Commentary

Poll Finds Frightening Number of American College Students Think US Deserved 9/11 Attacks

Here is an appalling reminder that our education system needs a complete overhaul.

The Buckley Institute took a survey of 803 college students enrolled at either a four-year public or private college or university, asking them a variety of questions ranging from their stance on the Constitution to their thoughts on socialism.

The students were asked to agree or disagree with the statement, “America deserved September 11th.”

Among respondents, 21.8 percent agreed. Of that figure, 11 percent strongly agreed.

If this sample is truly representative of the attitudes of college students in 2026, one in five think our country deserved a violent, bloody, and evil terrorist attack that claimed the lives of 2,977 people.

It’s almost as bad that 6.5 percent are unsure.

According to FedLaws.org, state governments fund public higher education to a total of $129 billion per year. Our tax dollars go toward education for this?

The New York Post highlighted — perhaps lowlighted is the better framing — other results from the survey.

In a less shocking conclusion, far more college students prefer socialism to capitalism. To be sure, that is still abhorrent, but to be expected from a young mind flooded with neo-Marxist propaganda a majority of the year.

Socialism garnered 41.6 percent in agreement to the question, “If you had to choose, which economic system would you prefer to live under?” Capitalism was chosen by 27.8 percent.

Other results are just as depressing.

Respondents were given the statement, “Hate speech, no matter how racist or bigoted it is, is still technically protected under the First Amendment as free speech.”

Those who disagreed came in at 29 percent.

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Another statement reads, “It is sometimes appropriate to shout down or disrupt a speaker on my campus.”

Here, 45.8 percent agreed.

We already knew college students love socialism and dislike free speech, but saying we deserved one of the most devastating and traumatic days in our national history is something else.

As the New York Post correctly states, the issue of whether America actually deserved Sept. 11 entered the public discourse after popular leftist streamer Hasan Piker told his audience as much in 2019.

It can’t be overstated. Our education system creates activists rather than responsible, functioning adults.

Although there are more than a few ambitious young people in college for the right reasons who will have successful careers, and are tuning out their leftist professors, those same professors’ messaging is clearly taking hold with their classmates.

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Sam Short is an Assistant Professor of History with Motlow State Community College in Smyrna, Tennessee. He holds a BA in History from Middle Tennessee State University and an MA in History from University College London. The views expressed in his articles are his own and do not reflect the views or opinions of Motlow State Community College.




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