Today I met Kelvin Pierce. If you don't know him, you should.
He has an extraordinary story of overcoming hate. And it's precisely what our country needs.
He has an extraordinary story of overcoming hate. And it's precisely what our country needs.
He's the son of William Pierce, founder of the white supremacist group the National Alliance, and author of The Turner Diaries. (It's a racist novel called a "bible of the racist right.") Timothy McVeigh cited it as partially inspiring his 1996 terrorist attack in Oklahoma City.
I first listened to Kelvin speak at a state commission meeting in May and his story of growing up in a household of one of the white nationalist movement's leaders was jarring.
Years of abuse, neglect, hatred...all of which he had to find the tools to overcome.
Years of abuse, neglect, hatred...all of which he had to find the tools to overcome.
He related a harrowing tale of constant physical and emotional abuse.
Being threatened for playing team sports where he would have to interact with black people.
No swimming in mixed race pools.
Visceral disgust at a person of color on TV.
Being threatened for playing team sports where he would have to interact with black people.
No swimming in mixed race pools.
Visceral disgust at a person of color on TV.
Beatings with metal hangers or 2 x 4's.
Murderous fantasies of killing black people to make his father love him.
And the crazy idea that this work was necessary and was the "responsible" thing to do.
He described hate as a purposeful mental illness of hating onesself.
Murderous fantasies of killing black people to make his father love him.
And the crazy idea that this work was necessary and was the "responsible" thing to do.
He described hate as a purposeful mental illness of hating onesself.
Now he's finally at a place, spurred by the 2016 election and the 2017 terror in Charlottesville, VA where he can tell his remarkable story of strength overcoming hate.
So over Thai food today, we talked about white nationalism as a creed vs its use as a political tool.
So over Thai food today, we talked about white nationalism as a creed vs its use as a political tool.
We talked about John Tanton, founder of FAIR, whose papers I'm suing to unseal. Kelvin said Tanton's worldviews reminded him of his father. #TantonPapers
splinternews.com/the-eugenicist…
splinternews.com/the-eugenicist…
We talked about how he used Buddhist psychology to find and create the spiritual strength to make himself bigger than the negative hate thought he grew up with.
Kelvin's a fascinating guy. He's got a manuscript and will be publishing a book about his triumph over hate.
Kelvin's a fascinating guy. He's got a manuscript and will be publishing a book about his triumph over hate.
Kelvin's story needs to be heard and amplified. I wish he'd get the chance to follow a speaker like Richard Spencer. Kelvin's story neutralizes hate.
I guarantee if you hear him, you're not going to forget it.
I guarantee if you hear him, you're not going to forget it.
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