Entertainment turned Lesson

The study of the white nationalist movement is one which often renders questions regarding race, heritage and moral values. Many people outside the movement question the intent and the beliefs behind the history behind the ideals, however insiders find the war on race as the most important battle mankind will ever face. The movie “American History X” and the book Autobiography of a Recovering Skinhead, give outsiders an inside look into the daily routine of a white nationalist member.  Although the movie is a Hollywood portrayal, the plot line aligns with many of the stories and circumstances that Frank Meeink  (author of Autobiography of a Recovering Skinhead) underwent throughout his skinhead lifetime.

            Having never previously seen the movie, I was intrigued by he portrayal of the white supremacist members living in California. When it comes to thinking about extremist groups such as these, I had always pictured that they would outwardly display, almost acting outrageously, to show their beliefs. Prior to the movie I had also thought that members of these groups have a long family history of belonging to such organizations, and instead the movie showed that “Derek” was actually brought up in a typical “American Dream” household. One would think that such a typical upbringing would result in a child growing up to become a successful and intelligent member of society, but this movie perfectly portrays the influence that a parents belief system can have on a child’s perception. This influence almost seems to make the child have even stronger beliefs towards a given idea than the parent ever had. I believe this is why “Derek” had such strong beliefs in the movement, not only because of the way his father was killed, but also because of the beliefs that his father outwardly expressed to him as a teenager. Ultimately, I also think this is what affected “Danny’s” behavior throughout the movie.

            An interesting correlation I also drew between the movie and the book, was the idea that through serving a sentence, prison and the judicial system can somewhat “save” criminals. Both Meeink and “Derek” were sent to prison based off of their actions as white nationalist movement members, however it was in prison where they learned the true meaning of tolerance and acceptance. For instance in his book, Meeink talks about the process of befriending the men he used to hate, through playing on a prison football team with men of all races. It was there in prison, behind cement walls and away from all of the cultural and social influences, that these men were “freed” from the movement.

            Currently there many Americans who have these same beliefs and struggles that both men listed in this blog were going through at one time. The correlation that has been drawn from the movie and the book, is one that can be applied to white nationalist movement members today. This statement is especially true when it comes to spreading the message of redemption and prevention, to young organization. Yes, there will always be extremist beliefs, however with solid and realistic education about the topic, the American educational system might be able to have a positive impact on the youth of these movements. Although this idea would possibly only be able to flourish in High School courses, this Cultural and Ethnic education needs to be taught. I believe that the motto of this blog post can be summed up in the following quote: Nelson Mandela once said, “I am not a saint, unless you think of a saint as a sinner who keeps on trying.”