Apparently I need to write this

I can see both sides on most issues but when it comes to recent events, it seems like it should be a really one-sided discussion.

I’m anti-Nazi. It’s not a nuanced position.

I never thought I’d feel the need to point this out in a public forum but here we are.

I also thought I’d never feel the need to point out that while reasonable people can disagree about the history and the cultural worth of the confederacy and any statues commemorating it, no one can reasonably argue that the KKK, neo-Nazis, and white supremacists are anything but truly loathsome people. They are cartoon villains. And if you choose to march alongside these vile thugs, for whatever cause, then you are villainous.

That said, I continue to strongly believe that the first amendment protects even the most detestable idiots to proclaim extremely hateful, stupid, and  contemptible opinions.

Just last night, I was discussing whether the proper response to Nazis was to ignore them or to call them out as the anti-American goons that they are. My position was that Nazi-ism, the KKK, and other openly racist ideologies were in such an extreme minority that they could be safely ignored and therefore ignoring them was the best response.

I was wrong. The president of the United States changed my mind with his tin-eared press conference today.

So here we are. I now realize that we all must speak up if we are to protect our democracy.

Nazis have the right to spew their idiocy, but I will no longer ignore their hatred.