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Post Info TOPIC: Climbing out of Nazism


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Climbing out of Nazism


Monday, February 02, 2009

Three years ago, Justin Boyer stood alongside two cohorts and a fascist flag on the Clinton County Courthouse square sidewalk, where he occasionally gave the Nazi salute to a police officer keeping an eye on the proceedings. But today the Lynchburg resident wants the public to know people can change, even the one-time head of an Ohio Nazi group.

Looking back, Boyer said, I was just focused always on one thing my race, my people. And I was never focused on anything around me, it always would be about me. And it was always the way I did things.

He has left what participants call the Nazi way. A major cause for the sea change in Boyer is him listening to the speeches of then President-elect Barack Obama, Americas first African-American president.

In particular, Obamas Election Night speech struck him, said Boyer.

It was like something just went off in my mind. It was like, Man, this guys right, you know. Time for a change, Boyer said.

Born in Columbus 24 years ago, Boyer started down the Nazi way when he was 10, the year he read much of Hitlers book Mein Kampf. The book, he said, is a major influence if youre racially thinking.


He was suspended from school several days for laughing at a Jewish Holocaust survivor. Boyer also gave the survivor a big Roman salute, which, Boyer explains, is the famous Nazi salute.


Thats where they got it from, the Romans, he said.

In the past, when he walked down the street and saw certain people, for example a racially mixed couple, he said he despised them and they made him sick inside.

Now its kind of beautiful, Boyer said.


He commented he now looks at things differently gays, straight, whatever else than when he was a leader in Nazi groups.

In retrospect, it always came down to hate, he said. People of color, different religions, just hate. And thats all we talked about. Like everytime we do a rally, I feel so much anger and hate.


He began to think theres got to be a better feeling than this, eating me up inside, destroying me and my family.

The change, he said, felt rapid.

Basically, it was a waking up. Like the blinders were off, Boyer said.

He said his parents are very happy about his change. He said his mother said when he was 6, 7 or 8, he was a really nice kid, before he followed the Nazi way.


She called it, I went into my darkness, said Boyer.

He said, If a person like me can change thats been doing it for years and years, then a guy in prison can change thats committed horrible crimes or whatever. Everybody can change. I dont care who they are or what theyve done, they can change through God or whatever they believe in.

Hes trying to go to church again, and hes working on a farm.


He reminds himself, Ive got to focus and keep on the path. I dont want my son to grow up and get killed.

The white supremacist tattoos from his former self remain on his body.


But beneath his skin, the sensibility is different.

Ill shake a black mans hand now and Ill socialize with anybody because its baggage, it pulls you down.

Regardless of what got Justin out of this vile movement I for one am glad he did. One less Nazi is one less enemy we have to fight.



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