We live in a society of laws. I have always believed that justice matters and we need to obey the laws. Applauding this assault is not just wrong but dangerous to our way of life. First of all I am not defending Richard Spencer, I can't stand the man. I think he is a despicable human being, but he has the right to be despicable if he wants to be.
So why do I think that assault him is dangerous. Well it is no just the assault but the justification of the assault. First, justice needs to be blind. You can hit someone to defend yourself, another or your property. You cannot punch someone because you disagree with someone's ideology. If you can who gets to decide who can or can't be punched and what will the criteria be. The law either apply or it doesn't to any, that it should apply in one instance but not in another based simply on the fact that the guy held the wrong opinion is a dangerous road that do not want to ride.
Another reason is that you prove the other side right and you provide them a martyr. Take a look at this situation for example. You have a man who is claiming that Western Civilization is in decline and the once great western republics will fall unless we get back to our roots. Then he is punched on camera and many cheer. That makes it look like he is right and Western Civilization is in decline and does need to be saved. Punching him says more about who punched him and those who condone it than it says about him.
Also our nation is in a time of great tension and emotions are running very high. The last thing we need to do is add fuel to the fire. This could get very ugly. If this kind of thing continues his followers could retaliate and our streets could become bloody in a way we haven't seen for fifty years.
Lastly this is the tactic of the authoritarian. The authoritarian tends to get his brown shirts to do his dirty work but it is the authoritarian that is the one that decides who can say what and who can hit and who can be hit. In the end people who condone this kind of violence against people that they hate may very well become what they hate.
There is too much at stake to walk down this path. We need to condemn this kind of violence no matter who it is directed against. I believe we need love to conquer hate, not just more hate.
Let's spread the love.