Critical Mass

Less than an hour ago I attended Yale’s version of a 9/11 memorial service, which was considerably worse than I had expected. To put it in brief: We were told that we were citizens of the world and need to concentrate on love; we heard the national anthem but there was no “God Bless America”; the Muslim chaplain got up to read us an Arabic poem; President Levin didn’t (couldn’t?) attend, and sent a student to read his speech for him (in which the word “terrorism” was not exactly featured); the Yale Rabbi reminded us that we were all of the “three Abrahamic religions” that had some share in 9/11.

Perhaps I heard all these things wrong or just imagined them, but the Yalie standing next to me was just as angry as I was. I hoped that we weren’t alone in expecting a 9/11 memorial service to concentrate on the beauty, greatness, and courage of America, but Yale's administration doesn't love our country, and didn’t feel like praising the US tonight.

A snapshot of a liberal university.