The Importance of Those UNC Frat Kids Protecting The American Flag

You gotta be patriotic and romantic about America. I mean - c’mon. We’re the country that united the oceans, put man on the moon, and convinced the universe of this radical idea called liberty.

Sometimes, the world needs a reminder that American courage and exceptionalism still exist, even if we’ve been quiet and screwing around for awhile. This week, the bald eagle screeched in the form of a good-hearted batch of 19-year-olds in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Here’s a summary. This Tuesday, April 30th, 2024, a student protest at University of North Carolina led to the American flag being pulled down from the center of campus. Certain members of the faculty said we ain’t doing that, and produced a new American flag. Protestors tried to bring that one down too, and the frat boys weren’t havin’ it. Not on our watch. They formed a circle around the flag and refused to let it touch the ground. 

A GoFundMe to “Throw ‘em a Rager” capped at midnight last night after reaching half a million dollars.

Here they stand, armored in sorority-function shirts and backpacks. I can only imagine these guys walked out of class to spectate the chaos, laugh at the ridiculousness, and watch with confused excitement like visitors at a zoo. Then, it got personal. Their flag was disrespected. One of the chosen few, armed with his brothers by his side, said “nah, f*ck that,” gave his boy the signal, who nodded to the next dude down the line and so on, and they slowly waded through the battlefield to raise their uncalloused hands to shield our flag. This was their Iwo Jima moment.

Not to discredit the frat kids, but this should not be a big deal. The fact that American citizens giving a damn about the integrity of their nation’s symbols is worthy of half a mil is shameful. This should be normal, but it isn’t, and that’s why this display of courage is important.

Today’s Sons of Liberty stood for something, and the outpouring of support from older generations reveals the power a seemingly small act holds.

Perhaps the fellas were inspired by the 48th anniversary of Rick Monday’s all-time all-American play. (“If you’re going to burn the flag, don’t do it around me.”) Withstanding the barrage of water balloons and cans and screaming is made more meaningful by the high-integrity move to be the lonely not concealing their identity by wearing masks. Look at me. This is who I am, and I’m unafraid to stand by this.

These guys thought about more than just themselves. Say the flag touches the ground. So what? Functionally, what changes? They can still go back to their dorm, go to class, graduate like everyone else, whether this flag hits the dirt or not. That’s missing the mark. The whole point of the flag is that it’s not about me, it’s about us. 

We underestimate the amount of elderly people who do not closely know any young people, or at least any young people that they are proud of. If you’re lucky enough to have grandchildren, there’s a high likelihood they don’t value America the way you do.

All these kids were born after September 11th. Caring about America isn’t a given for them. It’s a choice. Their youthful confidence reassured older generations that it hasn’t all gone to hell.

Maybe there’s a heartbeat left. Maybe the fire is still burning. Maybe there’s hope.

That’s how I felt seeing the GoFundMe. I was compelled to write this by the red-white-and-blue baseball-sized pride that grew in my heart as I scrolled through the comments of each donation. If you want to get emotional and shed a patriotic tear, here are a few: