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| Ms. Maynard's "Wordle" inspired from TJ's Presentation |
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| Mr. Jones' "Wordle" inspired from Inge's Presentation |
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| TJ Leyden and Ms. Maynard at book signing |
Please reflect about your experience after hearing the two keynotes speakers at the "Surviving Hate" Symposium. Feel free to use the "Wordles" above as a springboard for your reflections.
Hearing the two speakers, each with such contrasting speeches, talk right after another was certainly a powerful way to get the point across. I couldn't believe what TJ Leyden was saying when he was talking about his past. To go from such a violent past like that to now talking to people about the negative effects racism and hate can have on society is astonishing. He has changed so drastically that it is hard to believe. He was someone who was so influenced by racism and hate that it ran his life. Everyone surrounding him also shared the same views- his wife, his friends, and even his family. I almost felt bad for TJ, because he has tried so hard to change his life, and he really has come a long way, but his past will be with him forever. The people that he used to beat and all the people that he has influenced in such negative ways that they will probably never go back to the way they used to be. Although he has changed, he has to live with his past decisions for the rest of his life, and I can't even imagine what that must be like for him. I find myself trying to put myself in his shoes, but I can't. Also, I never knew how many hate groups actually existed, especially in Massachusetts, and it really opened my eyes about how this world really does need to change. Being able to coexist with one another is such a huge part of survival and as of now, many people are lacking in that ability. Until the day that people start uniting as one, racism will always exist. Humans started it and we are the only ones who can end it.
ReplyDeleteOverall, it's impossible to say the speakers didn't leave an impact on anyone. Everyone took something with them from the presentation- a changed mindset, a new perspective, or gained knowledge. I'm really glad we were able to experience the Symposium, because wake-up calls like the ones the speakers provided don't occur very often.
ReplyDeleteI think TJ's speech was easier to connect to, just because he made it literally impossible for us not to listen. He didn't speak like he was better than us, but as an equal. It was much easier to pay attention and react to what he was saying.
Honestly, TJ's life frightened me. I hadn't realized that the types of groups he spoke about even existed. I knew there were racists out there, but I didn't know it had ever gotten to such a massive extent. The music, the video games, the tattoos, were almost too much to take. I just can't wrap my head around how people would be content with the type of life he used to live.
TJ spoke about how one of the hardest things for him to do was give up the power he always used to hold over others. He said he used to have so many people fear him, and it was difficult to suddenly have to walk into a room and not have so much power over other people. This is probably one of the main contributions to the allure of hate. We don't want to see blame placed on ourselves, or take responsibility for any wrongdoing. So we take it out on others, making ourselves believe that they deserve it, which they probably don't. This is how innocent groups of people get persecuted.
I can’t put into words how much Inge and TJ influenced me
ReplyDeleteTheir presentations were just so powerful
Inge, she had an incredibly lucky childhood. She survived. Among all the pictures of her friends and family she showed, and how she said that maybe one kid out of the 20 in the picture would survive, just further showed how lucky she is. All those people, it really drives into my head the recognition of how far Hitler took his actions and how extreme they were. But for Inge to stand up in front of people, let alone doing it time and time again, shows her courage. She could bottle her feelings up and never let anyone know what really happened, like most survivors did. But she lets people know what happened, lets people know the terrors that lived during the Holocaust. She is so powerful, with her story beginning with a normal and happy family to a deceased and separated family. Don’t you just want to give her a big hug and say, “I’m sorry?” She shared her past with us during the Symposium, and I can’t imagine what she thinks when she gives the presentation. Is she scared, angry, confused? Maybe all of the above? I’m not too sure, but what I do know is that listening to a survivor talk about her life is a lot different from reading a story about it. You can hear the tone in her voice and you can see the emotions, which is hard to perceive from a story or diary. It was something else.
TJ was incredible. His presentation was captivating, energetic, and above all very inspiring. I just can’t believe that someone filled with so much hate could just turn around and become a mentor for anti-racism. It’s incredible. I can’t out into words how amazed I am at TJ for changing. He changed, and that was probably difficult. I admire him for that. But it wasn’t just TJ himself that impacted me, but it was the information he shared. All the info about 14,000 white supremacist websites, the influence of Anti-Semitism through toys and videogames, and about gangs in the army and what they do. I, in no reasonable way, could explain my astonishment from all the things he talked about. All the things racist and supremacist going around us via technology and such, it’s just jaw dropping to see how it’s possible. But the biggest part of his presentation was the last 3rd, what I like to think of it as is the Acceptance third. He explains what he did as a white supremacist, but how he gave up all his power and his family to change. He is now a mentor for anti-racism, which is to me unbelievable. The amount of courage he has is substantial. I wonder if he thinks things like, “what if people don’t accept me” or “what if people hate me.” Whatever it may be, in order to do what he does he has courage. But accepting and tolerating people which he originally hated is key.
