Daniel Gallant ©
This poem was published in the West Coast Line from Simon Fraser University 2012.
This poem was posted with a narrative on my blog months ago here.
I have broke up the audio into parts for you to listen to. First is the narrative intro, and the second is the actual poem.
Daniel Gallant ©
This poem and narrative are currently unpublished.
This poem is currently unpublished, but was featured prior in this blog. Here is the story that goes with this poem.
This is the narrative:
This is the poem:
This blog has featured several bands from the Black Metal scene who maintain white supremacist and neo-Nazi National Socialist values and ideology. Tonight I am pleased to offer a CBC Radio interview with two First Nations fellows I know well from northern BC. Their band name is the Salt Water Brothers. I went to post-secondary school with these lads.
Spencer Greening and Jeremy Pahl approached a few years ago in the university after seeing an article about me in a local Prince George newspaper. He told me that they played in a First Nations, T’simshian, Black Metal band. He told me how they suspected many people in their circle were white supremacists. I indicated that the presumption that Black metal bands are often white supremacist was true. I indicated I was familiar with many of the guys he was suspicious about. They asked if I would come to a concert in Prince George and see if I may know members from a band that was from Edmonton who was in town Begrime Exemious. They asked me to come because they knew I was a former racist skinhead from Edmonton.
I attended the concert and low and behold the front man in the the band was a young lad that I had recruited into the white supremacist movement many years ago. I spoke with the singer of Begrime, Brian Leland for the first time in ten years. The last time I had spoke to him he ended up retreating to another province after we had a falling out. Needless to say I was an abusive arsehole at that time in my life. Brian was a youth I recruited and who looked up to me a lot. I had no care, nor concern for him at that time. I hurt him. This still bothers me today, along with the other hundreds of violent crimes I had committed.
After the concert I de-briefed with Spencer and Jeremy. They later asked me to drive their tour bus for them. I drove their band’s tour bus for a week throughout BC on their Canadian Tour. They were on tour with the headliner band Inquisition, who are white supremacists. I featured these neo-Nazis in this past article. However, Jeremy and Spencer did not fully believe that the band the looked up to could be white supremacists or neo-Nazis. After I made it apparent and unfolded facts that the band members from inquisition were linked to the same organization I once belonged to solidified my claims.
Needless to say these events did impact Jeremy and Spencer in many negative ways, as it would for any logical person. To discover many of your peers are actually racists and white supremacists would present a challenging position for any person who did not share those values. It is unfortunate that Black Metal has gone mainstream to the point where you can buy the band BURZUM’s albums in local music stores. BURZUM are National Socialist racists, yet this bands music is sold in nearly every record store in Canada. Local music shops sell BURZUM T-shirts even. I see BURZUM T-shirts in high schools and even on UNBC campus. The bands that Jeremy and Spencer are discussing in this CBC interview are the same bands I have featured in my blog articles; along with many others I have not yet got too. Be patient…I will be featuring more bands as time comes.
Now to spotlight these brave indigenous musicians:
Jeremy Pahl, a local indigenous musician, who had written a letter for one of my blog articles about Prince George white supremacists and local hate crimes.
Spencer Greening, Jeremy’s cousin, talk about their journey from being a Black Metal band to an acoustic political activist band.
Facebook Profile Pic
These boys have transformed from a power based metal band to cultural representation of the resiliency of indigenous cultures. They mix humour with serious political issues such as genocide, racism, and environmental issues. It is my hope that Jeremy and Spencer will continue to carry on with their impressive work.
This interview on CBC was awesome. I especially like how the make out these Black Metal bands to be foolish and ridiculous. That is because they are.
Unfortunately many people are stuck in mindsets of hate. We can look at the bands like Inquisition, Begrime Exemious, Oroborous, Godless North, and even Blasphemy.
It is nice to hear a success story about youth who have walked away from a genre of music filled with hatred and white supremacist ideologies and (neo-)Nazi symbolism.
This poem was read at the artivism Men Resisting Violence Against Women event in 2012. Today after receiving a lot of defamatory, degrading and threatening emails and posts in the cyber-sphere, in response to my latest blogs, I re-visit this poem and share with you. This poem reflects what is happening in the Black Metal and white supremacist online forums which utters threats and saying cruel things about me; which is nothing but expected.
I lived in that prison of self deceptive loathing far to long in my life. I understand their hatred well. I have been free from those shackles for many years. For me, this poem is important, but more importantly my motivation for posting this is to encourage others to not engage in bullying.
Now about this piece, it manifested during a social work class I was taking. A fellow classmate who was saying derogatory things about me when I walked into the room. He was going off about my critical analysis of structural issues relating to racism, social policy and social work. For whatever reason, unbeknownst to me, he obviously takes a major issue with who I am and the way I articulate myself about how social work and MCFD operates on delegated authority through racist social policy (Indian Act and CFCSA); nonetheless, people do as people do.
This situation sparked the inspiration for this poem.I often refer to gossip as being social warfare. Gossip hurts. I have participated in gossip in the past, and I have been hurt by gossip. I have defined what gossip is. Now I consciously do my utmost to not participate, nor to allow gossip to transpire around me. When people gossip in front of me at school, work or other situations I will either name it or disengage with discussions and people. My blog does not consist as gossip due to the literal meaning of the word “gossip”.
For me gossip is identified when a person engages in personal discussions about another person’s life, behaviour and situation in a manner that is not transparent. Often ‘behind their back’. I find, that gossipers usually have something to hide. It is my opinion that this is because the person partaking in gossip is displacing energy that assists in deflecting and displacing, while projecting, their own issues.
Gossip is often shielded by secrecy. Intentions of the gossiper are anything but compassionate.
Gossip can include truth. In situations, like the one that inspired this poem, the person (me) being gossiped about is under attack for not conforming to a particular social norm. Scapegoats are often people who do not fit into little social boxes.
The fellow classmate who was initiating gossip was scapegoating me in his social warfare. The week prior he was gossiping about other classmates to me; I merely said, in the sake of transparency:
“I wonder how that person would feel if he knew you were saying these things”
His response was,
“hahaha, I don’t care”
I knew in that moment, along with another instance that I had to separate myself from this individual. These social dynamics are toxic and utterly hurtful. I believe that gossip is about gaining social power over others who, for whatever reason, are perceived threats to the gossiper.
It is unfortunate that in a social work program with grown adults, over the age of 30, that these individuals feel the need to engage with this type of oppressive violent behaviour. Gossip is violent. Gossip is personal.
I understand that I have opened myself up to many things to be said about me both good and bad throughout the postings in this blog. I am ok with being verbally attacked by people whom are engaged with the social circles and people mentioned in the previous posts. I hope to participate in sharing and relating with others.
23 years ago 14 women were killed in a community learning institution. They were killed by Marc Lepine, a right wing extremist. He believed feminists were contaminating our society. He adhered to NAZI ideology and is said to have other religious affiliations.
The 14 women who were killed were: Geneviève Bergeron, Hélène Colgan, Nathalie Croteau, Barbara Daigneault, Anne-Marie Edward, Maud Haviernick, Maryse Laganière, Maryse Leclair, Anne-Marie Lemay, Sonia Pelletier, Michèle Richard, Annie St-Arneault,Annie Turcotte and Barbara Klucznik-Widajewicz.
Read more: http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/canadians-remember-victims-of-montreal-massacre-1.1068553#ixzz2EIJKEVtS
Nonetheless, today I recall these women. I recall my mother as well. She was beat and raped by my right wing blue collar prick, first, step dad.
Here is a poem I wrote about my mom and me, our experience with sexual violence. This one was read at a Art-ivism event (Men Resisting Violence Against Women) organized by Dr. Si Transkan at UNBC in 2012 and at the UNBC Aboriginal Weaving Words Storytelling Festival:
This piece was previously published in the life-after-hate journal (www.lifeafterhate.org), 2012:
My life of hate began as a boy. From incidents of child abuse, to life on the streets. The east side of Vancouver was a breeding ground for violence and hate. Hate which I carried for many years to come.
I left the street life behind while an organized crime group, which led me to a darker path, employed me. In the mid-nineties, I moved away from Vancouver after nearly becoming the first person charged with a hate crime in British Columbia (BC). I retreated to northeast BC, the beautiful Peace River district, I carried a network of hate and violence with me. Bridging western hate networks from the south, to the east, and to the north.
