In 1941 America punched Nazis. In 2021 Ted Cruz defends them. pic.twitter.com/4dbJBrnqri

— Daryl Sturgis✊? (@darylsturgis) October 27, 2021

What’s wrong with Ted Cruz?

Seriously.

I am German. I am shocked—and I am quite angry.

Ted Cruz just tried to defend parents who protest mask mandates with Nazi salutes. He claims that freedom of speech protects the right to use a gesture representing the worst crimes against humanity in history. Technically he might be right, but does that make it right?

How low can you go?

It’s one thing to criticize mask mandates, but another to accept these displays of racism. I don’t agree with almost anything Ted Cruz believes in, but this time it’s different.

It’s about boundaries.

We have to have some boundaries when talking about politics. There is a reason why it is a crime in almost any European country to do a Nazi salute.

A few months ago, someone tried to insult me on Twitter by saying that we don’t have freedom of speech in Germany. That person told me that it is not allowed to deny the holocaust, and that’s why he thinks we can’t claim to have freedom of speech.

Seriously?

I don’t see the connection between freedom of speech and being allowed to use misinformation to back up a racist worldview. It’s still misinformation.

I guess I have to accept that Ted Cruz doesn’t share my opinions on masks, vaccines, and almost any political debate—but I cannot accept him using Nazi salutes to make his case.

We need boundaries.

And if you feel like defending Ted Cruz and parents doing Nazi salutes, please ask yourself, “Why?”

This needs to stop.

Dear Republican party, please stop using Nazi references. That’s it. Please stop.