When TJ and Inge hugged, it was probably the most powerful thing I’ve ever seen. A holocaust survivor and a former white supremacist hugging. How can this be you ask? It’s simple. Acceptance. For Inge to accept TJ for changing is powerful. For TJ to accept someone which he previously hated is powerful. The plain fact that they put aside their differences and showed their forgiveness is unbelievable. For them to coexist as people and to put away their hate is so powerful.
Between listening to Inga and listening to T.J. Leyden, I was overwhelmed with the reality of how powerful and devastating hate can do to individuals but also to the entire world. After hearing Inga’s life story I was speechless and wondering why would someone want to act in such a vicious manner to all of these innocent people. But then we heard T.J.’s story which partially explained that question. He talked about how he was trying to grasp onto an identity and the skinhead community sucked him in with their music and other recruiting antics. The ways that these Neo-Nazi organizations draw in children is taking advantage of children that are in a gullible stage of their life. The concepts that these people believe in are the same of the Nazis in Nazi Germany during the holocaust, in which millions of Jews and non-Aryan people died in the name of hate.
ReplyDeleteAnother topic that T.J. had mentioned in his presentation that surprised me was the people that are becoming neo-Nazis and how they were being recruited. One place that didn’t surprise that has become a breeding ground for skinheads is prison. Prisoners are angry at their country and much like teenagers, are grasping onto a new identity. But then I was shocked when he starting showing us the influence that the neo-Nazi culture has in the United States armed forces. People would go into the military with normal thinking and come out a neo-Nazi, recruited by groups in the military. This is sickening to hear and should result in an immediate dishonorable discharge if you are associated with any of these groups.
I saw T.J. Leyden as a man with two different identities: one that I felt great anger and disapproval to and the other that I respect and commend. The way that you turned your entire life around and rescued your children from that toxic lifestyle shows who you are now and that’s all that matters. The world is lucky to have someone like you, to help mentor and rescue people belonging to gangs and skinhead groups.
The most influential speaker for me was TJ Leyden and he definitely left a big impact on my view of the world. After listening to TJ, I wondered how one human being can overcome such an influential life. He had so many negative views in life that it amazes me how he turned out to be a better person. The guilt that he has to live with is unimaginable and it is a very heavy weight to carry, but I think the way he deals with it is by keeping other kids away from entering the life that he experienced because he knows it was wrong. After listening to TJ, I gained a new perspective on how horrible the world really can be. Most of us roll racism and hate right off of our shoulders because we think that if it doesn't happen to us directly, then it doesn't happen in the world at all and we shouldn't have to worry about it. I also had no idea of all the racism groups in the country and especially in the Army. The men and women in the Army are supposed to be fighting for our country which is based on freedom of religion and freedom of speech. How can these men and women be fighting for a free country when they are involved in gangs and groups that promote hatred and racism against others? The world needs more people to join together against racism and hate because that is the only way the world will become a better place.
ReplyDeleteI must say that both speaker, Inge and TJ Leyden, were astounding. The tales of their lives shed light on the exact horror of the Holocaust and what it brought to those involved in it. TJ Leyden showed us a different side of the Holocaust that is not usually explained: being neo-Nazi in WWII Germany. It's shocking how ordinary peopl like TJ during such a time felt towards differences in people. He was born in such a hating society that he took these views on himself. I feel as if he were born in America or somewhere out of the reaches of WWII Germany that he would have grown up differently as I see that the man is no different than the average human being. Just goes to show that every human being is capable of such things. It is hard to state exactly how you feel about TJ, as his acts leave one astounded and quite angry. On the other hand, his thought process has greatly changed over such a short time. He now works year round in an attempt to eliminate racism throughout the United States. So, in this aspect, you can't help but admire, respect, and feel happy for the man.
