Since the first National Hazing Prevention Week in 2005, individuals, campuses, and organizations have been amping up their awareness campaigns in an effort to bring the conversation about hazing out of the darkness and into the daylight.
For at least one week, "Mission: Accomplished."
But what, really, has changed?
For Batman, it began in the dark alley where Dr. Thomas and Martha Wayne were murdered. For Captain America, it consisted of the numerous rejections he received as he sought to serve his country. For Thor, it was the combination of being on the receiving end of an intergalactic timeout and his affinity for hardware of a different temper than those carried by your local Home Depot.
Last weekend, I had the opportunity to be a part of a different kind of origin story, one born out from a truly amazing event, the Hero Round Table in Flint, Michigan.
In my opinion, these meetings are not that different from our online personas. Oftentimes, we can choose not to show content from people we disagree with, even without unfollowing or unfriending them, ensuring we do not have to acknowledge the disagreement, and thereby disrupt the herd.
But what does it say about us when we choose not to engage on those issues that we care about, because we do not want to cause a scene or make the meeting last any longer.
