What If It Wasn't The American Flag?

By Semperpapa

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/north-arizona-university-halts-students-distributing-flags-for-911/

Signs of the time. Distributing American flags at a memorial for a National tragedy is an offensive act.
According to every account of this incident, the students passing out the small flags to those participating in the memorial for 9-11, were not infringing on anyone's freedom nor causing any dangerous conditions to others, but the university authorities decided that, upon receiving complaints from somebody, it was time to stop such an offensive conduct.

This issue is now one of freedom of speech vs. university policy, but really I see it a little different.
What I see in this incident is the overbearing control that authorities have gained upon the free expression and actions of people. It is, in the first place, ridiculous that the passing out of American flags and pins would have to be regulated by some sort of permit. What such travesty does is place the controlling entities in charge of the smallest of actions.
The fact that the students moved their display indoor as the rain started coming down is insignificant, as that is a natural reaction. Again, according to any report, the new location was not creating any disruption or danger to any innocent bystander, but it appears that the reporting party was more interested in obstructing the organizer of the distribution than concern for the public safety.

My question is this: would the university have acted similarly if the items being distributed would have been pro-Islamic flyers? Or anti-Israel flyers? Or campaign material for Obama?

It is my opinion that the university would have closed an eye in any of those cases, if nothing more than avoiding a confrontation with more vociferous, combative individuals and avoiding any possible accusation of racism.
But when it comes to the American flag, there is no hesitation on the part of authorities to place their jack booths upon our necks. After all, those of us who respect the flag have more of a tendency to respect the rule of law and less of a tendency for civil disobedience and protest.

And maybe that is the basic problem today.

Just my thoughts!