ReplyDeleteAs for Inge Auerbacher, her speech was very powerful. It left the audience silent. You know that moment when you have to say something; have to comfort someone, but you know there's no way to do it right? That's how it was with her. I mean, at age 7, she was taken from her homes to work in a concentration camp. The horror, the mental scars on her must be simply unbearable at times. She was overall very calm and you felt the emotion through her words on what she felt. I can only imagine what she saw and felt. She was very lucky, as she was one of few that escaped from the Concentration Camp that she lived in for 3 years. The fact that both Inge Auerbacher and TJ Leyden hugged at the end is so emotional. TJ Leyden, who decades before would attempt to kill Inge for her religion, hugged the woman. Acceptance was key to this moment. I feel without acceptance, this touching moment would never have happened. I feel that this alone would move the entire audience to abolish all racism in this world.
I would like to start out by saying that both of these speakers were phenomenal. Inge is a true inspiration; after all she has been through, she still manages to speak about her past experiences. That is absolutely incredible that she has the strength to do so. Hearing her speak further reinforced my thoughts on how crazy this persecution of the Jewish population was. It is insane that such a horrific event could ever happen. Surviving all of that hate and finding the words to speak about it is incredible. I found that TJ Leyden’s presentation shocked me. Living in such a small town, sometimes I forget how much hate truly is out there. Seekonk can often times seem like a box, sheltering us from the outside world. His presentation made me realize how our surroundings influence our thoughts and beliefs, sometimes in a negative way. There’s a great amount of psychological manipulation that goes into recruiting people for these white supremacy groups. Going after teens to join just seems malicious; people this age are just kids, they usually don’t know any better. Additionally, seeing these two people hug was so incredibly powerful. These two brought forth ideas from both sides of the spectrum. Watching a Holocaust survivor and a former white supremacy group member come together was truly heartwarming, teaching an incredible lesson. Tolerance is key; hate is never okay or justified. Both of these speakers brought those ideas about, something very important that society should know.
ReplyDeleteInge's presentation was a once in a lifetime experience that not many more people will get to be a part of. Her presence alone was awe inspiring; to imagine that the woman in front of us had survived the Holocaust was unbelievable and certainly a memory I will retain for the rest of my life. How many people can say they listened to a Holocaust survivor tell their story in person? Not many, especially of our generation. It's sad to think that with the passing of each survivor, the memory of this event fades more and more. We need to preserve such memories as best we can, and people like Elie Wiesel and Inge Auerbacher are doing their best to do so. They are heroes.
ReplyDeleteAt the same time, I felt like I could relate to TJ's presentation more. Both speakers were very moving but TJ's really stood out to me. It could be because of his excellent public speaking or the fact that his story was more modern. Whatever the reason, I was particularly affected. I honestly had no idea that groups like the Skinheads were still as popular as they are. Just the idea that such spite could still be alive in modern times is incomprehensible. However, one anecdote he told was particularly memorable for whatever reason. He told us that he went to some type of convention where Holocaust deniers met. He said they admitted that they began denying the Holocaust 20 years too early. They said they'd forgotten about the children; children like Inge. To me, it's as if they know that denying it is wrong. It's like they knew they were going to get caught in this lie unless they waited until the first-hand witnesses had all passed. This was mind-blowing to me. They realized, "oh, we should have waited a little longer and then we could have gotten away with this scam of denying the Holocaust." I could not understand why a group of people would be like that for the life of me.
Through TJ, my view on life and other people has changed a lot. To start off, I’ve heard gypped so many times throughout my life. However, I never knew that it was a stir off of gypsies because of a stereotype of them being “cheap”. Part of this is ignorance on my part, but part of it is because of the society people grow up in, and what’s acceptable. However, what’s acceptable for me isn’t acceptable by others, and vice versa. So the question I ask is what society is right? Chances are that I’ll never know along with most if not all humans. Regardless, it’s an amazing feeling knowing that TJ has decided to turn around his life. He has come a long way and still plans on going further. For example, he also plans on building a rehabilitation center to help prevent kids from being skin heads. Personally, I think everyone should listen to him as he says a lot of eye opening ideas. He shows that there are over 100 gangs in the military, and over 10,000 people that are in the military and are gang affiliated. Finally, it is awesome how he changes his life, but it is terrible that there are websites on the internet devoted to going against him. He is being a positive role model for many people who are associated with gangs, but these websites are the exact reason why this world isn’t peaceful. If anyone ever has the chance to go see TJ, I suggest you make every effort possible, as he will change your life for the better
ReplyDeletePersonally, I felt extremely lucky to have the privilege of listening to T.J. and Inga speak. Both of their stories were powerful and truly incredible.
