Arno Michaelis

"What does hate look like? Hate looks like the bullet hole in the door frame leading into the prayer room at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin—a vestige of the carnage that took place there on August 5, 2012, when a troubled man with a distorted view of what America should look like executed peaceful people inside."

Wow! This book filled me with so many emotions. I felt horror, anger, grief, disbelief, enlightenment, and hope all at the same time. The story is not just about the horrible incident that happened on August 5, 2012, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, but about two unlikely men who came together to find answers, to find forgiveness, and to find ways to prevent this from happening again.

Pardeep Singh Kaleka's father was one of the 6 victims who died at the Sikh Temple that day. As a former policeman and as a teacher of at-risk kids he thought he had seen it all, but he was struggling to understand why someone would want to walk into a temple and gun down innocent men, women and children. So, to find some answers, Pardeep met with Arno Michaelis, a former white supremicist who was one of the "founders of the same group that Pardeep's father's killer belonged to".

Arno Michaelis had been a "wild child" in his youth and at age 16 he got caught up in the racism that was prevalent in many area of the U.S. At age 18 "he was the founding member of the largest white power skinhead organization in the world". His turning point was in his mid-twenties....his daughter, Autumn. His life's mission from then on was to practice loving kindness to all and he founded the non-profit organization, Life After Hate with the mission “to inspire compassion and forgiveness for all people”.
From their first several-hour-long meeting in a small Thai restaurant, Arno's and Pardeep's lives changed forever. Shortly after that first meeting, Pardeep asked Arno to speak at his temple where his father was murdered. And now, they work together as brothers "to bring forth the gift of their wounds".

Arno and Pardeep are both very humble and inspiring men and this book has given me hope for my country and for the world. This book is well-written in both Arno's and Pardeep's points of view. The depth of feeling about themselves, about each other, and about their cause is moving and encouraging, and I believe this book is important for everyone to read. The book will make you feel uncomfortable, angry and heartsick, and will force you to reflect on yourself and how you perceive others, but it also shows you kindness and forgiveness which will inspire the most dubious person. I recommend this book wholeheartedly!

Thank you to Mr. Michaelis and Mr. Kaleka for giving me an opportunity to voluntarily review their book provided free through NetGalley.

See more eclectic reviews on my blog at https://eclecticreview.wordpress.com/.… (mehr)

I believe this is an important read. Seeing how someone's hate can destroy lives was difficult, but it was uplifting and inspirational to see these two men come together in forgiveness and peace. Michaels, a former white supremacist, and Kaleka, a Sikh whose father was murdered by a white supremacist lived two very different lives but show that love, acceptance, and forgiveness make difference.

The Gift of Our Wounds covers Michaels' and Kaleka's lives from childhood through adulthood. It was an interesting juxtaposition between the two. There were times that I was extremely uncomfortable reading about Michaels' teenage and early adult years. I cannot fathom that type of hatred and disgust that he exhibited for others not like him. In contrast, Kaleka's story tells of immigrants who worked hard and gave back to their community.

After a tragic event (the Sikh Temple attack in 2012), these two unlikely allies meet and strive to change the world.… (mehr)