Documentaries Highlight Hate
On 28 February 1995, CTV aired the show "Hearts of Hate", a
documentary on the inner workings of the
Heritage Front. While the film was made with the intention of
exposing the hate and violence of the group's leaders,
some accused the film of serving as a recruitment tool for
the racist right.
The film maker's decision not to
provide a countervailing voice to the speeches of
Wolfgang Droege and
George Burdi, particularly scapegoating
minorities and immigrants on the steps of the parliament
buildings, made the neo-Nazis seem more important and
credible than they actually are. In the week following
the airing of "Hearts of Hate", there were seven major
incidents of vandalism directed at synagogues and
Jewish schools across Canada.
Although opinion is still
sharply divided on the merits of the programme, there
appears to be a direct correlation between the showing of
"Hearts of Hate" and a spate of anti-Semitic violence
in Canada. As the programme is rebroadcast around the world
and youngsters are exposed to it in their living rooms
without guidance, there is considerable anxiety
regarding possible reactions to the show.
A Teacher's Guide
has since been created, as the film has proved to be a
useful teaching tool when used by skilled educators in the
right context. Indeed, the League uses the film
frequently in workshops and presentations to raise awareness
of the dangers of hate group recruitment and the
nature and extent of their activities, but balanced with
practical strategies to counter their hate propaganda
with the facts about minority groups, immigration,
employment equity, and the Holocaust.
Other recent documentaries include "Profession Neo-Nazi",
"Hate and Hate Crimes", "Crimes of Hate", and "The
Faces of Hate". All of these films should be used with
appropriate preparation by educators in order that
they do not have exactly the opposite effect that was
intended by the producers.
The
original plaintext version
of this file is available via
ftp.
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