People seem to forget that death threats are serious shit. It’s illegal to make them, and “psych, joking!” Isn’t going to get you out of trouble.

And yes, a threat to a group of nazis is still communicating threats, and someone doing it could face consequences. It’s all about whether or not you get caught, and whatever prosecutors have jurisdiction decide to follow up or not.

See, free speech doesn’t mean you can say anything you want without consequences. It’s about preserving a fundamental right to not be persecuted for your beliefs, political or otherwise. There’s history behind the way the U.S. First amendment is written. And it isn’t really about protecting all speech and expression, only wide swathes of them. People, however, persist in thinking otherwise.

Threats of violence and harm weren’t protected, ever. Not in the bill of rights, not in the Magna Carta, nor in any other body of laws I’ve ever heard of that are older.

In other words, it’s okay to say you hate someone and wish they would die, but not that you’re going to make it happen. Which is a gross oversimplification, but that’s the gist. One is an opinion, the other is a threat that has to be taken seriously.