Last December I was distraught and shocked to
learn that a student at a Christian school in Madison, Wisconsin, shot and
killed a teacher and another student. The shooter’s action had been motivated by neonazi, white supremacist ideology. That same month, a neonazi, white
supremacist rammed his vehicle into a group of people at a Christmas Market in Germany, killing five people and injuring several others. (Please, note that I
type the word neonazi without capital letters on purpose).
Neonazi hate groups are part of a reality that is
often ignored. Interestingly, the members of these extremist groups consider
themselves a “political movement.”
These
hate groups recruit young people in a state of vulnerability. The vulnerable
young people who fall prey to the brainwashing of these groups—or I should say to
the brain-tainting-- happen to be angry and insecure. They have a need for
validation and often feel like outcasts. They may have a need to be accepted by
their peers and they lack a sense of purpose.
These neonazi violent groups entice them by
making them feel that they care about them, but the reality is different. The
hate groups are based on neonazi ideology. They teach the followers to loathe
anybody they consider non-white, gays and Jews; they hate black people; they resent immigrants, falsely accusing them of stealing their jobs. Instead of white supremacy, the ideology should be called white insecurity or white perversion.
How can
we prevent people from joining hate groups or from sympathizing with hate
ideology? We need to raise awareness on the spread of neonazi ideology. Other
hate extremist groups--ISIS, for example-- follow the same pattern and
strategies.
Lauren
Manning belonged to one of these groups in the past. She knows what it is like
to be part of such a group. She was able to get out of the hate group despite
the dangers and threats she encountered, and is now working to share her story
and help others in similar situations.
Two years ago, I received a copy of On Account of Darkness by Ian Kennedy, published by Tidewater press, a small publisher from Canada. I wrote a review on
it at My Writing Life blog: Awareness, Reflection, Inspiration. Soon
after that I navigated the site of the small Canadian publisher, and Walking
Away from Hate caught my attention. I included Walking Away from Hate in
my mental list of books to be read, but it took me two years to get to it. The
book is not present in the library system I count on, so I chose to purchase it
directly from Tidewater Press. I did not use Amazon.
I approached the read with trepidation due to the unpleasant nature of the topic. However, I was eager to understand how young people are lured into the network of falsehoods that coax them to believe in the existence of a so-called superior white race.
Five years after she left the white
supremacist group, Lauren Manning learned about the white supremacist rally in
Charlottesville, Virginia, and about the murder of Heather Heyer. It summoned
up memories of her past: “I had been living under a rock for the last few
years, not paying attention to current events, but I couldn’t pretend I was
shocked to hear of the Charlottesville tragedy. Back when I’d advocated for the
division of humanity, I’d known many lost and angry souls in search of a life
purpose. Their discussions had revolved around violence and what they
considered cleverly crafted methods of returning society to an all-white
population. Back then, I believed them. I was one of them, totally immersing
myself in their culture while desensitizing myself to my emotions. I’d taken
their ideology as gospel and would have gladly died for it.”
Walking Away from Hate shows how Lauren
became involved in a neonazi, white supremacist group, and how her choices
pulled her away from her family. Even though Lauren had grown in a healthy,
loving environment, she had been exposed to the ideology of her maternal
grandfather, who later became estranged from the family. Her grandfather had
migrated to Canada from England in 1954. He had fought in the Second World War.
Yet he resented immigrants. He disliked gays, black people and Jews and had
always been clear about his bigotry. Eventually he severed his relationship with
Jeanette and her family, but traces of his ideology may have contributed to Lauren’s choices when she was in a state of vulnerability, after
losing her dad to leukemia at age 16.
I think
it is important to highlight that races do not exist. It has been proven byscience.
From my personal experience, I can say that the obsession with classifying people into different races makes me uncomfortable; it has been a trend that may perpetuate biases and stereotypes. Science has shown that there is only one race: the human race. Putting labels on people on the basis of something that does not exist is absurd, but we are caught up in a pattern that has emphasized a way of dividing people. Race is a societal construction used to divide people into categories. For this reason, whenever I can avoid ticking the box, I do so.
Walking Away from Hate is shared in
Jodi Picoult’s literary style: mother and daughter narrate their experiences in
alternating sections of the book. The conversational style of their prose is
engaging and introspective, and it keeps you turning the pages, because you have
no idea what is going to happen next. You keep wondering how far she is going
to go before she comes to her senses and returns to her family.
One
aspect of the book that I’d like to emphasize is how women in the group were
viewed as a means to an end. Women were simply
considered a medium to have children. Their choices and talents were ignored,
disregarded and ridiculed. They are never treated as equals.
The unsafe situations Lauren went through and
the emotional and physical violence she had to put up with stunned me. The poor
choices that led her to drink alcohol and to neglect herself and surround herself by
people whose actions were about hate, criminality and violence made the read
heartbreaking, but I love that at the end she was able to leave that behind and
to rebuild an authentic life of health and hope not only for herself, but also
for the benefit of her family, friends and for those who need her experience to understand
that choices make a difference.
The new
beginning in her life allowed her to study, find a fulfilling job, and to discover
new talents and hobbies. Her new sense of self paved the way to thrive in
healthy relationships. She embarked on a path of mindful meditation daily. As she
left her past behind, the support and forgiveness of her family were crucial in
the process of healing and recovery.
I
highly recommend Walking Away from Hate. Read it and share it with the
teenagers in your life. Talk about it. If you are a social studies teacher, use
the book to educate others on the topic. It can save lives.
Last but not least, I will share resources that
may also be of help:
Life After Hate was founded in 2011. This is their message: “Life After Hate is dedicated
to inspiring individuals to a place of compassion and forgiveness, for
themselves and for all people.” Their goal is to interrupt violence committed
in the name of ideological or religious beliefs through education, intervention,
research and outreach. According to the book, they help people exiting hate
groups and support those who have already left, in both the United States and
Canada.
https://www.lifeafterhate.org/
Exit USA was
born in 2014 and is available to people around the world. Its mission statement
reads, “No judgment. Just help. If you are ready to leave hate and violence
behind, we are here to support you. At Exit USA we are dedicated to helping
individuals leave the white power movement and start building a more fulfilling
and positive life, just like we did.”
https://www.lifeafterhate.org/exit-usa-family-and-friends/
Other
organizations/resources to seek support:
