.
http://archive.sph.harvard.edu/cas/What-We-Learned-08.pdf
http://courses.ttu.edu/jkoch/intro/Readings/Frat%20Rape.pdf

[greatlaurel]

63. Thank you for your very informational post.

The Greek system at my alma mater is out of control. The amount of alcohol and drug abuse centers on the fraternity and sorority houses. More than one fraternity has been kicked off campus, but it has not slowed down the problems very much. There is quite a bit of anecdotal evidence that these organizations foster quite a bit of academic cheating. The frats and sororities are well known for having copies of the tests even for the rigorous hard science classes.

Do you have any ideas why these behaviors are tolerated at so many campuses?

[LeftinOH]

72. Articles written by individuals who dislike fraternities & sororities and who

-not surprisingly- were never members of one. Maybe not a cottage industry, but it sure is a popular theme among academics.

I just returned from a Homecoming weekend in which I reunited with many fraternity brothers from years past and also got to meet some new ones. Oddly, none of us discussed the rape orgies we used to have or the drink-till-you pass out booze fests. We DID discuss how our kids are doing in school; where are careers are going (or not going); our latest health issues; getting to meet some of the wives or partners (some of them same-sex) for the first time, etc.

It is distressing that a few badly run organizations (and sometimes only one) on some campuses manage to tarnish the reputation of ALL of them. The relentless 'proof' that ALL of these organizations consist of rapist alcoholics is tiresome. It is also offensive.

As for screening out potential members, the process is more "screening in" than anything else. Show up drunk, picking fights, showing little interest in studying, etc... yeah- you'll get "screened out." There is no way to alter the prevailing stereotype that ALL fraternity and sorority members are elitist snobs and/or rapists. All we can do is hope that a sufficient number of people in academic administrations know better than to judge an entire social scene based on the actions of some bad actors.

[Divernan]

73. So you dismiss all peer reviewed research on basis of YOUR unfounded assumption.

That is, that no one involved in such research was a ever a member. Golly gee, if fraternities have such high academic standards, why haven't any faculty members/former fraternity members produced any articles disproving the voluminous statistical research documenting that alcoholism, drug use, self image problems, sexual exploitation, etc., are found more frequently in greeks than independents?

And DO address your dismissal of all non-greeks as "loners" and explain why that isn't an arrogant description, which in a nutshell demonstrates the elitist snobbery of greeks, which is drilled into you from pledge class on, and so thoroughly, that amazingly it has persisted to your current attitude. I quote you from reply 56 in this thread:

"56. There is one thing your loner students will never have..."

What a pathetic description of everyone who was not a greek. And oh, the tragedy, the horror for students at universities like Oxford, Cambridge, the Sorbonne, etc. where there are no social fraternities/sororities. How has Europe survived?!?!?

I suggest if you were truly secure in the integrity and value of your fraternity, you really wouldn't care what others thought of it.

[LeftinOH]

82. Reply #56 certainly IS a pathetic description of anyone who

was not greek. As it happens, THAT ISN'T MY POST. But that didn't stop you from condemning me for it.. because "all those frat boys are the same." That's actually the 'broad brush' criticism I complaining about in the first place.

As for Oxford, they have clubs with their own colors and drinking songs. Universities in Germany have 'studentenverbindung' http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Studentenverbindung. Which brings me to this:

In college I spent one year abroad - in Spain. There are no fraternities and sororities. They do have 'Colegios Mayores' some of which are centuries old. I spent part of that year living in one. In many of them, in-country residents are selected for residence based on their academic preference, or their sport preference, or their financial background, and yes even their personality. New residents are harassed mercilessly. There are weekly meetings, party committees, and the most hard-core boozing I've ever seen.

How are these groups any different? They aren't. In the US, fraternities and sororities are our home-grown adaptation of these same traditions of student clubs. Yes, some of them are horribly managed and have some genuine creeps (just like the ones in Europe and elsewhere). "Voluminous" research will find what exactly what certain researchers want to find. The greeks on US campuses often have overall higher GPAs than non-greeks, but nobody wants to read research on that - as it runs contrary to the prevailing stereotype. Research bias, it exists.

