Hazing is Often Assault – from the Deseret News
Deseret News Editorial
Published: Saturday, Feb. 27, 2010 12:10 a.m. MST
Too bad it takes a tragedy to wake people up.
That lament has been heard more than once. The truth is, change can be so uncomfortable that people often need a little push to get them going. And such seems to be the case with HB138, a bill sponsored by Rep. Carol Spackman Moss, D-Holladay, that would make alcohol- and drug-related hazing a "class A" misdemeanor. For those without a law book handy, that could mean an extra six months in jail and a stiffer fine than currently required.
This time, the "wake-up call" came when Michael Starks of Salt Lake City died from alcohol poisoning while being hazed at Utah State University in 2008. Of the 12 people charged in his death, seven cases were dismissed, four pleaded guilty to other offenses and one had a plea dismissed after complying with the terms of probation.
Moss feels a little more accountability should have been in order.
We agree.
Some will claim, of course, that people have gotten too "touchy-feely" when it comes to hazing — that it is simply good-natured fun that sometimes goes bad. Time was, they say, when school "initiations" got pretty rugged without anyone crying foul.
Well, time was, too, when a man could shoot another for stealing a stream of water and feel justified.
Times change. Thankfully, they sometimes change for the better. Society has torn the mask from ritual hazing and exposed it for what it is — simple assault.
Like spouse abuse, ugly hazing can leave physical and emotional scars. And when the whole initiation ritual gets lubricated with alcohol, a "rite of passage" can quickly turn into a person's "last rites."
Americans — especially Utahns — have a strong streak of independence. They don't like to be told what to say or what to do. But sometimes, for the common good, restrictions must be put in place. This hazing bill is an example of proper restrictions and penalties.
What once may have been countenanced as "personal choice" has been shown to be nothing more than "license to abuse."
It's time people own their actions.
It's just too bad Michael Sparks had to pay the price so others could see the light.
