Nazi Parade. Social Sciences. Research Paper. Assignment

Nazi Parade
Name
Institution
Nazi Parade
There are many instances where political leaders are faced with the dilemma of protecting free speech. However, leaders need to have a way of resolving the dilemma. The case of Mayor Steve Judy presents such a dilemma. Mayor Judy of Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho, was confronted by reporters who wanted to know how he would respond to the request of a neo-Nazi group, known as the Aryans Nations, to hold a parade on the city’s main street during the 100th anniversary of Adolf Hitler’s birthday. This confrontation caught Mayor Judy off-guard and he did not have the time to consult with his political advisors or the city’s attorney. The Mayor understood the gravity of the situation and he quickly responded in a way that did not give away what his decision would be, even though the decision to deny or grant the permit was solely his. He told the reporters that “As a community, we reject what the Aryans stand for. If there’s any way I can prevent them from parading in our town, I will. But I also will respect the Constitution (Husock, 2000).” This statement was the beginning of a complex, yet very important decision, that the Mayor had to make to keep his people safe. Just like there were two sides to his statement, there were also two sides to the actual decision. The first side, comprising of the city’s attorney, the American Civil Liberties Union in Idaho, and the Human Relations Task Force, believed that the Mayor should grant the permit. The second side, comprising of the Mayor himself, the Jewish Defense League, and the business community in the city, believed that the Mayor should deny the permit. Each group had its reasons, but the strongest reason to grant the permit was the Constitution. The Mayor had to ensure that he did not act against the Constitution, although his view was to deny the permit and await a long legal battle.
I believe the Mayor should have granted the Aryans Nations the permit to hold their parade. This view is purely based on the First Amendment which protects the freedom of speech for individuals and even groups of people. In fact, Ward (n.d.) reveals that courts have often ruled that the First Amendment protects “private speech that takes place in public in the form of a parade or march, even one that contains unpopular messages and excludes certain groups from participation…” Thus, if the Mayor decided to deny the Aryans Nat...