Nov 1, 2011
Former skinhead undergoes 25 surgeries to remove racist tattoos
Here is the progression of Bryon Widner’s tattoo removal after an anonymous donor paid $35,000 for him to get the surgeries.
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Amazing story.
I can imagine this story being used in a sermon about giving up on the old self and repenting
Incredible commitment.
Love this!
How can we tell this guy is dangerous now?
The point is to show that he isn’t anymore?
Because now he has that little shave mark in his eyebrow
Scar.
Now, he can be a politician…as clean as a new born… How would pay 35 000€ for this if there wasn’t an agenda…? Ok I’m cynical…
I’m sure there was an agenda: that you can ALWAYS give up hate & humanity will welcome you back with open arms.
I have to applaud the community here on 22 Words.
My wife has been following this story on several sites and so many people are negative or downright disgusting in their commentary about either him being a monster always or because he strayed from the poster’s bigoted views.
Thanks to you all for being respectable human beings. :D
Also, kudos to the guy we were actually talking about before I went all emotional. lol
Just as well that America is a Christian country that believes in forgiveness and the power of redemption and repentance, or imagine how nasty their replies would be.
lol… that is a joke right?
Strange man going through the trouble of having all those tatoos done and then the surgery to have them remove. Weird!
@ Peggy, people change don’t you know? We aren’t stuck in time; we grow and develop as individuals (ideally). The tattoos in this case were merely surface detail; the real change happened over time as he grew up and became wiser and kinder until the time came when his old tattoos no longer reflected his personality at which point he needed them gone…
@Raz, unfortunately there are some people who are stuck in time and cannot develop themselves as individuals. Many of are not capable of the insight and wisdom that comes from living a full and even at times dangerous life, nor are they capable of the determination that this very man has to change his life for what he believes to be the better and see it through to the painful end. :) I have been watching this man for awhile and he has more strength, fortitude, intelligence, insight and wisdom than a good 90% of the people I know and some I am even related to.
This man is an amazing man!
if peggy cant understand it…. i dont even have anything funny to say. she is obviously the most boring, emotionally devoid person on the planet.
Obviously, Michelle. Because of one comment she made that you disagree with, you are able to accurately diagnose her as LITERALLY the most boring person in the entire world. Not only that, but thanks to that one sentence she wrote, you can also tell absolutely that no one on the entire planet is as “emotionally devoid” as she is. I mean, to think that she would be simply remarking on the amount of pain he had to go through between the two procedures, and how that’s kinda crazy… Nah. It’s more likely that she was born literally without a brain, right?
Your hyberbolic comments are, frankly, mean, and add quite a bit to the disintegration of respect and manners on the internet. TL;DR: Stop being a jerk to people with whom you disagree.
Couldn’t have put it better myself…
-@Raz: Beautiful comment! Free of judgement, and very respectful!
with each picture his hair should have been longer, until he had wonderful flowing tresses.
That would have been wonderful !
Indeed good sir.
ok, so now he has the slash in his eyebrow….sint that a gang thing ??
Actually I think it scarring from the surgery. In the last two pictures it looks like it at least.
If that’s a gang thing, then I’ve been in a gang since I was 6.
It’s a scar. Some people just don’t have part of their eyebrow.
Those tattoos were a ‘gang thing’. And he got rid of them.
excellent story….i applaud this man for his resolve in getting this accomplished and the people who helped him grow beyond a very bad choice he made in his past
That’s brilliant, it just goes to show that anyone can change for the better. He even looks so happy in the last picture compared to the first one.
Is it just me or does he look a little bit like Elvis?
Or am I delusional D:
when you go to prison you have to get stuff lke that. otherwise the aryan brotherhood won’t protect you.
then you might as well be the pie from american pie
Like many of you, I have a difficult time believing a person can change their beliefs as dramatically as this man has, because how many of us would? Thes are core beliefs. Or, are they? His persistance in removing the tattoos, suggests that for him, they were brainwashed in and he woke up with a clear head one day and saw the light. Most children around the world are brainwashed by their parents, who in turn are brainwashed by their leaders. You don’t thik so? Then explain why Buddhists don’t grow up Muslim and Muslims don’t grow up Chrstian. Why Danes grow up thinking it’s best to be Danish and Isreali’s grow up thinking it’s best to be Isreali, and Americans grow up thinking it’s best to be American. That is only due to where we’re raised, and by whom. This guy had the great misfortune to be raised by crasy racist people, and to align himself with the same.
