Of course they love America! These are the boys from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, who were hailed as patriots last April when they defended the American flag from a crowd of jeering anti-Israel protesters. Just as their peers were descending deeper into madness, setting up encampments on college campuses nationwide, these Vineyard Vines–clad students stood up for normalcy when they rushed to protect Old Glory. After their image went viral, John Noonan, a former adviser to then–presidential hopeful Mitt Romney, established a GoFundMe in their honor. The purpose? “Throw these frats the party they deserve.” 

Thousands answered the call, and half a million dollars later, voilà—Flagstock 2024, as organizers called the event, was born. ...

I assumed I just had to sit back, and the frat bros would come. But it was more a trickle that never really picked up beyond that. Of the 7,000 tickets that were distributed to the university’s Greek chapters, the campus ROTC program, and local veterans, fewer than a thousand people showed up.

It didn’t take long to figure out why. The gestalt of the party was conservative—although, c’mon, protecting the flag shouldn’t be a conservative gesture!—which caused many students to stay away.