Reactions to the 9/11 Memorial Project
Yesterday, the BUCC hosted a full day of commemerations for the fifth anniversary of 9/11. We set up our flag memorial with one flag for each person killed or missing from the attacks, raised funds for wounded marines returning from the War on Terror, and cohosted a prayer vigil with the College Democrats and Student Government.
Reaction was almost overwhelmingly positive. Students took time to stop and reflect by the flags, gave generously to the marines, and turned out in large numbers to the prayer vigil. Perhaps most striking was watching a former marine and Korean War vet come to the memorial and stand at attention at the flags. His respect both for the flag and those lost on 9/11 was a true inspiration.
Only two individuals could be said to have reacted negatively to the memorial. One elderly gentleman (presumably a professor), demanded to know where the flags for the "100,000 people George Bush killed in Iraq" were, while another student declared that he "didn't support the cause" and so would not sponsor a flag (100% of the proceeds were going to the Semper Fi Fund which helps wounded marines returning from combat--apparently he didn't get the memo that the left supports the troops but not the war).
That said, this generation is not our parents'. While they burned flags in protest and called soldiers baby killers, students at Bucknell have embraced the troops, honored the flags, and remembered the fallen.
Reaction was almost overwhelmingly positive. Students took time to stop and reflect by the flags, gave generously to the marines, and turned out in large numbers to the prayer vigil. Perhaps most striking was watching a former marine and Korean War vet come to the memorial and stand at attention at the flags. His respect both for the flag and those lost on 9/11 was a true inspiration.
Only two individuals could be said to have reacted negatively to the memorial. One elderly gentleman (presumably a professor), demanded to know where the flags for the "100,000 people George Bush killed in Iraq" were, while another student declared that he "didn't support the cause" and so would not sponsor a flag (100% of the proceeds were going to the Semper Fi Fund which helps wounded marines returning from combat--apparently he didn't get the memo that the left supports the troops but not the war).
That said, this generation is not our parents'. While they burned flags in protest and called soldiers baby killers, students at Bucknell have embraced the troops, honored the flags, and remembered the fallen.
posted by BUCC at 1:57 PM
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