I had introduced many youth to extremist groups, and doctrine, contributing to fueling their hearts with hatred. Including a northern BC man who is now in prison after multiple convictions for explosives. Peter Houston. All in the name of hate. Extreme hatred. There were three major events in my life that transpired and initiated my process of liberation—freedom from the life of hate.
First, was the birth of my last child, my son. All of my previous children were girls. Though I tried to love each and every one of them, I was unable to reach inside of myself to a depth that permitted true love and humanistic connection: the girls were fatherless.
I was detached with anger, hate, and rage.
The day my son was born, August 11, 2001, a profound realization came; I had been creating a world filled with pain and violence for my children. This boy, my saviour son, was born into my reality. I wanted to protect him from the pain ahead. He was not going to endure a childhood of abuse, like I did. His tiny body was a reflection of my being. He was my mirrored child, representative of my rebirth. I wanted to protect him. I wanted to protect myself.
If I did not change my hateful ways and my addiction to drugs, alcohol, and violence; then my son would surely be led down a similar path. I did not want to be responsible for destroying a little boy, as had been done to me. I felt like I was damaged and destroyed. Worthless. I did not want to live in an abusive world any longer. I hated life and all of the pain I endured. I had dreamed of a good life for my children, but the path to achieve these dreams was not apparent. Surely my path would destroy my son, and daughters.
Mirrored Child
(for Kieron Gallant)
familiar sadness spiraled inward
sneaking smiles index logical wit
freckled essence of ancestors splattered
chiseled features of a lively boy
demeanor displayed through daily interaction
ancient respect offers delicate soft requests
fervor anticipates emotional swells erupt
advice sought from fathers, grandfathers and men
you are soft surrounded by women
dimpled giggles with protective eyes
small toned Celtic warrior reminisces
pent energy needed direction
your natures images reflected
you stand mirrored in my eyes
After seeing myself reflected in my son’s tiny body, my last ultra-violent incident occurred. I beat an aboriginal man with a hatchet. For the first time I felt a guilt that I had never experienced before. There was no alternative but to turn myself in. Once again, for a moment, I knew this life of hate could not continue.
It was shortly after this that my second epiphany came to fruition. Presented with childhood flashbacks of repressed memories the term crisis became very apparent. I had never gone through something so torturous, as when I had experienced those memories that revealed horrific scenes from my childhood. In hindsight those memories were a metaphysical breath offered to my inner-being, awakening my spirit which had been drowned in hate. A breath that led to a path of redemption.
The third epiphany was the 9-11 tragedy. I was convinced that a race war was about to erupt, believing that the twin towers were the world’s most powerful financial institution, which was operated and controlled by Zionists. Engaging in preparation for the race war, I watched the towers crumble, I ensured that all the weapons I had cached in the hills were loaded and operational.
Gathering enough provisions and weaponry for a small army, I informed my trusted friends to prepare for the racial holy war also. As the information came out that 9-11 was not the work of white supremacists, my compatriots and I were horribly disappointed.
Discouraged, I began to question our collective dedication to a race war. I spoke with my peers in the network of hate leadership, and all seemed to be avoiding a prime opportunity for war. This was the first epiphany for my exit: the ‘movement’ was a fallacy.
For the next several years a process of change led to a pathway of liberation. But before freedom, there were feelings of being shattered and hopeless. I finally quit drugs and alcohol. After a few months of self-harm and fighting with others, while sober, a decision was made to seek help. I attended a men’s residential addiction treatment center.
After a couple of months I was prepared to leave the treatment program. A counselor made a suggestion to me for my continued path of hope and recovery from a life of hate. He informed me that he saw my intelligence, but there was still a problem. I was filled with hate and right-wing-extremist doctrine. He suggested a route to recovery that involved attending a social work school program. My counselor said that social work education could challenge my belief structure in a logical manner. I followed his suggestions, as there were no other viable options for my healing, then began college with a grade seven education. This initiated my life-after-hate[1].
