What, if anything, are American students learning about our nation’s exceptional history in their classrooms and on their campuses? This semester, YAF asked a variety of students at George Washington University one simple question: Do you believe America is exceptional? Multiple students noted the role their education has played in changing their attitudes on the subject, a testament to damage done by higher education systems dominated by leftist faculty and administrators. Their answers, as can be seen in the video below, should concern patriotic Americans from coast to coast. [tbc_video_embed url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKJjJ17JqgQ”] Of the students who agreed to be interviewed, not a single one believed that America was an exceptional nation or that its heritage was anything special. Citing “Christopher Columbus and colonialism and westward expansion” as negatives, students had very little, if anything positive to say about the nation that has afforded them the right and ability to attend a $50,000/year school. Recent events have shown colleges and universities to be hostile to conservatives, free speech, and anyone or anything who does not mindlessly join the battle against the latest microaggression du jour. According to The George Washington University’s mission statement, “the University values a dynamic, student-focused community stimulated by cultural and intellectual diversity and built upon a foundation of integrity, creativity, and openness to the exploration of new ideas.” This “intellectual diversity” and “foundation of openness” does not include lessons on the greatness of America or its exceptional founding and history, as a few recent conversations with students at GW prove.