[Gormy Cuss]

79. They're not just "articles," they're backed by data

You're dismissing a major Harvard School of Public Health study with a nationally representative sample, conducted at +100 campuses as "written by individuals who dislike fraternities & sororities ?"

Study results showing that certain behaviors like binge drinking are far more prevalent in greek settings aren't saying that all frat brothers are getting slammed every night. They're saying exactly what the data show: for whatever reasons the greeks are a hotbed for excess college drinking. It's not just an 'Animal House' myth.

[VA_Jill]

48. Make him pay

for the replacements. Out of pocket. It won't be cheap. Maybe then the little snot will think twice. PKA, huh? The same outfit that was permanently thrown off the Tennessee campus after the infamous "butt-chugging" incident. And off a couple other campuses too. Seems they are a bunch of losers.

[tomm2thumbs]

2. future GOP politician I presume

in training

[freshwest]

4. Yes, starting early. Will get off with a slap on the wrist, too.

[shenmue]

3. Nasty!

[yuiyoshida]

6. damn, they couldn't just steal a few

plastic ones? Those are probably all over rich peoples lawns...

[Skittles]

8. in Austin when Woolworth's went out of business

a lawyer bought the entire stock of plastic flamingos and put them all over his friend's well-manicure lawns

[yuiyoshida]

16. funny...

[whistler162]

14. We have 2 in our yard

Last edited Fri Oct 10, 2014, 07:04 AM - Edit history (1)

and we aren't rich. Mostly for the neighbor across the street, to get her goat(as the saying goes), who is a tad OCD and racist(a basic drunken nut job), clears road part of lawn of snow and other fun things.

[yuiyoshida]

15. well no you don't have to be rich to own them...

but if a house looks like a mansion and has them, those would have been worth stealing..rather than killing real birds..omg.

[Skittles]

7. disgusting

no doubt an entitled little shit

[Divernan]

9. PIKE suspended in Fla,Cal,Tenn,Texas,LA,Maryland,Michigan,Mass.,NY,Illinois

To name a few of the states. Basically, we're talking in trouble from coast to coast. I expect this list is incomplete, but I quite looking after the first few pages of Google results.

CALIFORNIA: U-Cal

Within the past two years, University Police Department has recorded 27 incident reports against the fraternity, with incidences as minor as noise complaints to as severe as battery occurring within the fraternity house.
The fraternity was suspended based upon the accumulation of police reports from the last two years, according to Medi Gouta, Interfraternity Council (IFC) president and member of Kappa Sigma fraternity. - See more at: http://spartandaily.com/76685/pi-kappa-alpha-suspended-until-august-2013-probation-until-august-2014#sthash.Ae4lDIJt.dpuf

TENNESSEE: U-Tenn
KNOXVILLE (WATE) - The University of Tennessee, Knoxville's Pi Kappa Alpha (PIKE) chapter is administratively suspended, officials said Monday.

The UT Police Department is leading an investigation connected to alcohol incidents on Saturday that involved the fraternity's Zeta chapter.

Police say an unresponsive 20-year-old UT student in critical condition was dropped off at UT Medical Center. Hospital staff said his blood alcohol content was well over .40. Officers found several people passed out at the Pike House, including three men.

Investigators believe fraternity members were putting alcohol through rubber tubing into their rectums. This practice greatly heightens the level and speed of alcohol entering the blood stream because it bypasses filtering by the liver.

Texas: http://www.theshorthorn.com/news/campus/fraternity-receives--year-suspension-as-uta-ends-investigations/article_7747d4b2-3dec-11e3-a846-001a4bcf6878.html

LOUISIANA Tulane
[div class="excerpt" http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2008/05/suspended_tulane_frats_reputat.html
The fraternity, commonly called PIKE, now faces allegations that members poured boiling water on the bodies of pledges and caked them with flour, crab boil, vinegar, cayenne peppers and wasabi sauce. The victims were treated at a local hospital with second- and third-degree burns, according to New Orleans police.

Arrest warrants were issued for 10 students on Tuesday and all had turned themselves in by Wednesday afternoon, a police spokesman confirmed. .... On Wednesday, the front door to the PIKE fraternity house, at the corner of Zimpel Street and Broadway, was ajar and the building vacant. A tag hanging on the doorknob informed residents that the Sewerage and Water Board had cut off service because of delinquent payments. Windows were open and trash, including broken and half-full beer bottles, littered the grounds

MARYLAND Johns Hopkins
http://www.jhunewsletter.com/2014/05/17/pike-chapter-suspended-for-one-year-after-numerous-violations-50180/

PIKE chapter suspended for one year after numerous violations
By MELANIE LEVINE
Published: May 17th, 2014
The Johns Hopkins chapter of the Pi Kappa Alpha (PIKE) fraternity has been suspended through the end of the 2014-2015 school year due to a number of violations of the student conduct code.

In an email to the University community, Vice Provost for Student Affairs Kevin Shollenberger detailed the violations for which PIKE’s activity is being suspended: underage drinking, providing alcohol to minors, unsafe behavior, failure to comply with University and police directives, disturbance of neighbors and breaking the terms of their social probation.

MICHIGAN: U-Mich

"It portrays a juvenile attitude," said Mitch Crane, a retired judge from Delaware who speaks about various issues at college campuses across the country. "It makes people wonder, 'If this is what they're willing to do ... and post and believe it's OK, what do they do behind the scenes?' It shows a lack of forethought."

In one picture, some men of U-M's Beta Tau chapter are lined up behind a folded American flag held at their waists. There also are pictures online showing individual men wrapped in smaller flags, some posing suggestively.

The website BroBible.com published a purported copy of the invitation, which contains the line: "What is America? America is a place where drinking until you puke means drinking until you win."

MASSACHUSETTS Northeastern

The Boston Police Department (BPD) spent three years targeting it as a fraternity house – illegal in the state of Massachusetts.

http://huntnewsnu.com/2011/12/pi-kappa-alpha-slammed-with-suspension-faces-charter-loss/

NEW YORK Cornell
The university withdrew Pi Kappa Alpha's recognition due to its history of alcohol and hazing-related infractions over several years, which culminated in a Jan. 22, 2010, incident involving underage and high-risk drinking. The loss of recognition was to have remained in effect for four years.

ILLINOIS DeKalb
Freshman David Bogenberger was found dead the morning of Nov. 2 at the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity house near the DeKalb campus. Toxicology tests showed his blood-alcohol concentration was about five times the legal limit for driving. The cause of death has been attributed to cardiac arrhythmia, with alcohol intoxication as a significant condition contributing to death, officials said.

Source: http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/northern-illinois-university-pi-kappa-alpha-fraternity-bogenberger-183864711.html#ixzz3FjP6KoC9
Follow us: @nbcchicago on Twitter | nbcchicago on Facebook

[cui bono]

10. Fucking fraternities. What good comes out of them?

Besides Animal House I mean.

They - and sororities - just breed idiocy and a bully mentality.

[get the red out]

11. I agree

They show up at a charity or two and declare themselves the greatest thing since sliced bread. This story is so sad and exposes the selfishness these institutions inspire.

[Divernan]

12. Big Pharma recruits drug sales reps from hot sorrority babes.

Why? Because male docs will make time to "meet" with them. Sex sells, baby! A colleague's daughter was sorrority president at University of West VA, with zero/zip/nada science/medical background - very attractive and charming, and now very well paid as a drug rep.
The Daily Show did a spoof on this:

But sales and marketing play a big role, too, as The Daily Show pointed out in one of its segments last year.

Doctor interviewed by Daily Show: “There’s a real trend for the drug companies to use attractive people, often attractive women.”

Daily Show reporter: “Oh really? Before she was Miss Florida 2006, Cristen Duran was a drug rep for First Horizon Pharmaceuticals.” Cristen’s a good-looking recent college grad in a sexy pink sun dress. She has remarkable success selling drugs to doctors.

Cristen: “Doctor, nice to meet you. I just wanted to stop by today and offer you…”

Doctor: “Yes, I’ll take it! Two! I’ll take two of everything!”

[underpants]

28. College cheerleaders

Male and female - fit, high, graduation rates. Read an article in NY Times years ago about it. Yes they are all gorgeous.

