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The New Guard

UVA Leftists Vandalize Flyers, Organize Campaign Against YAF’s ‘In Defense of Jefferson’ Event

By

Julia Johnson

July 19, 2023

Students at University of Virginia are orchestrating a campaign against UVA Young Americans for Freedom’s upcoming “In Defense of Mr. Jefferson” event, according to a tip submitted through Young America’s Foundation’s Campus Bias Tipline.

On October 28, UVA YAF will host National Review‘s Rich Lowry and Rep. Chip Roy, both of whom are alumni of the university, to discuss “the importance of preserving American History, in particular, the Legacy of Thomas Jefferson at the University of Virginia,” according to UVA YAF’s Facebook page. 

Shortly after UVA YAF announced the event in early October, campus leftists got to work. October 21, the chapter reported the destruction of over half of their promotional materials, while the remainder were vandalized. 

One photo shows a flyer defaced with marker reading “racists defending rapists” in place of the event’s title. Another shows an organization’s flyers promoting fossil fuel divestment covering several YAF flyers. 

On October 23, the chapter reported that an official letter-writing campaign was launched against their event. Photos show a flyer that reads, “Let’s do what we can to ensure that values of racism and slavery are NOT defended on UVA grounds,” and urges students to use the letter template provided via QR code to discourage the administration from permitting the event.

When the QR code is scanned, it launches a pre-made email template addressed to the Office of the Dean of Students that accuses Roy of “…making racist remarks publicly.”

The letter cites Roy’s opposition to Critical Race Theory as a concern and claims that America was built on racism.

They even claim that the “…potential for conflict” is reason to shut down the event.

Lastly, they accuse Roy and Lowry, along with the event itself, of indirectly defending “…values of racism and slavery” and offending students.

Photos of Roy were also “selectively stripped from multiple posters,” according to the chapter.

Both Roy and Lowry have tweeted about the controversy over the event at their alma mater and shared their thoughts on the state of today’s college campuses. 

UVA YAF Chairman Nick Cabrera told YAF, “The past few days have spoken volumes of what takes place at UVA and other college campuses.” 

“Instead of working to discuss opposing viewpoints, the Left attacks and tries to strip us of our rightful event. It is more important than ever before to defend and preserve Thomas Jefferson’s Legacy and Founding Principles.”

Thomas Jefferson founded UVA in 1819 in Charlottesville, Virginia. In December 1820, he wrote, “This institution will be based on the illimitable freedom of the human mind,” in a letter to William Roscoe. UVA memorializes Jefferson’s vision on their website under a section titled “Jefferson’s Masterpiece.”

“In his quest to reinvent higher education in America, Jefferson sought to cultivate an environment in which students and faculty could live and learn from one another,” the university’s website reads. 

Thomas Jefferson is revered as one of America’s founding fathers. Not only did he help found the United States and serve as one of her presidents, but he also founded University of Virginia. In New York City, a statue of Jefferson is set for removal from the City Council Chamber, in just one of many instances of history revisionism and rejection of our founding, and now, campus leftists want to follow suit. Thomas Jefferson had a vision for UVA to serve as a beacon of academic freedom and the exchange of knowledge and ideas. Unfortunately, his beloved project has turned against him. Many students of UVA now reject him, his ideals, and the mere suggestion that he was a man deserving of our respect. Students cannot give in when it comes to defending America, her founders, and their ideals. 

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