If threatening to hang people from trees is not serious, could you please provide an example of a threat that would be serious?
BYW-the national chapter supports OU and will not stand by or support the OU frat members in any way. In any time of trial, the national organization will be a witness for OU.
The kids in question will be lucky to land jobs as greeters at the Cracker Barrel.
Serious threat: a specific threat communicating a real intent to cause harm to a specific, identifiable individual. Was there some specific nameable person against whom the frat boy expressed a desire to harm? No? Then it's not a threat.
Singing a song which happens to mention hanging is not a threat, any more than your doing a rendition of "I Shot the Sheriff" on karaoke night at the bar would be a threat against law enforcement.
BYW-the national chapter supports OU and will not stand by or support the OU frat members in any way. In any time of trial, the national organization will be a witness for OU.
But the ACLU disagrees with the University's expulsions:
As a state-run institution of higher education, the University of Oklahoma must also respect First Amendment principles that are central to the mission of every university. Any sanction imposed on students for their speech must therefore be consistent with the First Amendment and not merely a punishment for vile and reprehensible speech; courts have consistently and rightly ruled as such. Absent information that is not at our disposal, it is difficult to imagine a situation in which a court would side with the university on this matter.It's not that they like the frat boys -- it's that they fear the precedent if it's allowed to stand.
You are correct. Their future lives appear pretty bleak.
And you think this is an appropriate level of punishment for singing a song, probably while drunk, and while they thought they were among friends who would not care.