"Should a Hated Word Be Banned?" by Jodi Rudoren of Upfront Magazine - Writing Prompt Response (Caroline R.)

Prompt: In the article, "Should a Hated Word Be Banned?" Rabbi Dov Lipman says that "every country has to establish certain value-based limits" to free speech. Do you agree? Why or why not? Use EVIDENCE from the text to support your response.

The article "Should a Hated Word Be Banned?" by Jodi Rudoren of Upfront Magazine discusses whether the use of the word "Nazi" in Israel without educational context should be considered a criminal offense. This, however, goes against freedom of speech, something which Israel very strongly advocates. One supporter, Rabbi Dov Lipman, stated that, while he supports freedom of speech, he believes that it can only go so far, and, at a certain point, becomes too immoral. I, personally, agree with his statement, because I feel the use of this word in a non-educational environment trivializes the Holocaust, over-exaggerates a person's flaws, and makes it so that "Nazi" is synonymous with a person doing things you don't like, which goes against history.

Using the word "Nazi" in ordinary circumstances trivializes the Holocaust. For example, the article states that it is used as a term in comedic television shows. It is inappropriate to use such a serious word for a normal situation. The Holocaust is not something that should be taken lightly, and using the word that describes a person who supported gassing people to death in a comedic sketch makes the Holocaust into that of a joke.

Along with this, it also is unfair to the person you may wish to describe. For example, the article gives the scenario in which a student "harmlessly" pokes fun at their annoying teacher with a fellow classmate by comparing the educator to a Nazi. This is a horrifying insult to the instructor as a human being; it's basically stating that the student thinks a person who is strict and gives more homework is as bad as a person who helped kill thousands of people. It is extremely inappropriate, especially when there are other, less offensive insults to be used with a friend in private.

Finally, using the word "Nazi" in such casual instances changes the very definition of the word. For example, the article says that a sports commentator referred to a basketball referee as a "Gestapo", which is a type of Nazi. Obviously, a particularly annoying basketball referee is absolutely nothing like a Nazi - they are simply a person the commentator doesn't like. However, since they are being called a Nazi, then the word is taken to be a derogatory umbrella term for anyone you don't like and not a term used to describe a supporter of Hitler in the Holocaust. This goes against basic facts and is an insult to history.

In conclusion, I do believe that, while you perhaps should not be imprisoned for speaking the word aloud in a non-educational environment, you should be issued a warning first. This would make it so that people would think twice before making inappropriate and offensive comments, without worrying about being put in jail.