MovieChat Forums > Erasing Hate (2011) Discussion > Bryon and Julie's occasional Word Vomit

Bryon and Julie's occasional Word Vomit


When Bryon said he knows what it it's like to be a black person because of his tattoos which keep him from being hired.

Then he says people judge him for looking like a "freakshow."

I felt he kinda missed the underlying truths in his situation.

!. Black people will always be black, and they didn't make themselves that way by choice. I don't think anybody looks at them and thinks that their skin color was a poor life choice. If they don't hire black people because they are scared of them, that's racism. It's not bigoted to be scared of working with someone with a bloody switch blade tattooed on their cheek. It's just smart not to hire that person.

2. Many people do have tattoos on their face, and they still get work... because not everybody's facial tattoos are so scary and violent and racist. It's not just about having tattoos visible, it's about what they mean. They represent your hatred and how you have hurt people over their skin color.

He mentioned people wrongfully judge him but he is the one that put out the message on his face and hands that he represents hate. He can't blame anyone but himself. I can see why someone like that needs a church community to be guilt tripped by god into embracing him. You can tell most of them are unsure of his changes.

Then Julie said something like she never was friends with "blacks" and it made me cringe. Though I know she was trying to be frank and honest and reflect how she has changed, but just the term "blacks" still has that negative connotation suggesting they are only their race.

I see that that man is their only black friend, and I hope they can continue to make friends with people of other races and cultures. They could really use some frank back talk about their choice of words. Though I do applaud the changes they made, and I wish their family the best. Change doesn't come over night. And we all on occasion have expressed some word vomit.

I do hope to hear more of their progress, and hopefully they get to speak out at rallies and keep sharing their story. It's truly an intriguing one that gives me hope that just because you were born into a hateful household/neighborhood doesn't mean you will raise your own hateful family.

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your first point is really the only one that made me take a step back and think he didn't really get it.

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I fear that the SPLC money was wasted here, either that or the film didn't do justice to this guy. His comment about knowing what it's like to be "black" was telling but I was more disturbed when he was explaining how he knew there were problems in the white power movement because for him it was about trying to "live by the code of a warrior" which "calls for a glorious battle," which wasn't what he saw in his friends' actions. Is this the same guy who ambushed people on the street and beat up a janitor in a bathroom?!?

He seems a bit proud still and every other comment was about how "hard" things are for him. This film is not a convincing story of true redemption. I hope he continues to progress down this path.

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I know what you mean.

Although I like his intentions, I don't really believe that it was sincere. To be honest, I feel the only reason why he wanted to remove his tattoos was because he doesn't want anyone to attack him for being a racist. In one part he was actually thinking of keeping the "hate" tattoo on his fist, and he made up some excuse of keeping it saying that it's his first tattoo and that it serves as a reminder to not go back to the person he was before. All of which I think is nonsense. But at least he removed it in the end.

But still, I feel he is still a racist, and that he only wanted to remove anything that was visible to everyone so that he doesn't have to receive any backlash towards him anymore. When he speaks of his past, he has this tone in his voice that makes me think he doesn't really have any regrets and that he was actually very proud to be apart of it all. Maybe it's just me, but that's how it came across to me.

I'm not convinced that he has changed, but if he really did, then I truly applaud him. My instincts tell me otherwise though.

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They definitely weren't the best choice of words but I think all that talk shows they're trying to figure out how to empathize. Doesn't seem like they were given those skills as children so they're still trying to wrap their minds around it. Like kids moving a puzzle piece around until it fits. These aren't the folks known for their language skills anyway.

Her using a term like "blacks" is what she thinks is a kinder word since she probably grew up saying the n word all the time. It's really not meant as a derogatory term to her. I really do think they're trying.

I was really excited to see Morris Dees in this. He's one of my heroes.

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