I was disappointed to read the article entitled “SAE event condemned” in The Daily on May 4. The idea that something like this is front page news illustrates how hypersensitive our campus and society have become. Regarding this incident, as both as a member of a Greek organization (not SAE, but another fraternity) and as a person of Irish decent, I bring some perspective to the matter.

The alleged remarks about “ghetto speak” are neither disparaging nor implicate race, but simply are commentary on how many young people speak, whether they be black, white or any other race. How this can be so offensive, I would like to know. The only way people could inject the issue of race where it is not clearly present is if they have an agenda, which I fear might be the case in this matter as well.

The allegations of “homophobic” remarks also have no basis. Even a source in the article said that there wasn’t any malice or negativity toward any LGBT people. Turn on Comedy Central or go to Second City in Chicago and you’ll find a bevy of comments that are opaquely “offensive” by the same standard, but no one complains because they understand it for what it is: humor. This too appears to be an attempt at comedy, so I don’t see where the impropriety lies.

Finally, I often see caricatures of Irish people as lazy or drunkards, or fun being poked at their pale, freckled skin. Despite my background, I do not feign indignation at these harmless depictions. The fact that other people at Northwestern are extrapolating from minute incidents to fit their own narratives about victimization only brings more division to our campus and society at large. We as individuals should embrace our backgrounds, both the negatives and the positives, and not succumb to hypersensitivity.

Tighe Thomas McCormick senior