[FLPanhandle]

35. That's almost any sales organization

Human nature: people tend to say yes to attractive members of the opposite sex.

[pipoman]

17. The most dangerous and disolve worthy fraternity of all

Fraternal Order of Police

Their constant and continual battle to keep egregious criminal police employed and out of jail should cause a public uprising resulting in legislative change to hold the monsters in blue accountable for their actions.

[Cha]

13. Sweet Flamingoes.. I love those graceful birds.

"Police say that during a fraternity scavenger hunt, Nottis took a flamingo instead of taking a picture of the bird."

So the scavenger hunt only wanted a picture and this idiot took the bird!?

Mahalo Judi Lynn~

[Judi Lynn]

42. Thanks for the photo, Cha. They are incredible, and precious.

It takes a deformed personality to even dream of treating living creatures as objects.

[Enrique]

18. the "picture" part might be ass-covering

it seems a little tame for a frat.

[Divernan]

19. At latest count, 9 guys being investigated-doubt they ALL misread the directions!

[Enrique]

22. I'm imagining them all coming back to the frat house

with their pictures of flamingos, high fiving each other. Dude! awesome shot! what kind of camera did you use?

[Divernan]

23. Thanks for the laugh! Very funny!

[bullwinkle428]

26. Yeah, that didn't pass the smell test at all. Maybe the hunt "organizers"

wanted them to steal a plastic one from someone's lawn, but the picture thing sounds like bullshit.

[Sunlei]

25. the zoo cam caught 6 people!. 6 people need grand larceny charges. Miss. needs to ALSO charge

these idiots with their weak animal cruelty charges.

[exboyfil]

27. I am surprised an agricultural states don't

have stricter laws. We had an awful incident here in which two individuals went through and killed a bunch of geese and ducks with rocks. These seriously disturbed individuals served no prison time for it. It still burns me because I took my girls to see those ducks when they were little. We were horrified when we returned to the zoo right after it happened. I simply could not believe the signs they put up explaining why the ducks and geese were no longer on display.


http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/article/20100923/NEWS/9230337/Marine-says-he-helped-kill-petting-zoo-ducks

http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/Marine-Pleads-Guilty-in-2008-Duck-Stoning-at-Bever-Park-103603809.html

[Sunlei]

33. oh my, Miss. caught the 2, 20 year olds and the charges were misdemeaners. 1 was a Marine!

"third-degree criminal mischief and injury to livestock, both misdemeanors"

Mississippi is a state way behind the curve on basic rights & protections for animals & humans!

contrast that with a state like Nebraska, where with the help of a lot of good people including the local 'Law'...a cruel killer of 100s of animals resulted in over 140 felony convictions.

That dark soul is still in prison- here is his prison page where you can see the felony animal cruelty convictions-

http://dcs-inmatesearch.ne.gov/Corrections/InmateDisplayServlet?DcsId=71105&showInmateImage=true

[exboyfil]

34. Correction - This is Iowa for the duck slaughter

and not Mississippi. I currently live in Iowa, but I went to High School in Mississippi. States are similar in their outlook on agriculture.

[Sunlei]

36. Iowa is slack on their animal abuse laws too. even torture of pets charge-"aggravated misdemeanor"

Iowa law- Under both the animal abuse and animal torture sections, a first offense results in an aggravated misdemeanor.

Lots of psycos in those states police departments and gov positions, as it takes Felony conviction to exclude them.

[Jamastiene]

78. Agriculture is big business.

What Big Business wants, Big Business gets. What they want is very little to no oversight into what they do. That is why a lot of agricultural states have lax animal cruelty laws.

[PeoViejo]

30. I could always pick out the Frat Rats among my students

because their homework were identical, down to the typos.

[Judi Lynn]

43. Whoa! I've heard about things like this for years. Looks as if it's true. Creepy. n/t

[magical thyme]

39. add animal cruelty charges and everything else they can throw at that nasty snot.

those poor birds

fuck it I hate people some days.

[JohnnyRingo]

40. At least they didn't intend to kill the birds.

That was a truly stupid stunt that went horribly awry, but I think I'm still overwhelmed from a local story this week where two young men entered a chicken farm near here with golf clubs. They then proceeded to practice their driving range skills by killing over 950 birds. Many more were injured.

