FBI Director Christopher Wray said antisemitism is growing in America. Is he right? I'm not so sure.

Antisemitism has always been present, as has bigotry against other demographic groups, much of which has remained unspoken. Is it more likely that people feel freer to express their bigotry? Maybe the media is covering it more closely. I tend to think it's a combination of all three.

I think most of us agree those with bigoted opinions are more comfortable in expressing their hatred. Stuart Seldowitz, 64, who worked for the State Department and the National Security Council during the Obama administration has been arrested after videos showing him making hateful remarks towards a food cart vendor were made public. The young man was apparently of Arabic descent; Seldowotiz made comments about the man being here illegally, that he hated Jews, that he should die, and more.

What he said was offensive. He did what most bigots do; he formed an opinion about the young man based solely upon his appearance. He also, like most liberals, assumed everyone of a certain demographic group were all the same. Most of us would disagree with him and not lump everyone in a group in such a way. But does he deserve to be arrested and face jail time?

No, he does not. Free speech is a right that is protected by our Constitution, no matter how offensive it might be. In fact, I would argue the more offensive someone's words are, the better it is for us as a nation. It exposes hatred and allows us the opportunity to minimize its effects while providing a teaching moment for others, preventing it from spreading undetected until the speech turns into actions.

But his words have not done harm to the food cart vendor. He was not physically harmed. If his business suffered, the young man has a remedy in civil court for slander. Putting people in jail for what they say is a dangerous move. Michigan and Wisconsin have already enacted laws that could put people in jail for expressing opinions that are considered hateful. That is the road to tyranny.

I shouldn't have to say it to those that support such laws but given the actions of some of our fellow citizens recently, I feel compelled to do so. They should understand the consequences of what they support: someone in power gets to define what hate speech is; if those in power change, the words you speak freely today could be tomorrow's hate speech. I've seen how you react when you are treated in the same way you treat others. I'm guessing you won't like it.

Seldowitz and others should be allowed to express their opinions. They should suffer consequences, such as public shaming, but they should not be punished criminally. Our greatest duty is to protect the rights of all and this is our chance to show that we are guided by principles, not emotions.