ReplyDeleteInga's story caused me to reflect upon how fortunate I am to live where I do with the people that I live with. She reminds us all of how easy it is to have everything you are familiar with stripped away from you rapidly and unjustly. It caused me to become more thankful for the everyday liberties and freedoms that I have. Hearing her speak of her experience in the concentration camps was horrifying and unfathomable. Today it is difficult to grasp the severity of the injustices and pain that humans can put onto others because we ourselves have not been witnesses to anything like this. To think that men who served in wars for their countries were being turned on by the very government they selflessly sacrificed themselves to protect is something that I cannot even describe, in words, stating how I feel. It is simply horrific.
T.J.'s story is about salvation and forgiveness. His story was powerful and difficult to listen to because I was simultaneously scared, horrified, and angry at him while also being forgiving, respectful, and admiring towards him. His transformation is one that took a lot of courage and dedication, so for that, I respect and admire him. Although, I feel if I was standing next to him, that I wouldn't know wether to be angry at him for all that he did, or shake his hand. His ability to communicate with an audience as he did made his presentation much more powerful, and the way he offended each and every single person sitting in front of him was one of his most effective tools for communication. Overall, when someone like T.J. is able to forgive themselves, others can forgive them too.
Both Inge and T.J. are amazing speakers with exceptional stories, but I felt that T.J's presentation could relate to everyone more because it is happening everywhere in the US. I was surprised when I saw out state was in the top 20 for having the most gangs since we are so small.
ReplyDeleteWhen I listened to T.J., I was really moved by the facts that were given about white supremacy. One point that I remember was when T.J. said iTunes refused to end to the sale of racist songs. I was so astonished that I decided to send Apple an email myself on why they sell the music. The Email I got back was "Dear Alex, yes we sell this kind of music, we feel that if be take the music off the store, we will have less variety.Also, banning the music will cause more people to want to listen to it, so we have decided to keep the products in the store for the benefit of all. Thank you for your concern and have a great day". I recall thinking about all of my Apple products, and how I could do something to help stop it. We should all create an online petition and see how many people sign it, then send it to iTunes.
TJs transformation was a brave one, I bet it was 10x harder to do then to quit smoking. He had to change who he was, but i am glad he did it. Despite his horrible past, I believe that what he is doing makes him a good person. Everybody can make a racist comment or be racist, but how many people try to reverse it?
Wow! I am so glad you wrote to iTunes and I am just saddened by their response. I wonder if we could initiate an online petition like you stated. Would you know how to start something like that?
DeleteThere is a site called change.org, it's a place where people can create online petitions.
DeleteThe wordles are a perfect way to sum up the presentations. The speakers were incredible and covered every world or phrase in the wordles. Not only did the speakers relay their information, they also connected with their audiences. They brought common everyday comparisons into their speeches in order to make the information more understandable. The speeches made me realize how much hatred is really in the world. When you think about it, people really do live sheltered lives because I truly believe that few people in the audience really knew how much racial hatred existed and still exists today. The experience enabled the audience to "open their eyes" to the world around them and realize that we don't live in a perfect world. The speeches showed the lack of tolerance that many people have for other races, and how people are willing to kill in order to make their race superior to the others. It is a tragic fact to hear, but it is unfortunately true. Inge and TJ both did a great job with their presentations. They allowed me to see into the past with a firsthand account of a life of a follower of Judaism during the Holocaust, and they showed that much of this similar prejudice still exists today. It must be stopped. No one else should have to lose their life to an issue involving prejudice.
ReplyDeleteInge had definitely introduced herself as a Holocaust survivor before and for that I show much appreciation for her as a person that could have gone through everything she's been through and finally become this "mad scientist" she had always wanted to be. I feel as if she herself had lacked in any emotional connection to the matter, when she was speaking, she seemed to be very monotone and joked about some situations. I believe that might have partially have been myself at the same time. I was expecting a Holocaust survivor who had experienced the same things that Elie Wiesel did. I loved her story but I couldn't sense her emotion in the presentation.
ReplyDeleteTJ was a speaker I can't forget. He had obviously made the speech many times also but he had the emotion and life story that stuck out and truly stuck with me. Hearing who he was then compared to who he is now made me think about what we're talking about in lord of the flies(I believe Rousseau's theory) about how humans are inherently evil because of the society we live in. But at the same time, who's to say he wasn't born this skinhead that he was sought out to be? I don't know how someone could ever become this rebel that would recruit people in a gang and marry a fellow skinhead and be proud that his son used the "n" word the one day just change his life for the better... It's fascinating to think about how his brain finally distinguished the difference between right and wrong and get his story out there. I though this was an overall beneficial experience.