In that case I wondered why there wasn't a point, perhaps halfway through, when they began to question there own actions. Unlike those psychos, I'd like to think the flamingo killers at least feel some remorse.

[Sunlei]

47. remorse because the zoo cam caught them. 6 people were in the pen grabbing at frantic wild birds.

Yes I read about those youths who went into someones farm building and killed a full warehouse of chickens. I bet that's not the first time those youths have personally killed animals by beating them to death.

The USA tolerates a lot of violence toward animals & humans. Many charges for domestic violence & animal abuse is misdemeanor or hand slap, or ignored. In rural areas rodeos have gotten a lot more violent, tripping is allowed now. Animal fights are a big hidden industry that is pretty much ignored. This makes some of our youths very insensitive to human & animal suffering.

A very dumb move by college age!! people, if they didn't get caught they would have never admitted it. They should not lock those college students away forever or ruin their lives & education if this is a first time crime. Fines to cover all damages and long, long, community service work!

[JohnnyRingo]

55. I was also considering community service.

If the sentencing judge has any imagination, he/she could make them have to tell their frat buddies that they can't party Friday nights because they have to get up early each weekend to shovel elephant dung and clean the monkey cage for the rest of the school year. If the judge is an animal lover perhaps they could wear a t-shirt with a witty job title.

This way the boys won't ruin their lives with a felony and gain a clever nickname at school.

If the boys indicate to the prosecutor that they're too good to be an elephant dung engineer, or if they've had priors, then I'd go with what everyone else said here.

[LisaL]

51. The end result is the same.

Beautiful birds ended up dead because of some idiotic prank.

[blkmusclmachine]

50. The Frat should be barred from the school for at least 4 years minimum.

[Judi Lynn]

52. Flamingo killed defending its mate, which also dies in frat initiation rite

Flamingo killed defending its mate, which also dies in frat initiation rite
Scott Kaufman
10 Oct 2014

University of Southern Mississippi fraternity pledge was arrested Wednesday night for his role in the scavenger hunt that led to the deaths of two flamingos, the Hattiesburg American reports.

Devin Nottis was pledging the Delta Nu Chapter of Pi Kappa Alpha on Tuesday and was supposed to take a photograph with a flamingo for the scavenger hunt.

Instead, police say, Norris took the animal itself — but neither the female Chilean flamingo nor its mate went quietly.
Hattiesburg Zoo officials say that the male flamingo “attempted to defend his mate and was injured.” It was found dead in its holding area the morning after the scavenger hunt with scrapes on its body and severe internal injuries.

The kidnapped female flamingo was recovered Tuesday, but it was also severely injured and had to be euthanized.

More:
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/10/flamingo-killed-defending-its-mate-which-also-dies-in-frat-initiation-rite/

[Liberal_in_LA]

58. sad

[Liberal_in_LA]

59. photo of Flamingo abuser

Bond was set at a total of $17,300 Friday for a University of Southern Mississippi freshman charged in connection with the theft and subsequent deaths of two Chilean flamingos from the Hattiesburg Zoo.

Devin Nottis, 19, of Pascagoula, was arrested late Wednesday and charged with grand larceny, two counts of animal cruelty and trespassing in the case.

Hattiesburg Municipal Court Judge Jerry Evans set bond at $15,000 for the grand larceny, a felony; $1,000 for each animal cruelty charge; and $300 for the trespassing.

During a fraternity pledge prank, Nottis allegedly removed a female Chilean flamingo from the zoo about 1:15 a.m. Tuesday. The bird was found injured about 8:30 a.m. that same day on the Longleaf Trace, and had to be euthanized due to the extent of its injuries.

http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/story/news/crime/2014/10/10/bond-chilean-flamingo-case/17043087/

[leftyladyfrommo]

62. We had a similar thing here in a Lawrence Fraternity.

Only it was a live turkey that ended up just being beaten to death in a drunken, frat frenzy.

If this is what frats are really about then they need to be banned from all college campuses.

[Blue_Tires]

64. Funny that an English paper saw fit to give this coverage...

[Divernan]

66. Brits see US as violent, war-mongering, & gun-happy; this story fits right in.

And social fraternities and sororities are unique to the US. British & EU schools do not have them.