The book, Parallel Journeys http://www.amazon.com/Parallel-Journeys-Eleanor-H-Ayer/dp/0689832362 was written by two people – a Jewish woman and a former high ranking member of the Hitler Youth. – who grew up near each other during WW2. The man, Alfonz Heck, has a fascinating story – which no one would listen to until the Jewish Woman gave him a chance to tell it and invited him to speak with her to schools. I’ve read dozens, perhaps hundreds of survivor’s stories from WW2, but had never heard the story of an Aryan child who grew up under Hitler before, other than Tomi Ungerer’s superlative autobiography ( complete with heaps of his childhood drawings, chronicalling the things he saw), A Childhood Under the Nazi’s. However, Tomi had a very clever mother who managed to keep her kids from being forced to join the Hitler Youth, so although he was subjected to the indoctrination during the school day, he was also well protected from it when he was away from school – his drawings and writings cover his waffles back and forth, and the effect that had on his mind. Alfons Heck also had parents who were against Hitler, but he had other influences that drove him to not only join, but to put heart and soul into it. The book chronicles the woman’s struggles and ultimate survival, and also chronicles the man’s journey, joining Htler Youth, working his way to the very top, and then, towards the end of the war, his change of heart. I recommend everyone who finds this topic interesting, read it. Especially if you can’t understand people like Bryon Widener changing their way of thinking. Alfons Heck has written two other books, including A Child Of Hitler: Germany in the days when God wore a Swastika.
Sometimes people believe stupid things when they are young, then they grow up to regret them. Often there are tattoos that they hastily got as youths to showboat their dumb beliefs. Skinheads are largely a clique and many of their numbers fall out as the age and realize that they were just being dumb kids.
People are capable of enormous inner growth and change. I know as I am one of them and know many people who are like me. I have seen many who are self-centered, filled with fear, ego, and irresponsibility grow into the most selfless, considerate, and respectable members of a community. I won’t go into details, but it is unrelated to race, religion, ideology, etc…
One can list examples of people with flawed ideas and character who don’t change eternally. So be it, but it does not refute the fact that people ARE capable and DO change for the better EVERYDAY. Life is for the living.
I totally admire Bryon Widener. A brave man.
The amazing thing is he reversal of politics from skin activist to joining Southern Poverty Law Center as a speaker on tour telling of he and his girlfriend’s transformation from bigots to people who work with other’s of different race’s to promote brotherhood. The story is in INTELLIGENCE REPORT,WINTER 2011,issue 144,published by the SPLC
Ok, I believe in second chances and it’s admirable that this guy went through this painful process to try and change, but here’s the thing; I have been living with a very painful, debilitating disability for 10 years now. A condition that a single surgery will fix. Problem is, that surgery cost’s $20,000 and I’m not able to raise that money. Furthermore my Medicare doesn’t want to pay for it either.
So this guy PAYS MONEY to have symbols of hate carved into his face and later repents and someone gives him money to remove them. That’s wonderful. I, through no fault of my own, have been suffering for TEN YEARS and nobody cares.
Again, I believe in second chances. I think it’s great that he wants to change, but I don’t need a second chance. I never chose to do this to myself. I never chose to do anything that I would later come to regret. So I don’t get my life back because I was never a reprehensible person? I get to consider living every day in pain because… what? I’m not inspirational because I was never a racist?
I don’t want to live on this planet anymore.
Ford W. Maverick, there is so much injustice in medicine these days. I am experiencing it too. However, I don’t agree that the people who donated to the cause of removing racist tattos was poor use of money. It’s become a way to communicate change, and that is a worthwhile pursuit.
