I can’t help but chuckle at wannabe campus revolutionaries sporting their bright red Che Guevara T-shirts on campus – or anywhere, for that matter. These young radicals feel the best way to make their political beliefs known is to sport bright apparel depicting a large face staring triumphantly into oblivion. While many far-left liberals feel it’s necessary to express their political affiliations through dress, I can’t help but wonder if these hipsters know anything about the man they are supporting.

Che Guevara is praised as an icon for “fighting the man,” so to speak. His strong Marxist ideologies drove him to reject big business. He called for people everywhere to rise up and fight against imperialist western capitalist countries. He is also credited with helping to bring Fidel Castro into power and inciting revolution in South American and African nations.

Historians credit Che Guevara with the torture and death of thousands of South American people, with some estimates reaching as high as 14,000. He carried out these deaths in a violent, execution-style manner. In addition, several of these executions resulted from the victims not supporting communism, instead favoring their current form of government. In many people’s eyes, Guevara is seen as one of the first terrorists of our time. Many young revolutionaries choose to ignore his method of rising into power, but focus instead on his ill-fated beliefs.

If you were to ask Guevara supporters their opinion of George W. Bush and the war in Iraq, I’m willing to bet that, among other things, they would criticize the countless deaths for which they feel he’s responsible. How can these extremists denounce our government while wearing a shirt depicting a revolutionary responsible for far more deaths and political unrest?

Personally, I like to know a little more about political figures before I try to make a statement with a shirt. For those who feel an even more special need to show off their support for Guevara, online stores offer an assortment of other shirts, posters, coffee mugs and baseball caps. But let us not forget Guevara’s great disdain for capitalism and the market system: There are certainly many businesses drawing huge profits from Guevara products. I’m sure Guevara is rolling over in his grave knowing that his name is used to benefit large capitalistic corporations creating merchandise for young liberal revolutionaries-in-the-making. Creating a thriving merchandise line based off of a man famous for fighting this type of establishment is quite ironic, and speaks volumes about the mindless people sporting an “I Heart Che” shirt.

The fact of the matter is, Guevara rode into Cuba on the coattails of more intelligent – although communist – and politically able individuals than he. He was never recognized for his “accomplishments” until after his capture and execution in 1967. He instantly gained fame as a martyr and became the poster boy for fighting evil imperialist powers. As liberals often enjoy doing, they idealized his image, despite his lucky ascension to power and fame, and turned his representation into something completely against his key economic beliefs.

So, what is the point of this history lesson, you might ask? I propose the question: Is Che Guevara really worthy of such notoriety? Absolutely not, and not surprisingly, we see leftists once again blindly supporting a political figure that, chances are, they know nothing about. Just ask one of the millions of families directly affected by Guevara’s terrorism. It’s time for these new-wave revolutionaries to go back to Orange County in the cars Daddy bought them with his awful capitalist money. Your embarrassing attempts to inspire revolution among the masses does nothing more than show your ignorance… unless, of course, you advocate the mindless killing of civilians in favor of a highly unsuccessful political regime. Until leftists wake up and realize their icon is more murderer than martyr, I’ll continue to shake my head in disgust.