OMG!!! Imagine! Unlike the warnings of some posters that college life would be flat and dull without the greeks; students wouldn't learn management skills, etc., the European/British universities provide outstanding educations and social activities. My eldest did her undergrad degree at University College, Dublin, Ireland. She represented her class in the Student Senate and played intercollegiate women's football (soccer); belonged to the riding club which provided her with Irish hunters to ride; and the banking club, which paid for student trips to London (Threadneedle Street), the European Parliament (then in Strasbourg) & Paris. Students interested in sailing were provided with ocean going sailboats of various sizes. All these student activities were completely financed by the University. Her tuition (back in the 80's) was about $500 a year, which left her well able to afford weekend and bank holiday trips to the continent.

And her education (honors degree in economics) was superior. When she did an MBA in the US, she ended up tutoring her fellow students in statistics.

[Blue_Tires]

67. That's a huge generalization, but I get your point...

[CTyankee]

65. Disgusting and sad. Those poor birds...

[catchnrelease]

70. This is so infuriating!

I have no doubt that more than just those two birds were affected. Part of my job as a bird keeper in a zoo (for 30yrs) was taking care of the flamingo flocks. When someone or something out of the usual routine approaches these birds it sends them all into a panicked frenzy. They will blindly run in every direction, and even trample their own flock members that happen to fall. It's chaos beyond belief. Plus, that panic can cause what is called capture myopathy, a release of lactic acid into the system, which affects the oxygen output of the heart. If bad enough it will lead to death just by itself either right away or even weeks later, no other injuries needed. And it's true, the pairs are devoted to each other and I'm sure that the male tried to defend his female.

These particular birds were Chilean Flamingos, which are small--the female was probably no more than 7 lbs at the max and maybe 3-4' tall. So I can just imagine these oafs running amongst the flock grabbing at whoever they could. Argh, it just makes me sick. Any time it was necessary for us keepers to get hands on a particular bird, it required planning, timing etc all to separate that specific one with the least amount of stress on every bird in the group. In the majority of cases when the flock is disturbed, or their regular routine is changed, they will go off feed completely for a day or more, so it's critical to keep the upsets to a minimum. That's why I'm sure there were more problems than just with the two birds that didn't make it.

Sorry for the rant, I know in the big scheme of things this is not the end of the world, but it really broke my heart to think of what these mindless jerks did and I'm sure they thought it was no big deal. It was just a bird. Plus I bet he/they will only get a slap on the wrist in the end.

[Divernan]

74. Thank you for an excellent explanation of the extent of the damage done.

[zonkers]

71. I blame the zoo. Protect animals in your care. Day and night.

[exboyfil]

77. That is another great point

Apparently the zoo was first owned by the city who turned it over to a private corporation. The flamingos have a special secure enclosure built for them. They should have been in it.

On the other hand it does not mitigate the seriousness of the behavior of the college students who trespassed onto zoo grounds by jumping a fence, fatally kicking or hitting the mate of this flamingo, and taking the female flamingo away. The female also died from its injuries from capture and transport. Total value of both flamingos approaching $5,000.

Everyone who entered the zoo grounds should be charged with vandalism, destruction of private property, trespassing theft, and whatever animal cruelty charges may be available. They all share in the guilt.

By the way the only one charged so far actually made a rap video of this. It is shocking to see his lack of concern for his behavior.

http://www.wdam.com/story/26767472/alleged-flamingo-bandit-made-rap-video-about-incident

[zonkers]

83. Sign the "Animal Bill of Rights"!!! All animals, especially those in captivity

should be protected by a legal document!!!

[LisaL]

85. From what I read, the birds were making nests.

How do you suggest nesting birds be put into enclosure each night?
That would result in no baby birds being able to survive, because I don't think you can keep moving nests in and out every day.

[exboyfil]

87. That is what I had read

about the enclosure. Obviously they would have to attend to their nests in the open pen. I retract what I said about having them in a secure facility for the night.

[LisaL]

84. Do you similarly blame all victims of crimes?

[zonkers]

88. No just the ones that are negligent. Even my vet has someone on duty at night.