There were a lot of people in our nationalist group who went on to become cops and firefighters and correctional officers. Unfortunately so. I haven't talked to them in 20 years, but just by keeping tabs on Facebook I know that there are some who've gone that way. And they've never indicated publicly that they've changed their opinions. It's a minority.

I'm hopeful because people are ready to step up and educate people, support peaceful protest, and make their voices heard. People are motivated to make a positive difference.

I can't say I've seen any formalized white supremacy grow. I was a selfish leader and never trained anybody to train over my group. It scattered when I left.

I received compassion from the people I deserved it least from when I least deserved it, and that helped change me. When you take fear and isolation and put grievance on top, it's all too easy for people to hate and blame somebody else for their problems.

I read recently that in the U.S. today, the majority of people under the age of 21 are immigrants or first- or second-generation Americans. We need to integrate young people into community life far more fully than we currently do and give them role models they can relate to. We can do this if we make it a priority.

I know from firsthand experience that our environment and the things and people who cross our paths make all the difference. If people have no prospects for a decent job or a place to belong, it leaves them vulnerable to whoever comes along. For me, it was a Nazi skinhead.

There are also people that still choose to support racist rhetoric because they feel white dominance in America is slipping through their fingers. To them, "diversity" is a codeword for white genocide. They claim that their "homelands" are being overrun by minorities and are desperate for solutions that ensure their "white survival." This fear, of course, is irrational and solely based on a loss of white power and control.