A 9/11 memorial installed by a conservative student group at California State University, Stanislaus was swiftly defaced with pro-Palestinian graffiti, underscoring the growing hostility toward patriotic expression on American campuses.
According to the Gateway Pundit, the Young Americas Foundation (YAF) set up its annual 9/11: Never Forget display over the weekend to mark the 25th anniversary of the Islamist terror attacks. The memorial, consisting of 2,977 American flags symbolizing each life taken on September 11, was vandalized with the phrase Free Palestine scrawled in blue ink across the installation.
Defacing a memorial honoring 2,977 innocent Americans is disgraceful, YAF President and former Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker said on social media. It is also part of a disturbing pattern of conservatives being targeted simply for exercising their right to speak and remember. Students should not have to fear vandalism or intimidation for honoring the victims of the attacks on 9/11. Twenty-five years later, we will not be bullied into silence, and we will never forget.
The incident in California mirrors other pro-Palestinian stunts on the anniversary, including an activist in New York City who appeared outside the memorial service in an Elmo costume with a Palestinian flag draped over his back. That classless move prompted a New York City firefighter to confront the individual, a moment that drew widespread praise online from Americans tired of seeing sacred spaces and events politicized.
For many, the desecration of a 9/11 tribute raises a simple question: Is nothing sacred anymore? Not even 9/11? As colleges and universities increasingly resemble ideological training grounds rather than institutions of learning, it is no surprise that higher education has come under intense scrutiny during President Trumps era, and average Americans are sick of it.
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