- Scott Shepherd is a former grand dragon of the Klu Klux Klan in Tennessee, but now refers to himself as a reformed racist. Shepherd’s troubled past includes witnessing violent physical beatings and plots to attack the government—and cheering them on. In this short documentary by Independent Lens, Shepherd says that his reasons for joining the group stemmed from feelings of isolation. “I was just looking for a place to fit in, to fill a void within myself,” he says. “I could have very well have gotten involved with ISIS.” The film follows Shepherd’s search for redemption as he reconnects with an African American woman, Rebecca Hawkins, who helped raise him.
1. Aimless, unhappy child with low self-esteem, looking to fill a void with some sense of purpose. Classic description of a person that adopts a radical ideology. ISIS/AQ/whatever soldiers are not the principled, committed ideologues some would have us believe but are mostly, as intelligence analysts describe them, just "little losers". 2. In regards to the Becky situation, this reminds me of my (white) Dad's situation growing up. He and his brother were almost exclusively raised by a by their black housekeeper. Even my Grandmother would admit that Hanna was more of a mother than she ever was. G'Ma also did not like black people, except for every one she knew because they were obviously not like the rest. For some reason I even have a niece named Hanna. It took a lot of courage for Shepard to approach Becky and a lot of love for her to put his actions aside.