I recently got into a heated debate with a group of friends over what steps the United States should take to combat Nazism within our borders. Many believed that the most reasonable course of action was to make it illegal for them to articulate their viewpoints at all. I, on the other hand, stated that Nazis and their supporters should still be allowed to speak their mind. I was met with disgusted gazes as if they were looking directly into the eyes of Hitler himself. I was called a racist and an anti-Semite, even though I was raised Jewish. As I tried to explain my way of thinking about this issue, I was shut down by the people who were, just a few minutes earlier, claiming to be very open-minded. So, I have decided to write my side of the argument here.

In America, it is our guaranteed first amendment right to be able to vocalize our opinions freely, no matter how repugnant or disgusting. Yes, it doesn’t protect speech that advocates violence against others, but it does protect speech that is racist, sexist, homophobic and anything else that would be deemed offensive. Nazis, many would argue, are not protected by the first amendment because what they are spewing is not free speech, but hate speech.

They are right that what white supremacists believe is rooted in hateful, racist and bigoted ideals, but not allowing them to state these views is a threat to us all. A government that has the ability to suppress the speech of one group has the ability to suppress any group that the majority wants. In addition, not allowing white supremacists to speak will not get rid of white supremacy. Instead of people openly spewing their deplorable values, their rallies will simply be forced underground. It won’t actually change the amount of Nazis that exist, and it won’t magically convert any of them to our side.

The only thing that it will accomplish is that regular, everyday Americans will no longer be able to see it, which will lead many to believe that it no longer exists at all, and is not a threat. And while white supremacists have freedom of speech, they will still have to face the consequences of that speech. Citizens are perfectly within their rights to socially ridicule them, and businesses are free to fire them from their jobs. Even if white supremacists are allowed to speak their minds and to protest, it does not mean that you have to listen. It’s like a baby throwing a temper tantrum; eventually, it will tire itself out and simply stop.

If you are angry at anything that I have said in this article, I completely understand. White supremacy and Nazism have killed millions of innocent people, and have made the world a terrifying place. If you want to argue with me or send me an angry letter, I encourage you to do so. A debate is what I want. It is much more productive to exchange ideas and opinions than to silence people because they disagree with you. Nazis are scum. If I woke up tomorrow, and all of them had vanished, the world would certainly be a much better and more tolerant place, but unfortunately, they are here, and we have to figure out how we will respond. It’s very tempting to make speech such as theirs illegal, but I believe that this is against the principles that make America great. Silencing Nazis won’t make Nazis go away.

It will just make you unsure of who is or isn’t a closeted Nazi. Sometimes I think that I defend free speech too much, that maybe people shouldn’t be allowed to say things that are deemed offensive, but offense is entirely subjective. What may offend one person may not offend another. We are all different in this regard.So how do you make a law barring offensive speech? In theory, anything that the majority disagrees with could be construed as offensive.

The final argument I heard in favor of making Nazi speech illegal was that it makes minority groups feel unsafe, as it gives a platform to people who wish to do them harm. I’ll admit that this argument was very compelling, and it made me take a look at what I had been thinking about and why. The conclusion I came to was that people deserve to know what is happening. American need to know that there are Nazis in this country, instead of living in blissful ignorance of their existence.

During the Age of Enlightenment, the French philosopher Voltaire said, “I may disagree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” These words are the foundation of an open and free society, yet we seem to have forgotten them. More and more, Americans look to silence people who don’t share the same opinions as them, instead of talking to them and trying to persuade them otherwise. After reading this, you may think I’m a Nazi, or a Nazi sympathizer, or some other type of bigot, but I am none of the sort. I do not agree with white supremacists on anything. I am simply a man who believes that all people are entitled to what they believe, and I believe that one day, wherever your values may fall if your ideas ever come under threat, I will stand up, and say the same for you.