What are Nazi flags doing outside Disney and what happens when hate is left to flourish?
Picture Disney World: adults embracing their inner child, kids beaming in Mickey Mouse hats, babies asleep in their strollers.
So why were about 15 people waving Nazi flags outside the theme park over the weekend, along with flags supporting Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis?
Disney has recently tried to be a beacon of inclusivity – perhaps making it an easy target. DeSantis has also fought publicly with the corporation. But jumping from displeasure to outright hatred and flaunting Nazi paraphernalia are very different messages.
"We are aware of these groups that aim to agitate and incite people with antisemitic symbols and slurs. They are also aware of the law," the Orange County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. "The Orange County Sheriff’s Office deplores hate speech in any form, but people have the First Amendment right to demonstrate." Neither Disney nor DeSantis responded to USA TODAY requests for comment.
For a politician, that silence can speak volumes. Because when leaders don't discourage fringe views, they flourish. Experts say not condemning hate only fuels its fire.
"There is nothing subtle about the swastika," says Alvin H. Rosenfeld, director of the Institute for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism at Indiana University – Bloomington. "No symbol is more potent in its expression of hatred and the will to dominate. Anyone who displays it knows as much."
The scene at Disney wasn't even the only hateful incident in Florida over the weekend. And while DeSantis has addressed antisemitism previously, taking stands against it, he has not said anything now.
“It’s heartbreaking yet not shocking that we have to witness this yet again in the state of Florida," Jonathan A. Greenblatt, CEO and National Director of ADL (the Anti-Defamation League), said in a statement. The ADL counted 269 antisemitic incidents of harassment, vandalism and assault in Florida alone – an increase from 190 in 2021.
"Good people must not stand idly by while Nazis and other hate groups spew out violent ideology," Rabbi Rick Jacobs, President of the Union for Reform Judaism, added in a statement.
The importance of speaking out against hate
The U.S. has long debated the extent of the first amendment. One struggle has been that what some might call "free speech" is actually "hate speech."
"Determining where to draw the line between allowing free speech and prohibiting hate speech can be very challenging," says Brad Fulton, associate professor of management and social policy at Indiana University – Bloomington. "Less challenging, however, is for political leaders to condemn particular speech. By not responding, Gov. DeSantis is giving tacit consent to this activity and he is emboldening the activists."
The incident outside of Disney this weekend bore some similarities to when former President Donald Trump failed to decry QAnon conspiracy theories, despite the groups ties to real-world violence.
Speaking out against hate can "expose its underlying impotence and defuse volatile situations," Fulton adds. Imagine if more world leaders had actively condemned the Nazi party early on in Europe, for example.
Frequently, though, politics and pragmatism cloud judgment.
"Often, politicians exploit a situation so that it benefits them personally – with little regard for the person or population hurt by that hate speech," says psychologist Reneé Carr.
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The legacy of letting hate go unchecked
Like anything, it's important to consider how a marginalized person might feel, especially if you are not one yourself.
"For those who have not been the target of hate speech, it can be difficult to comprehend the fear and mental anguish one might feel walking past a crowd of people promoting your annihilation," Fulton says.
Carr recommends speaking out against hate. Of course, some situations are more nuanced than others.
"You have to also understand that just because someone does not agree with what you agree with, it does not mean they hate you," Carr says. "Hate is an intense emotion attached to an intense desire to completely destroy and eliminate a person or group in one form or another."
When it's really hate we're talking about, how anyone responds indicates their character. And if they are in a position of power and let hate go unchecked, they leave that as part of their legacy.
"When symbols of such extreme hate are allowed," Carr says, "it will increase both the intensity and boldness of aggressive acts of hate."
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ron DeSantis, Disney World, Nazis: The truth about hate