Campus Radical Tries to Disrupt 9/11 Never Forget Memorial

Each year college students across the country hold memorials to remember the tragic events of September 11, 2001.

This year, as they've done for a number of years annually, the College Republicans at Gustavus Adolphus College placed 2,977 American flags in the ground to honor those who fell on 9/11/2001. They also had a few signs to identify the event.

The space on which it was placed was reserved for the event with the permission of the college abiding by its rules. Though the event is open to co-sponsorship, where invitations to other groups for their participation are often extended, they are frequently turned down.

However, One individual Gustie decided he didn't like the fact that we were remembering 9/11. Twenty minutes before the memorial service was to begin, a college radical decided to pull a sign out of the ground, walk inside while ripping parts of it up, and throw it away in front of a group of students who were tabling.

As chairman of the sponsoring organization, I saw him throw this in the garbage can, so I grabbed him by the arm and followed him with a video camera to ensure that the sign would be replaced and to capture his reasoning for taking such actions.

The radical and a group of students asking him to replace the sign was caught on tape.

His justification was that such an event should not be "sponsored." He didn't like that it was organized by the College Republicans at Gustavus.

Instead of ripping up signs and throwing them away, alternative actions could have been taken by him. For example, he could have been lobbying for the College itself to sponsor it, the Student Senate to sponsor it, or working to build coalitions of groups who would like to participate, like other partisan organizations and religious groups. But instead of doing that (something that would be a classic tactic in the American political tradition), he chose to go about protesting via the destruction of property: A typical leftist maneuver, one that people incapable of civil discourse often take.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Gustavus
• Gustavus Adolphus College
• College Republicans
• 9/11
• 911 Memorial
• Never Forget
• Campus Radicals
• Leftist Abuse
• Leftist Protestor
• YAF
• Young America's Foundation
• Campus Activism

[wheredoyoustandmn]

a) Do you understand that the 1st Amendment is about protection from GOVERNMENT infringement on speech and assembly, and has nothing to do with infringement by private action?

b) Why did you post a video on Youtube that was so poorly edited? You pasted together multiple video clips instead of just posting the entire clip. It gives the impression that you wanted to hide what ever was edited out.

c) Why is the camera work on this video was worse than the Blair Witch Project? I nearly threw up.

[mnphil1]

@wheredoyoustandmn Nobody ever referenced the 1st amendment in the video; merely principles that many Americans believe in (and are related to ideas contained in the first amendment. Youtube is not the place debate incorporation and the 14th Amendments impact on the interpretation of the rest of the constitution, that is something that could better take place elsewhere.

[mnphil1]

@wheredoyoustandmn

Why do you think the camera job is so crappy? Some punk rips your sign down and throws it away in front of you. You have about 5 seconds to grab him before he runs away and even less time to get a camera rolling. Then, you have to follow him and interviewing him while holding a camera. I would say the last thing on my mind was trying to produce a video of cinematic quality, but rather to capture as much as I could about what the kid was doing. Grow up.

[mnphil1]

@wheredoyoustandmn

And you'll notice that there is basically nothing hidden (see latest post). Because of whiny kids like you I did take the time to upload the whole thing again.

There was basically 15 seconds of footage that didn't make the cut, and basically adds no additional value. So lighten up. Editing removes irrelevant content and helps clarify/emphasize the most important aspects.

[psell2flat03]

Phil Cleary is ruining Gustavus. He is a cheap political hack and I have challenged him to a debate. But will he debate me? No, he is too scared.

[mnphil1]

@psell2flat03 When was this?

[wheredoyoustandmn]

@mnphil1 Your three (THREE!) responses to my post show a level of defensiveness that it surprising. Are you really insecure? What is it in your belief system that causes you to lash out at anyone who challenges you? Why do you feel the need to call me names or tell me to "Grow up" ? Why the need to call the kid a "punk"? Why so much anger?

If he and I are as ignorant as I'm sure you think we are, couldn't someone as bright and engaged as you have a better solution than namecalling?

[wheredoyoustandmn]

@mnphil1 "Whiny kid"? That seems a bit like an ad hominem attack. All I did was a post legitimate observation that the editing gave the impression that you were hiding something.

I appreciate you posting the entire video. In the era of "gotcha" camera attacks, there is something gained in posting the entire video, even at the expense of removing irrelevant content. How about letting the viewer decide which aspects are most important?