Someone among the handful of University students protesting against Pacifica Forum these past few months posted a message on their Facebook page that incited the public to “kill a Nazi.” After my letter to the editor, in which I criticized the behavior of those protesters, was published in The Register-Guard, I was repeatedly called a “Nazi” on that same Web site. So what am I supposed to think now?
But even if this was not a direct threat to me or anyone at the Pacifica Forum, imagine if someone were to write “kill a Jew,” or “kill a gay,” or, for that matter, “kill an anarchist.” Well, I don’t doubt that there would be instant explosion of outrage and demands to remove any such message immediately.
I know for a fact that if anyone posted anything criticizing the actions of the protesters themselves, it would be also deleted right away. But now, when there is incitement to murder, there is no reaction whatsoever. For more than a week, this “kill a Nazi” message hasn’t been removed.
Those who protested against Pacifica made a big fuss out of groundless accusations that the Forum was allegedly a “threat to public safety.” But how am I supposed to feel as a student on the University campus when I know that there are some students inciting violence?
They have crossed the line between criticizing or protesting Pacifica Forum and actually threatening to physically harm people.