The following is an op-ed written and submitted to Reporter Magazine by an RIT student. The views outlined are not reflective of Reporter as an organization.

After a mob, riled up by Donald Trump and his allies, descended onto the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, intent on overturning his democratic defeat, some assumed that would mark the end of the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement. They hoped the country would recognize it for what it was: a fascist and extremist ideology, and reject it, returning our country to some sense of political normalcy. 

Yet, four years later, Trump is back in office, determined to fulfill his fascist agenda and flaunt his open disregard for the rule of law. Others who share his bigotry feel emboldened, as though they can express their hatred of others without fear of repercussions, as seen with the murder of actor Jonathan Joss and the wave of racial violence in the aftermath of Trump’s election. The recent mass deployment of the National Guard to Democratic-led cities and Gestapo-style raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), as well as calls by MAGA to deport non-white political opponents – such as New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani — provide more troubling evidence of this. 

I ask this: how can we function as a democratic society and country, one that emphasizes tolerance and diversity, when extremism is allowed to spread and destroy us from within? How can we avoid repeating the same societal mistakes that led to the rise of authoritarian regimes in 1920s Italy, 1930s Germany, and modern Russia under Putin?

I believe the answer is quite simple: fascism and other anti-democratic, authoritarian, violent and extremist ideologies should be constitutionally prohibited and delegitimized in our political culture. Those who support these ideologies or seek to abolish our democratic system and replace it with an authoritarian system should be banned from holding public office.

The propagation of these ideologies actively hinders our democratic institutions and customs, threatening the well-being of the American people. These beliefs are inherently at odds with American ideals and, if left unchecked, will undo all the progress that we have made since we won independence from Great Britain. 

Some may argue that this stance is hypocritical – that it goes against our democratic and tolerant political culture to be intolerant toward those who disagree with us. I would counter that this is not hypocritical at all, but simply self-preservation. When we engage in democratic debates and elections, we operate under the same belief that, despite our differences, we strive to do what is best for the country and its people. Fascists and extremists, on the other hand, do not recognize this. Rather, they see political opponents and people who do not fit in with their puritanical ideals as inferior enemies that must be eradicated or forced into submission, often through violence. Austrian-British philosopher Karl Popper covered this in his work “The Open Society and Its Enemies.” “When we extend tolerance to those who are openly intolerant, the tolerant ones end up being destroyed and tolerance with them,” said Popper. 

This is reflected by the rhetoric of Trump and the MAGA movement, who regularly portray political opponents and critics as traitors, communists, terrorists, and criminals, levying countless dogwhistles that portray the political left as anti-American. The MAGA movement is also far more open to political violence than any other type of Republican, as one study by Garen J. Wintemute, Sonia L. Robinson, Elizabeth A. Tomisch, and Daniel J. Tancredi found.

Authoritarians are nothing more than a cancer; insignificant during times of stability and prosperity, but destructive in times of hardship and chaos. By prohibiting these ideologies, we safeguard our democracy from collapsing into tyranny. In the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, it is also important to note that this is not a call for violence against actual or perceived fascists. What this calls for is a legal and constitutional prohibition on fascist and extremist political activity. 

While experts may define it differently, if implemented, a good base definition for extremism would be similar to that of Germany. Extremism would be classified as ideologies or activities that oppose the country’s democratic rule of law and institutions and seek to replace them with their own non-democratic or restrictive system.

This proposal is nothing new; in fact, this is how Germany has treated extremist political organizations ever since the end of World War II. Any attempts to advocate for Nazism, including defending or denying the Holocaust or forming a Nazi organization, were met with legal prosecution and prohibition, with many either being arrested or chased out of Germany. Alternative for Germany (AfD), a far-right political party with fascist tendencies, has recently been officially declared as an extremist party by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), although it later suspended the classification pending a court decision. Although I am disappointed by the backtrack, the fact that this was done to the second-largest party in Germany proves the action and resilience of German democracy, something that we must learn from to protect our own democracy.

As you may note, I am directing most of my criticisms of extremism towards the right, but the reality is that authoritarian political influence has steadily gained ground on the American right, which currently holds significant sway in American politics and controls all three branches of the federal government.. This can clearly be seen in the Trump Administration itself, with prominent far-right figures such as Stephen Miller and Laura Loomer being appointed to key positions or having significant influence in the White House. Statistics provided by VisaVerge have also shown that ICE predominantly targets non-white communities, especially Latino communities, in their operations. While there is certainly an extremist element on the left, they are hardly as prevalent in American politics currently as the MAGA movement. MAGA has cemented its national presence, having fully captured the Republican Party as its leadership – from the state parties to Congress – parrots Trump’s rhetoric and appoints loyalists to senior White House positions.

Extremism has even spread to the RIT campus, as revealed by posts on the RIT subreddit in April of this year. In their posts, a user exposed how RIT’s College Republicans club extols bigotry both in their Discord chat and at group meetings. In one example, the user brings up the club’s Discord, where they mocked the inhumane conditions of prisoners at the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) around the time Trump started sending deportees there. Another club member was recorded in one meeting mocking a transgender student at RIT, stating, “If your end goal is chopping your f*ck*ng d**k off, yeah! I’m gonna think you have a mental illness.”

 This type of behavior is fundamentally at odds with diversity, acceptance, and inclusion, virtues that not only RIT prides itself on but that are also fundamental to American society. As an institute of higher education, our generation will determine the fate of our country. There is a reason why authoritarian regimes attack universities first: they expose their lies and hatred. We must do the same and stand united against the rabid bigotry and fascism that is tearing our country apart. Protest, vote, write, donate, be active in whatever way you can. For yourself and your classmates. We all suffer under fascism, even those who think they will benefit from it.