Sins of My Father

1. A Father's Legacy of Hate and Violence

This book is about my father, William Luther Pierce III. Those who know the history of white nationalism in our country will recognize his name and know his infamous book, The Turner Diaries, which he wrote in 1978.

Blueprint for terror. William Luther Pierce III, the author's father, was a pivotal figure in American white nationalism, best known for writing The Turner Diaries. This novel served as a tactical blueprint for the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing by Timothy McVeigh, which killed 168 people and injured hundreds more, and remains mandatory reading for many right-wing extremist groups globally. Pierce's ideology, rooted in extreme hate, fueled a movement that continues to inspire acts of violence.

A life of hate. Pierce dedicated his life to "saving the white race" from Jews, "niggers," Communists, feminists, and gays, whom he believed were contaminating American culture. He assumed the mantle of George Lincoln Rockwell, founder of the American Nazi Party, and his public persona was as twisted as his private one. The Southern Poverty Law Center branded him "one of the most influential and dangerous ideologues of the white nationalist movement" for three decades.

Propaganda and profit. Pierce built a racist empire generating about $1 million annually, operating from a secluded West Virginia compound. His ventures included:

• National Vanguard magazine and National Alliance Bulletin
• National Vanguard Books, selling racist and anti-Semitic literature
• "American Dissident Voices" radio show
• "Ethnic Cleansing" video game
• "The Saga of...White Will!!" comic book
• "The Turner Diaries" and "Hunter" novels, which became manuals for extremist violence.

2. Childhood Scars: Abuse and Neglect

For most of my life I loathed him as much as I longed for him to love me, but he was just not capable of doing so.

A monster at home. The author and his twin brother, Erik, endured severe physical and emotional abuse at their father's hands. Pierce, who preferred to call them "Smelly" or "Midget," rarely interacted with them unless to discipline, often resorting to brutal beatings with whatever was at hand, leaving them bruised and scarred. This cruelty was a clear portent of his later public persona.

Emotional void. Pierce was emotionally absent, never offering affection, hugs, or praise. His only display of tenderness was a posthumously discovered photograph of them as babies on his lap, smiling. The author's attempts to earn his father's love by conforming to his expectations of an "Aryan" child always failed, leading to deep feelings of unworthiness and a retreat into an imaginary world for safety.

Dangerous experiments. Pierce's home life also included terrifying experiments with chemicals and explosives, often involving the author. He taught his son to make gunpowder and bombs, and once subjected him to a powerful electric shock. While frightening, these moments were paradoxically cherished by the author as rare instances of shared activity, a desperate attempt to connect with his distant father.

3. The Hypocrisy of a "White Savior"

I knew Dad to be an extremely selfish, inflexible man, just as Mom said he was, but this was Saint Bill at his best.

Self-serving martyrdom. Pierce presented himself as a martyr who sacrificed everything for the white race, even claiming to have taken a "vow of poverty." However, he lived off his wife's salary for two decades, and later relied on donations and book sales. His "divestment" of property was a convenient narrative to justify his abandonment of family responsibilities, not a genuine act of selflessness.

Contradictory principles. Despite condemning "defective" people and "hucksters" in the movement, Pierce himself exhibited many of the traits he criticized. He relied on financially struggling or mentally unstable individuals for his organization, and his own financial dealings were often questionable, leading to lawsuits and accusations of fraud. His "flexibility" in principles extended to:

• Condemning Rockwell's theatrics but using similar tactics for publicity.
• Reviling journalists but courting media attention.
• Despising Christianity but quoting Jesus when it suited his narrative.

Personal failings. Pierce's personal life was marked by a string of failed marriages, largely due to his inability to prioritize family over his "work." He sought women primarily for domestic and sexual services, expecting them to conform to his rigid views on gender roles and endure isolated, austere living conditions. His vasectomy, performed decades before seeking to impregnate a much younger partner, highlighted his profound dishonesty and self-absorption.

4. The Mother's Silent Strength and Sacrifice

Mom didn’t approve of the way he treated us but she was desperate to regain that closeness she’d had with him before we were born.

Enduring a nightmare. The author's mother, a mathematics professor, bore the brunt of Pierce's neglect and abuse, silently enduring his cruelty and the constant fear for her children's safety. She worked tirelessly to support the family financially and emotionally, while Pierce immersed himself in his extremist activities, viewing her as a mere convenience for his needs.

Acts of defiance. Despite her fear, she made significant stands against Pierce's tyranny:

• She secretly finished cutting the grass when the boys were too young, incurring his wrath.
• She forged his signature to allow the boys to play Little League baseball, defying his racist ban on sports.
• She intervened to stop his brutal beatings, threatening to leave him if he ever touched the boys again, a pivotal moment that ended the physical abuse.

Finding liberation. After 25 years of a loveless and abusive marriage, Pierce finally left her, claiming he was choosing his political party over his family. Though initially devastated, she eventually found love and happiness with Joe Holmes, a kind and supportive man who provided the affection and respect she had always deserved. Her journey from silent suffering to finding genuine love was a testament to her resilience.