I also don’t agree that you can’t raise funds for your own surgery. You just haven’t found the right way yet. Keep trying. Get creative. Being grateful that all that is standing in your way is money might help give you the enrgy to raise that money. After all, it sure beats not being able to get a diagnosis or hearing there is nothing that can be done.
There is a group called Modest Needs that maybe can help you in some way. There are other groups, but that one comes to mind off hand, so don’t give up.
If the link doesn’t go through here, it’s DOT ORG:
https://www.modestneeds.org/index.asp
I wish you well. Take care.
Maybe it’s your attitude. Stop hating on others.
Or you can leave him alone because you have no idea where he’s coming from.
Thank you ALOONELYHEART
You have re-affirmed my faith in humanity or at least some.
Lulu, I appreciate what you’re saying, but I have been told by the Medicaid people that if I ever have more than $2,000 to my name they will take away my medical insurance. If I have no medical insurance then the hospital will refuse to do the surgery because, while I can pay for the surgery, I can’t pay for emergencies that might arise from that surgery.
I am currently checking into any changes Obamacare may have made to this situation.
If you were ever racist, at least once, for a couple of years, and then decided to “change” the 1 fact that you were racist at a point still offends me. You are still a racist in my eyes. Just like if you murder someone, you will always be a murderer even if you do your time and feel bad for the crime.
Reality should not say this man is a great story, no one should applaud this man at all, this man is indeed a monster and will always be a monster because of his terrible decisions. Time does not heal humane stupidity.
And the only person whom should believe this man is not a monster is the man himself. He should only change for himself, it should only matter to him. He should be okay with the fact that we all think he is a monster, and be humbled in his thoughts in which he believes he is not.
Sean,
Extremists are all the same at the core – no matter what the passion is about, it’s based in irrational fear and hate. Your views are as extreme and absolute and dogmatic as those of any racist . You may think it’s okay, because you have good intentions – but most racists have good intentions too. You’re both misguided.
I agree with your view that racism is despicable, but your venom and need to control other people’s opinions makes you as hard to isten to as the views of any racist. It’s bad enough that you’re an unforgiving person, and choose to live in hate, but to demand that the resst of us join you, and to presume that “we all” think this man is a monster? That’s disturbing.
I don’t think he’s a monster. Hes obviously someone who went through a very dark time, and managed to come out the other side. Clearly he did some difficult work to get to this place, and you may be willing to dismiss that, but I’m not. I have a lot of respect for his courage to change. You know what I don’t respect? Someone who demands that people not change their flaws – who labels them once and for all time and doesn’t allow them to make improvements. Just how to you figure that will benefit your cause? As for being humbled – if undergoing multple surgeries in order to right a wrong isn’t a demonstration of humbleness, what on earth would be?
You’ve announced that no man can have a change of heart, yet in the next breath, you tell the guy he should be humble. Just how do you suggest he pull that off?
You ma’am, are a very wise and respectable person.
(I’m hoping I’ve accurately guessed your gender, because Lulu isn’t exactly something I can see a guy using as a screen name.)
Lulu, you seem crazy as all hell.
It’s just a joy when someone copies a username and posts something that I wouldn’t say.
Go rot in a hole you idiot.
Holy crap I am talking to myself again, so weird.
I know. It’s just wonderful isn’t it?
I wish more websites would require a login. >.>
Go troll somewhere else. PLEASE. I’m done with you.
Any self-respecting idiot should be able to tell who is me and who isn’t, assuming they understand that the original post by “kdude63″ is mine.
Dude please stop using my name and domain name in your comments.
You’re pathetic. I’m done giving you entertainment. Now shoo.
Rude people get bad reviews on their websites. Just a saying. So please stop using my domain name in your link. Thank you. I know who you are.
I cant imagine how much those lazers must have hurt!!!
Good for him, changing his lifestyle like that.
And to all you people who say, “how can we be sure hes a good erson now”? Look at the dedication he made in improving his self image to obviously change from the person he was??
If any of you put half as much effort into your thought process, as he did into becoming a different, better person, we would have a MUCH less intolerant world……