As protests erupted on college campuses across the country, many of them turning violent, videos of the demonstrations went viral on social media showing they were not merely “pro-Palestinian,” but blatantly anti-American. At the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, amid the chaos between the two sides was a moment of patriotism from an unexpected group of young men.
On Tuesday morning, pro-Hamas demonstrators managed to replace the American flag on Chapel Hill’s quad with a Palestinian flag. But they were faced with opposition from another small group of students: the fraternity members of Pi Kappa Phi. Videos and images of the men circulated on social media with many people commending them for protecting our nation’s flag. After weeks of appalling demonstrations by American college students, the character displayed by these young men should give us some hope for saving the republic.
As the president of Phi Gamma Delta during my time at Michigan State University, the connection between patriotism and members of Greek life comes as no surprise. While they might be inconsequential to some, I learned a lot about this connection during my four years spent deeply involved with my 100-plus member fraternity. Perhaps the most important lesson I received is reverence for American history and tradition.
The first fraternity was founded at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, in 1776, when a group of students formed a secret society, which they called Phi Beta Kappa, after the first initials of their Greek motto: “Love of wisdom, the guide of life.” No matter what fraternity you join, every organization teaches you about its founders, the importance of remembering where you came from, and honoring those who came before you.
Fraternity men don’t tear down statues, they erect them. They stand in sharp contrast to the current prevailing ideologies that pervade university campuses to disparage the history of America and view it as a racist, oppressive place. Fraternity members, conversely, are taught intentionally to love their country and improve it through stewardship and involvement in their communities. Fraternities are also notoriously selective and carefully handpick their members with the idea that they will be responsible for continuing a legacy and protecting the organization that gave them so much.
Fraternity culture is in stark contrast to the sentiments being pushed on campuses across this country that those who promote radical and destructive ideas are not only welcome but must be embraced despite having no regard for assimilation, shared culture, or even patriotism. We see this not only with the crisis at our southern border but also at educational institutions across the country — from elementary schools to the collegiate level — when it comes to mob-like-mentality social justice causes forcing students into submission.
Which philosophy do you think fosters more cohesion? Among other things, fraternities teach you about discipline: physical and mental. They teach you about accountability and penalize those who fail to live up to the expectations of the organization. All of this is difficult but builds thick skin, a crucial asset in the working world — something sorely missing from these entitled self-proclaimed Marxists wreaking havoc on college campuses.
Fraternity “bros” are natural enemies to the now common blue-haired, “body positive,” participation trophy leftist college students. For those of us who have gone through the Greek life system, it comes as no shock that some 85 percent of Fortune 500 execs belong to a fraternity, 40 of 47 U.S. Supreme Court justices between 1910 and 2011 were fraternity men, and 76 percent of all senators and representatives are part of a fraternity.
In a country that is becoming increasingly less concerned with our roots, fraternity members are getting something right about the cure to the radical left’s takeover of American college campuses. We can all learn something from them.
Aldo Buttazzoni is a cultural and political commentator for PragerU who hosts their very popular “Man on the Street” series.
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