Op-Ed: “I Hate Illinois Nazis”: Why Bipartisan Opposition to Extremism Matters
Most political disagreements are healthy.
The simple truth is reasonable people can and often do disagree about taxes, zoning, public safety, education, economic development, or the proper role of government and a host of other issues. In a constitutional republic, those debates are not a bug in the system – they are a feature of it.
What should never be up for debate is whether hatred, racism, antisemitism, and political extremism deserve a place in our public life.
That is why I found it refreshing to see something increasingly rare in modern politics: Democrats and Republicans standing together to oppose an extremist candidate seeking a place on the Illinois ballot.
Recently, both major political parties filed objections to remove Richard “Sieg Heil” Mayers from the November ballot after he attempted to run for statewide office under the banner of the “Germanic Aryan Supremacy Smokers, Gamblers” party. Mayers has a history of promoting white supremacist and antisemitic rhetoric and has pursued similar candidacies in other states.
The Democratic Party condemned the hate he represents. The Republican Party did the same.
Good.
They should. Everyone should.
As Illinois Republican Chairman Bob Grogan stated, “It’s a no-brainer to fight against Nazis.”
As someone who spends much of his professional life working with local governments, I have learned that effective public service requires cooperation among people who often disagree. Republicans and Democrats regularly work together on infrastructure projects, public safety initiatives, economic development efforts, and community improvements.
The vast majority of public officials are not enemies. They are neighbors attempting to solve difficult problems. This reality is often lost in the age of social media in which outrage and division can be a lucrative enterprise.
We all understand that the disagreement between conservatives and liberals is not the same as the disagreement between democracy and extremism. One side may favor lower taxes. The other may favor increased public investment. One side may advocate for stronger regulation. The other may push for market-based solutions.
Those are legitimate political debates. Nazism is not. White supremacy is not. Antisemitism is not.
Many Illinoisans remember the embarrassment surrounding Arthur Jones, the Holocaust denier who became a Republican nominee for Congress in 2018 after running unopposed in a primary. Republicans attempted to distance themselves from him. Democrats used his candidacy as evidence of broader problems within the Republican party. The controversy consumed attention that could have been spent discussing actual policy and actual solutions.
The result was predictable. Extremism benefited from publicity while the public’s trust in politics suffered.
This time, both parties appear determined not to repeat that mistake.
Going through the objections filed against Mayers, I could not help but think of one of the most memorable lines from The Blues Brothers: “I hate Illinois Nazis.”
The line is funny because it is absurd. Yet beneath the humor lies a truth that remains relevant decades later.
The principles of human dignity, religious freedom, equal protection under the law, and respect for our fellow citizens are values worth defending.
These are not Democratic values or Republican values. They are American values.
While certainly some issues require compromise, negotiation, and debate, fighting extremism and hatred should bring our two political parties together. Knocking Richard Mayers off the ballot should be the easiest bipartisan vote in America and thankfully for us political leaders from both sides are united in this effort.
Op-Ed: “I Hate Illinois Nazis”: Why Bipartisan Opposition to Extremism Matters
