Leave it to the folks at UC Berkley to make a muck out the upcoming 9/11 anniversary. According to the California Patriot, a student-run publication of the Berkeley Conservative Foundation, a university sponsored 9/11 “Day of Remembrance” will be devoid of any reference to America.
The Patriot quotes Hazel Wong, chief organizer for the Associated Students of the University of California as saying that, “We thought that may be just too political, too patriotic. We didn’t want anything too centered on nationalism-anything that is ‘Go U.S.A.'”
Such displays of nationalism include the singing of the national anthem or the wearing of red, while and blue ribbons. The display of the American flag is out too, as one of the student organizers felt that “the flag has become a symbol of U.S. aggression towards other countries. It seems hostile.”
Students who do wish to express patriotic sentiments will be permitted to speak at an open microphone latter in the day, but according to the Patriot, if the past serves as any guide, such students will not have much chance to speak, as pro-American ideology is usually drowned out by shouts from campus opposition.
Outside of perhaps Bin Laden’s cave, if even, UC Berkley has become home to the some of the most repugnant anti-American ideology in the world. Through this so-called “Day of Remembrance,” we have a group of intellectual pacifists who want to suppress recognition of the very reason America was attacked on 9/11. America has a common culture of reason, individualism, freedom and prosperity that makes us the target of hatred and bile throughout the un-free world. By squelching the symbols of America, the organizers of this commemoration seek to squelch the very ideas of America itself. Worse, they seek to cover up any recognition that compared to Bin Laden’s terrorist killers, the US is good.
If I were a legislator in the California State Assembly, I would immediate propose legislation that eliminates all state funding to UC Berkley. The students, faculty and administrators of Berkley have a right to their ideas. They do not have a right to be given a platform for their ideas paid for by taxpayers.
Postscript: When I visited the campus of George Mason University to offer my advice to its newly formed Objectivist club. Club president Ben Rathbone remarked that the Berkley event was the kind of thing where you just had to have a troupe of skydiving Elvis’s in red, white and blue sequined jumpsuits pay an unannounced visit. On the drive home, I must have laughed for 20 minutes straight as I pondered the vision of skydiving Elvi gloriously clad in the red, white and blue landing at Berkeley in front of the snarling leftists. Oh, if we only had the budget