5. The Allure and Collapse of the National Alliance

Dad had always preached that a political movement should have more than one leader because a group built around one man alone would simply fade away when that man died, but he abandoned his long-held belief on his deathbed.

From Rockwell's shadow. Pierce initially joined George Lincoln Rockwell's American Nazi Party, but found its members "defective" and its tactics too flamboyant. After Rockwell's assassination, Pierce tried to steer the movement towards a more "professional" image, eventually taking over the National Youth Alliance and renaming it the National Alliance. He aimed to build a "rock-like edifice" of "intelligent, level-headed, capable" individuals.

Internal strife and mismanagement. Despite his grand vision, Pierce's leadership was plagued by internal conflicts, financial woes, and a failure to attract the "normal" people he desired. His chosen successors, Erich Gliebe and Shaun Walker, proved disastrous:

• Gliebe alienated members with his spending habits (e.g., $50,000 on swastika boots, calendars featuring strippers) and public condemnation of other white power groups.
• Walker, a former Marine sniper, was convicted of federal civil rights charges for organizing attacks on minorities.
• Kevin Strom, Pierce's sound engineer, was later convicted of child pornography possession.

A crumbling empire. The Alliance, once declared "the single most dangerous organized hate group in the United States," rapidly declined after Pierce's death. Membership plummeted, finances dwindled, and legal battles ensued, including a lawsuit by former members (including the author's Uncle Sandy) alleging financial malfeasance. The compound and its assets were eventually acquired by William White Williams through a "bloodless coup," further highlighting the movement's instability and infighting.

6. Challenging Inherited Prejudice

I was taught from an early age that white people were superior to all races and non-whites were low knuckle-dragging sub-humans.

Ingrained hatred. Growing up, the author absorbed many of his father's racist beliefs, viewing blacks as "lazy, aggressive complainers" and Jews as self-serving. This prejudice was reinforced by personal experiences, such as being bullied by a black classmate and having his bike stolen in a black neighborhood, leading him to instinctively label non-whites as "niggers."

First cracks. The author's worldview began to shift during college at Virginia Tech, where he encountered diverse individuals. His South American roommate, a thoughtful and intelligent man, challenged his ingrained prejudices, prompting him to question his father's teachings for the first time. This exposure to different cultures and perspectives slowly eroded his conditioned hatred.

Confronting the past. A defining moment came when the author, seeking to impress his father, wrote a high school paper extolling Hitler's virtues, only to be met with pity from his WWII veteran teacher. Later, he defied his father's ban on sports to play football, finding acceptance and friendship with black teammates. These experiences, coupled with his growing independence, allowed him to gradually dismantle the "walking bag of hate" he had become.

7. Finding Healing Through Unconditional Love and Service

I just wanted to hold her and make her feel safe and loved and to tell her that she was perfect and worthy of love.

A new purpose. The author's life took a transformative turn when he and his wife decided to adopt. The sight of a young, unwanted girl in an adoption agency photo resonated deeply with his own childhood feelings of unworthiness, sparking a fierce determination to provide unconditional love. This led to the adoption of two baby girls, Mariame and Marieka, from Georgia.

Overcoming obstacles. The adoption process was fraught with challenges, including deceptive agency practices, bureaucratic hurdles, and the shocking discovery of widespread corruption and anti-adoption sentiment in Georgia. Despite these setbacks, the author's unwavering commitment to his daughters propelled him forward, culminating in a harrowing journey to Tbilisi to secure their adoption.

Giving back. Inspired by his daughters' origins and the dire conditions in Georgian orphanages, the author founded the Divine Child Foundation. This philanthropic endeavor, supported by friends and family, rebuilt a dilapidated orphanage, providing heating, running water, and essential supplies. Through this work, and the mentorship of a colleague, he began to heal his own deep-seated emotional wounds, learning to replace self-protection with compassion and unconditional love for others.

8. The Enduring Shadow of Extremism

Whether he achieved that or not depends, I guess, on how you define “salvation.”

A toxic legacy. Pierce's self-proclaimed legacy was the "salvation of the white race," but his actual impact was the proliferation of hate and violence. The Turner Diaries continues to inspire acts of terror, and the white extremist movement he fostered has metastasized into a menacing global presence. His vision of a "rock-like edifice" for the National Alliance crumbled due to internal strife and incompetent leadership, yet his ideology persists.

Modern manifestations. The author notes the disturbing parallels between his father's rhetoric and contemporary political discourse, particularly that of Donald Trump. Pierce, ironically, despised Trump as a "Gentile frontman for the state of Israel," but Trump's mainstreaming of hate and discrimination against minorities has emboldened white supremacists, leading to tragic events like the Charlottesville rally.

A call to action. The author's journey from inherited hate to profound healing underscores the insidious nature of mental illness and the importance of challenging ingrained prejudices. He advocates for empathy, compassion, and self-reflection, hoping to inspire others to choose love over hate. His personal transformation serves as a powerful counter-narrative to his father's destructive legacy, emphasizing that individuals can break cycles of hate and build a better future.