The neo-Nazi characters in this book play into society’s stereotypical view of white supremacy: the uneducated, poor, criminal, and rural man. While these characters are true to Harley’s world and the area I grew up in that North County is based on, it would be irresponsible if I didn’t acknowledge that these characters and their portrayal are just one facet of the evil of white supremacy, which is deeply entrenched in our country and society in covert and overt ways.
It is not just rural white men with swastika tattoos who espouse and act on these hateful beliefs. It may be a coworker. A neighbor. A family member. The politician you voted for. The well-dressed kid next door who mows your lawn. This hate is not restricted to the South or to the rural, poverty-stricken parts of the country. It is everywhere, a poison knit into the fabric of this country’s founding, past, and present. And it must be fought, denounced, and stamped out everywhere, especially if you benefit from the power of white privilege, like I do.
The organizations below are working to make sure that this hate isn’t part of the future:
NAACP: http://www.naacp.org
Southern Poverty Law Center: https://www.splcenter.org
Native American Rights Fund: http://www.narf.org
Black Lives Matter: http://www.blacklivesmatter.com
Anne Frank Center for Mutual Respect: http://annefrank.com