In 2012, I graduated from the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) with a degree in First Nations Studies (Indigenous Studies), then started working on a Master’s degree in social work. As a successful anti-racist activist, my work includes having initiated several interventions, including exposing a white supremacist bombing, preventing hate group recruitment, and facilitating presentations to youth, professionals, post-secondary institutions, law enforcement and public events that educate people about racism, hate groups, and the realistic threat of right wing extremism in western Canada. As well, the racism we see from extremists is merely a reflection from the larger social consciousness.
I have completed several manuscripts of poetry that outline aspects of my journey. Writing saved my life. Ever since the age of fourteen, my writing has been my lifeline. My first manuscript is offered to honor those who have helped me on my healing path: academics, professionals, community members, the red road, twelve step groups, and my fellow global citizens. My first publication has been done in an editing partnership with my writing mentor. Aboriginal poet Garry Gottfriedson, has helped me to sharpen my poetic voice, in order to tell my story.
In my professional life I have worked as an addictions counselor, group home manager, researcher, and child advocate. I have many more roles in the community that are fulfilled on this travelled path of social justice. I do this work to respect all human life in a network of hope, diversity, and compassion. I consider myself, and my path, a miracle to have the opportunity to live this life-after-hate.
In compassionate and creative solidarity,
Daniel Gallant
[1] LifeAfterHate (LAH)
In addition to the conspiracy oriented backbone of the white supremacist worldview there is another likewise problematic misconception. This is the notion of racial purity and the links biology has to culture. Eugenics based science/theory, which is archaic in its development, and the belief that biological determinism is one of the crux of white supremacist idealism speaks to the lens of these pseudo-intellectual lenses. We as a collective society now understand that race and biology do not determine socialization. Socio-cultural dynamics which include intelligence, deviance and criminality are referenced throughout much of the right-wing doctrine as being linked directly to physiology and biology. This biologically determined belief structure is not only archaic, but de-bunked as a science. As indicated by UNBC professor and scholar Michelle Bouchard race is a social construct and what people typically refer to as ‘race’ does not actually exist genetically in a solidified and quantitative manner.
Loose connections are the root of white supremacist doctrine and propaganda. Extremists from the right wing agenda, like Arthur Topham, regurgitate distasteful, hurtful and violent messages, which are rooted in half-baked pseudo-intellectualism. These individuals are not tucked away into the corners of society and hidden away. They work in your schools, courtrooms, universities and construction sites. It is my goal to include, in this blog, insight into who some of these people are; and what they are up to. It is my hope to inform those from the extreme-far-right, that there is a way out of the misconceptions of their indoctrination; all while promoting compassion and solidarity amongst our collective human experience in order to decrease the amount of abuse and oppression that occurs in our country, our cities, our streets, our institutions, our homes and most importantly in our minds.
There is a long history of right wing doctrine that is connected to theses legalese claims, from Doug Christie and the people that he is associated with; as well as the fanatical white supremacist clients he often provides legal council and representation too. He has a long history of representing people charged with hate crimes and who are members of, and affiliated with, right-wing-hate groups. Christie is closely affiliated with the pseudo-rights-group, Canadian Association for Free Expression (CAFÉ), which is connected to and run by well known white supremacists. These individuals are linked through social media and real life relationships to other white supremacists, hate groups, and extremist/terrorist organizations and/or movements.
White supremacist groups have a strong hold in Canada and utilize freedom of expression as a shield against prosecution for hate crimes and human rights charges. Groups such as Canadian Association for Free Expression (CAFÉ), which is run by Paul Fromm who encourages violent extremist groups and supports their cause. Although Fromm will deny that he is a white supremacist when facing legal battles, my experience proves to me alone that he is an utter liar.
Paul Fromm often works along with Canadian lawyer Doug Christie who utilizes the human rights as a defensive shield for violent extremists who face charges under Canadian hate law. Both Christie and Fromm supported Ernst Zundel’s high profile case while attempting to build a defense case, by perverting Canadian rights law in Canada. Christie has violated the Law Society of BC’s regulation and fined for professional misconduct in the past and paid violation fees and restitution of more than $20,000.
Now Arthur Topham is said to be accessing Paul Fromm and Doug Christie to defend him against recent criminal hate crime charges that stem from his online news reports. The Radical Press offers anti-Semitic editorials under the guise of providing the public with alternative news sources from the right-wing-agenda. From posting mainstream news reports of systemic issues to writing pro-Nazi propaganda, this online news source has very obvious intentions that support and incite hate speech.
