Former white supremacist Tony McAleer joined Richmond Rotary Club members last week via an online video conference to inspire more people to express compassion and forgiveness at this challenging time.
The weekly zoom meeting hosted by Richmond Rotary Club usually lasts thirty minutes, but last week's discussion was longer than an hour as group members were deeply touched hearing McAleer's journey and kept asking him questions, said Jimmy Yan, the online event organizer.
"Racism is unfair and makes people ill," said Yan, adding that McAleer was invited as a guest speaker given the rising number of hate crimes against the Asian community across B.C. lately in light of anxiety about COVID-19.
However, Yan also stressed that it's essential to recognize that supremacism isn’t always white.
"Supremacy isn't bounded by race. Some from the non-white groups may also abuse others if they are given too much power and control. Therefore, kindness, compassion and love are key elements to a better person," said Yan.
As co-founder of Life After Hate, a not-for-profit aimed to help people leave violent far-right groups to lead compassionate lives, McAleer, also wrote a book titled "The Cure for Hate," which details his personal life story.
Born into an affluent family in Vancouver, a number of events in McAleer's life led him to join some of the most notorious neo-Nazi groups in Canada and the United States. However, McAleer doesn’t claim to be a victim of circumstances and stresses that deciding to join those groups was his responsibility.
After spending 15 years with the White Aryan Resistance movement in Vancouver, the outpouring of love he felt at the birth of his children made him question his beliefs. Fatherhood was the turning point that set him on another course heading in the exact opposite direction -- towards love and compassion.
"McAleer is a sincere and courageous person," said Yan.
"He didn't blame his decision to join far-right groups on others. Instead, he admitted this was his choice. Although later he regretted it, he told us he was fully responsible for that decision. It takes a lot of courage to admit you are wrong, especially when making a huge mistake."
In addition, the meeting also sparked discussions about having understanding and empathy for others – including those whose views we find abhorrent.
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