Girl + Computer = ?

Were these kid’s first amendment rights violated? Is all the hoopla on CampusReform.org or Fox News well placed?
In my opinion, no. 

I had heard about this when I received an email from the office of my school president about an “incident” happening on September 9. Looking on the school newspaper’s website, I read about how an NAU Conservatives group had been passing out badges and posters in remembrance of the September 11th terrorist attacks on New York. Moving out of the space outside they had signed up to rally when it started raining, NAU administration apparently told them they could not stand there.
The students felt their first amendment rights had been violated, yet the administration was telling them only that they needed to be in a designated area to meet just like every other student group on campus. To meet up as an organization, you need to register with the campus and they will supply you a location and time space to meet.

I assumed it was a misunderstanding on both sides of the tussle - I know that NAU admin is not always the best at expressing themselves. However, after watching this video, I feel like this misunderstanding was solely had by the students.

I thought it was incredibly obvious that NAU administration was simply telling them that that specific location was not appropriate for their booth simply because they needed to have a form filled out beforehand. There was no statement about disapproving the students’ missions, only that their location had not been approved of ahead of time and needed to be. The students were given alternatives and even the proper form to sign to be speaking there, yet they did not.
I understand that you need to stand your ground for something you believe in, but I think claiming first amendment rights so you can keep standing in the location you have been despite your opponents being as accommodating as possible is a bit daft. The first amendment is not about letting people do whatever they want however they want, nor is it an automatic-out when someone reminds you to follow other rules that you’ve already agreed to - especially when they are simply about where to stand.

And to go so far as to call a person “unpatriotic” for asking you to abide by your university’s protocol - one that you need to follow as a student of that institution - is quite unfair. Its about equal to a mathematics student group accusing a person of hating math for asking them to follow student rules.

If it had been a blood drive promotion group or a SWE or something, no one would have thought twice about being accommodating NAU administration about this. Just because your group concerns political views or patriotism, you still need to abide by protocol for your area.
Yes, as U.S. citizens we do enjoy the luxury of having rights including free speech - but by attending a university you have you follow those rules as well.

More information can be found at:

• “NAU draws nationwide attention over free speech incident” by Willam Brown, Northern Arizona News
• “NAU officials confronts students over U.S. flag handouts” by Hillary Davis, Arizona Daily Sun