The ‘Zionist’ conspiracy theories utilized by violent extremist groups link communism, world (high) economics, media control, political domination to the half-baked explanations of how and why the Jewish ‘Zionists’ allegedly are controlling the world and seeking to exterminate the apparent ‘white-race’. As described by white supremacist activist/sympathizer Doug Christie, opposition to Zionism should not be illegal, this legal position is definitively in support of the right-wing agenda. The background of this statement does not inform that the half-baked theory of Zionist conspiracy for world domination also incorporates the promotion of genocide, atrocity and harm to those who are implicated in the ‘Zionist conspiracy’; which includes ‘race-mixers’, ‘race-traitors’ and most citizens.
From the 1930s to the 1980s the Social Credit party thrived in Canada. The party had a history of being openly anti-Semitic which was rationalized through half-baked conspiracy propaganda theories that suggested there is a worldwide economic regime led by ‘Zionists’. However, after a split within the Social Credit party the anti-Semitic position was curbed and members who promoted hateful rhetoric were shunned.One of the individuals who was ejected from the party was Doug Collins, a former journalist for several Canadian newspapers and the CBC up to the 1980s. Collins denounced Schindler’s list as the ‘swindler’s list’ propaganda.
One of the central literary pieces that surfaces within anti-Semitist circles is The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion. This text is often utilized by a variety of anti-Semitic groups in order to establish claims that Zionists are Jewish supremacists who are out to control and harm other non-Jewish groups. The users of this book include Islamic and white supremacist groups, as well as many other fanatical groups that have religious and/or political ideological positions. This book is said to have first surfaced in Russia in the early 1900s. Nazi Germany referenced this book as a true text; as do many violent extremist groups today. The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion is continuously referred to by extremists to solidify their hate mongering against Jewish religion while targeting Jewish people for attack.
Social Credit activist James Keegstra, a high school teacher, and past mayor in Eckville, Alberta, was stripped of his teaching certificate and convicted under Canadian criminal law for promoting hate. He was teaching his social studies class that the Holocaust was a fraud. Keegstra’s teachings are shared by others who promote that the mainstream reports of the Holocaust are not historically correct; which of course is a ridiculous and obnoxious claim. These fictional accounts of revisionism include the likes of Ernst Zundel, who spent a total of seven years in prison in three separate countries for his commitment to public Holocaust denial.
Zundel’s rhetoric is shared by right-wing-extremist-groups such as the group formerly known as The World Church of The Creator (W.C.O.T.C.), now called the Creativity Movement. The founder of the W.C.O.T.C. Ben Klassen, originally from Saskatchewan, developed a rationalization which allegedly ‘proved’ that the Holocaust did not happen the way history dictates. It is referred to as the Holo-Hoax. The very groups that teach and promote these deceptive allegations typically harbor racist ideologies, believe in archaic biological deterministic science, eugenics based perspectives and promote violent extremism, whether direct or indirect in method. The W.C.O.T.C. has been linked and affiliated with promotion of hate, assaults, murders, terrorist cells, and suicidal ideation. Promoting suicide, murder and genocide in Canada is a crime, period. The headquarters for this church was later established in the U.S.A. The latest leader a former lawyer in Illinois is now in prison.
In the fall of 2012, I read this poem I wrote at UNBC event for Men Resisting Violence Against Women and at the Weaving Words Aboriginal Storytelling Festival.
This piece was published by the Simon Fraser University literary journal, The West Coast Line no. 72, 2012.
At the Men Resisting Violence even I read along with two poets Ken Belford and Robb Budde, and Novelist Josh Massey.
At this storytelling festival I read along with Garry Gottfriedson and Richard Van Camp, this was an honour for me. To have these individuals allow me the space to tell a few short stories alongside them establishes their praxis on creating healing spaces for all people. Why is a a former right-wing-extremist allowed space to read at an aboriginal storytelling festival, it is because it is about healing and good medicine.
Dr. Si Transkan, my thesis supervisor and self proclaimed cranky-bitch-feminist, who organized the 12 week ARTivism event at UNBC to bring attention, awareness to violence against women and to bring healing spaces into a patriarchal and paternal academic space.
