No...Don't Punch a Nazi
Even the noblest of intentions don't excuse a surrender of our higher ground.
Recently on Facebook, I saw this unfortunate meme…a claims which builds unfortunate ideas on warranted outrage:
The internet is loaded with clips of white supremicists like hate-cretin Richard Spencer getting clocked, and I can understand the appeal. Horrible people get penalized and are forced to retreat fearfully into the shadows. Suckerpunch TikToks are MADE for online outrage culture. They’re entertaining and emotionally gratifying. The practice is also hotly debated.
"Punch a Nazi" (aka: Sucker-Punch a Nazi) sells a kind of hero narrative where hate is met righteous force, ala Indiana Jones (which is just a movie, folks).
A common argument is that, to exterminate hate which rises from the gutter, we must dive into the gutter, pour gasoline, and set it aflame. Our noblest desires to defeat toxicity ostensibly give us a license for lawlessness. After all, when someone is inhuman and inhumane, no response is unjustified.
Proponents puff about equality-warriors who rightly broke unjust laws. It's true that Civil Rights activists made "good trouble" to stand against injustice, but marches, school protests, sit-ins, and political pressure are quite different than crushing jawbones whenever minds tell muscles that it's warranted.
"Words harm" and "Words are violence" are two different things, and I simply cannot see the solution to hatred rising out of random assaults, no matter how awful the target may be.
If someone brings physical violence, a violent response may be warranted for the defense of the vulnerable and negation of the threat, but dismiss the unfortunate notions of sucker-punch heroism. We do not elevate humanity by degrading ourselves. There are counters to hate, they're strong, they're tempered, they represent the better world we wish to build, and they're not excuses to become what we despise.
Finally, watch the "punch a Nazi" crowd closely. Despite their keyboard-mashing bravado, I suspect many haven't broken more than a fingernail.
I really appreciated this piece, Seth. Your approach is a reminder to me that true courage doesn't always wear boxing gloves. Sometimes it shows up as a refusal to become what we hate.
While I understand where the anger comes from—history is heavy, and injustice leaves deep scars—I think it's important to pause before we endorse violence as a solution, even against those who stand for hateful ideologies. When we normalize striking others, we risk blurring the lines between justice and vengeance.
Thank you for urging us to hold the moral high ground—not out of weakness, but out of strength and clarity. That doesn't mean silence or inaction. It means speaking, voting, organizing, and resisting with resolve and integrity.
We can be fierce without being cruel.
I am not a violent person. Ich sagt immer, “Always Punch Nazis”. My family was displaced by Nazis. Always Punch Nazis means confront them loudly. APN means do not yield to Naziism. APN means Standing In Opposition to White Supremacy. Those who violate Body Autonomy are no better than Nazis. Good Trouble instructs us to Stand Up and Speak Out. Isa instructs us to Love Our Neighbor. I Always Punch Nazis. 🏴☠️🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️💜