The documentary Erasing Hate offers an interesting perspective on the social reasons behind gang affiliation. Bryon Widner grew up in Albuquerque New Mexico and describes himself as a “street kid.” He was raised by an alcoholic grandmother who told him he was worthless. He was a chronic runaway. skinhead gangs provided the sense of belonging and family support he needed. He started in the White Power Movement when he was 14, and his evolution as a skinhead continued when he moved from New Mexico to Indiana. He was white and poor and was looking for answers in life. He was led to believe that minorities were the cause of his problems. He was taught that whites were the “master race” who were meant to rule the world. Skinheads believe that minorities are destroying the white culture. When he looked around and saw his socioeconomic conditions, he wanted someone to blame for his lack of success. Becoming a skinhead gave him a family, an ideology and sense of identity.
A large part of Erasing Hate focuses on Widner’s tattoos as a symbol of his gang allegiance and subsequent repudiation of the White Power Movement. It is a story of redemption. At the beginning of the documentary, Widner is covered in Nazi and skinhead tattoos, many with violent significance. For example, he “earned” his SS bolts by “beating down” black people. His tattoos are not only a reminder of his violent past, but they keep him for entering mainstream society. He is unable to find a job and his stepchildren say that “people judge him on the street” (Erasing Hate 2011). Widner wants the tattoos gone, they remind him of bad experiences and a time period and ideology he now regrets. The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) pays for the removal of his tattoos. I would argue that this is keeping in line with what they do. Their mission is to “fight hate and bigotry and to seek justice for the most vulnerable members of our society. Using litigation, education, and other forms of advocacy, the Center works toward the day when the ideals of equal justice and equal opportunity will be a reality” (Southern Poverty Law Center). The SPLC wants to expose intolerance and show people a better path towards racial harmony. Once a person has changed, and denounced their racism, they should be accepted back into society. That can be impossible with racist tattoos, so the SPLC is encouraging people to follow Bryon’s example. They also want people to know that there is a community to support them if they leave their “family” behind. Widner also provided the SPLC with important information that they could use in their war against intolerance. (Adams 2014).
Bryon had a number of problems along with his gang affiliation. He
was an alcoholic with a rocky marriage. He had no employment and no support system. However, after his marriage, he started questioning the White Power Movement. He saw the way his “brothers” treated women and were hypocritical in the ways they lived their lives. When he had his first biological child, he turned his back on his skinhead gang. These realizations changed his beliefs. His biggest challenge in changing his lifestyle were his tattoos, which branded him as a racist skinhead, no matter what his beliefs were. The documentary covers the laser tattoo treatment, which allows Bryon to move on with his life. He said with his tattoos, he knew “what if felt like to be a black person, to be discriminated against because of the way you look” (Erasing Hate 2011)
One of the things I learned from this documentary is how all gangs recruit members the same way. They prey on young people with no family and limited education. Once Bryon matured, got married, stopped drinking and had a baby, he realized how stupid and wrong the skinhead gangs were. He said he joined the skinheads to have a family, and when he got a real family, with a loving wife and children, he could
recognize how horrible the skinheads were. When he quit, they threatened his family, which shows what kind of people they are. Erasing Hate is an enlightening documentary that shows that people can change, and need help along the way. His wife and family, his new black friend, and the SLPC all gave him the support he needed to denounce the skinheads and redeem himself. He has a violent past but a much more positive looking future.
On a scale from 1-10 (1= not at all, 5=for the most part, 10=absolutely)
please answer the following questions
a. Maintained my interest = 8
b. I learn about a different lifestyle = 10
c. I learned something new = 10
d. I will share some information about this documentary with people I know = 3
References
Adams, W. (n.d.). About Face: Ex-Skinhead Endures 25 Surgeries to Remove Racist Tattoos | TIME.com. Retrieved December 9, 2014, from http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/11/03/about-face-ex-skinhead-endures-25- surgeries-to-remove-racist-tattoos/
Erasing hate [Motion picture]. (2011). Bill Brummel Productions.
Southern Poverty Law Center. (n.d.). Retrieved December 9, 2014, from
http://www.splcenter.org/what-we-do
