When these skin-headed thugs have shown up uninvited but with plenty of notice in other corners of the country, it’s been rather easy to view the issue as a classic example of the American right to free speech. Their message is odious, but they are free to express it.
Then comes word that members of the Nationalist Socialist Movement plan to rally in front of the Statehouse in Trenton tomorrow. A group leader says they will protest high taxes, illegal immigration and crime. Given their history, the much more likely reason they are coming to the capital of New Jersey is to provoke. With inflammatory rhetoric, and incendiary symbol and their very presence, they intend to provoke.
Whether they choose Skokie, Illinois, or our own back yard for their antagonistic display, the conclusion remains: Their message is odious, but they are free to express it.
The message is indeed odious. Outlining the NSM rally to Times writer Alex Zdan, chief of staff Jason Hiecke mildly described himself as a “patriot of the United States with European heritage.” Yet a cursory glance at the group’s website reveals videos with burning crosses, salutes to Hitler and even children outfitted in Ku Klux Klan robes.
Read the full item at NJ.com
