Conservative Movement leaders have rightly criticized Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton for refusing to identify the source of the increasing number of terrorist attacks committed by radical Islamists around the world.

However, their hesitancy should not surprise anyone given the Left’s initial reaction to the murderous attacks on September 11, 2001. Indeed, many radical liberals—particularly those in academia—eagerly blamed America for September 11 only weeks after 3,000 innocents were murdered. Here is just a sampling of what was said when the World Trade Center was still smoldering and Americans were fearful of their safety:

• University of Texas Professor Robert Jensen wrote that the terrorists’ acts were “no more despicable than the massive acts of terrorism…that the U.S. government has committed during my lifetime.”

• Richard Falk, a professor at Princeton University, stated that the terrorist attacks occurred because “the mass of humanity…finds itself under the heels of U.S. economic, military, cultural and diplomatic power.”

• University of California, Santa Barbara Professor Elisabeth Weber wrote, “My concern over the U.S. flags surrounding campus is that they endanger the free exchange that normally characterizes our campus.”

• Rutgers University Professor Barbara Foley stated that “Whatever its [the terrorist attacks] proximate cause, its ultimate cause is the fascism of U.S. foreign policy over the past many decades.”

• Professor Howard Zinn of Boston University wrote, “We need to think about the resentment all over the world felt by people who have been victims of American military action, in Vietnam, in Latin America, in Iraq.”

• Evergreen State College Professor Larry Mosqueda noted, “If we multiply by 800-1000 times the amount of pain, angst, and anger being currently felt by the American public, we might begin to understand how much of the rest of the world feels as they are continually victimized [by the United States].”

The first anniversary of the 9/11 attacks dominated headlines, and Americans across the country took time that day to reflect on the lives lost and the resolve that was needed to defeat Al-Qaeda.

However, as the second anniversary approached, the attention devoted to the anniversary was noticeably absent. Young America’s Foundation knew action had to be take, especially considering the anti-American attitudes held by a number of leftists on our college campuses.

Young America’s Foundation quickly launched the 9/11: Never Forget Project in 2003 to provide students with the resources to ensure their college and high school campuses properly remember those murdered on September 11.

The centerpiece of each 9/11: Never Forget Project is a display featuring 2,977 American flags on a prominent location on campus. Each flag represents a life lost at the hands of radical jihadists on 9/11/2001.

The program has now taken on a life of its own, and more than 9.7 million American flags have been placed in the ground on the anniversary. The 9/11: Never Forget Project counters efforts at school’s where the only acknowledgement would be a politically-correct program or a panel of leftist professors.

At The George Washington University (GWU), for instance, September 11 was changed to a “Freshman Day of Service.” Instead of remembering the 9/11 attacks with memorials, GWU encourages students to “clean rivers, plant trees, and participate in other service projects focused on sustainability.”

One year, at the University of Iowa, no formal memorial services were planned on the September 11 anniversary. Instead, socialist groups held a “peace fest” to protest the war in Iraq

At Vanderbilt University, the school scheduled a panel called, “After 9/11: A Time for Reflection.” A panel member said that slavery, racism, and Native American genocide inspired the 9/11 attacks.

Thankfully, with the help of Young America’s Foundation and conservative students, the true impact of September 11, 2001 will never be forgotten, and the 2,977 murdered that day will always be remembered.

Patrick X. Coyle is Vice President of Young America’s Foundation and Executive Director of Young Americans for Freedom.