Another controversy has hit the University of Central Florida. Knights for Socialism, an unregistered student organization, hosted a “Leftist Fight Club” on Sunday, February 5th. Although it started small in a couple of political student groups on Facebook, it quickly became a hot topic overnight, with mentions from the big-wigs of the conservative movement like Roger Stone Jr. and Milo Yiannopoulos, all the way to FOX News and to the Washington Times.

So first off, let’s talk about what really happened. Was it an actual ‘fight club?' No. It was a “self-defense” event that KFS hosted because of what they perceive to be the looming “threat of fascism.” Secondly, what got this event into the spotlight was the fact that the event was supposed to be for all students - expect Republicans. That was what gained a lot of criticism, as their critics questioned how can a self-defense event exclude a group of people for their politics – what of female and non-white Republicans? Aren’t they under threat, as minorities?

However, the real question is if KFS discriminated Republicans and conservatives at their event. Apparently, per social media, there were a few conservatives that went. Amid an atmosphere of awkwardness, it seems like KFS didn’t enforce the ban, or at least they were unable to. A conservative student actually took a few photos "covertly." And there wasn't much fighting, apparently. However, were they being serious?

They made an announcement on their Facebook page in light of the media coverage:

"It seemed clear to us that the "except Republicans" comment was made in jest, as such a ban would obviously be impossible to implement"

They are right, there is no way to really put such a ban, unless they demand to see voter registration status. However, the message is clear: they are anti-Republican and “anti-Fascist.” They don’t see a blurred line between Republicans and actual Fascists.

However, we must go on to ask about what happens now. We already addressed misconceptions about them and the group - it wasn't a fight club, they didn't bar Republicans, and they are an unregistered group (so they aren't using university funds to maintain themselves, and UCF is not associated with the event).

I like to imagine this as an example of what happens when one group blurs the line between humor and seriousness, and what happens when they are taken serious. And to be clear, I'm not writing a veiled attempt at bashing Republicans. I just think that this entire situation could have been prevented on both ends, but it shouldn't be held above KFS to beat them with it.

What happens now is the next thing on people's minds. There shouldn't be anything done. Mainly because there can't really be much done, since they aren't an official group. I don't think that their comparisons between Republicans and fascists have any sort of basis at all. You can hate Trump all you want, but he isn't a fascist. There is no Gestapo or crackdown on the media (save for the Twitter outbursts) or concentration camps. Comparing the election to the Holocaust is both ignorant and a really distasteful thing to do.

But should KFS face any sort of repercussions or be silenced? Of course not. It passed. Nothing can change that. They can make Trump pinatas and march in the Student Union, but to censor them only fuels their paranoia and gives fear-mongering a platform. I don't care if I myself have strong objections to their messages, they have a right to assemble.

What happens now is that we should let what happened fade into obscurity, just like the university did back in 2008.

They have the right to label their events "DESTROY REPUBLICANS" if they want to - assuming it is just a joke. I don't know what consequences it will bring, but censorship isn't a good road to take. And I know that people might say "then why can't I make assassination threats" if I am defending that kind of a speech. I think there is a big difference between what some student group says versus screaming out legitimate threats.

I don't think they were serious. I think it's more of a bad joke than an actual threat. They shouldn't be surprised by criticism, but it is everyone's duty to deliver actual, substantial criticism. As moderates and conservatives, nobody has the right to censor us, and Knights for Socialism has every reason to expect the same treatment - they can justify themselves.