Jonathan Pangburn, a Real Salt Lake fan, was removed from a soccer stadium for displaying a Nazi symbol tattoo. Pangburn speaks out about his past and efforts to turn his life around.
Bollywood Fever: A Real Salt Lake fan was ejected from a soccer stadium after being spotted with an offensive tattoo on the side of his head. Jonathan Pangburn, who has a lightning bolt symbol used by the Schutzstaffel (SS) – the Nazi guard – tattooed above his left ear, was swiftly escorted out of the stadium during the Real Salt Lake match on July 3. A photo of him in attendance before he was asked to leave has since gone viral.
In response to the backlash, Pangburn spoke out, expressing shame for the tattoo and explaining it as a relic of a past identity he no longer aligns with. “My tattoos affect me, and they offend me more than they offend anybody else today,” Pangburn told KSTU from Salt Lake City.
Pangburn revealed that he used to live with Nazism and skinhead philosophy but has since distanced himself from those beliefs. He recounted his troubled past, marked by repeated incarcerations and struggles with addiction, during which he acquired the tattoos, including the SS symbol on his head and two swastikas on his left calf and arm. He is currently undergoing the process of having them removed.
“I am filled with regret and shame every time I go into public,” Pangburn said, admitting he had “dropped the ball” by not covering up the tattoos at the match. “I could have covered up my tattoos and wore a hat,” he acknowledged.
Pangburn insisted that his intention is “to not try to disperse any negativity or hatred in people” and emphasized his commitment to turning his life around. He recently graduated from the Other Side Academy in Salt Lake City, an organization that supports individuals with a history of addiction. “It teaches you how to love, gives you a life back, teaches you about friendship, accountability, humility,” he said.
Despite his intentions, Marc Levine, the regional director of the Anti-Defamation League, highlighted the ongoing offensiveness of the symbols. Hate has no place in our sports stadiums,” Levine stated. “This is a very haunting and scary thing for people here in the United States today. That hate has a very long shadow. We also know that hateful rhetoric often leads to hateful acts, so this can be a very scary thing for someone to see.”
Pangburn’s friends have defended him, with Evan Done of the Utah Support Advocates for Recovery Awareness writing on Facebook, “I actually know this guy. He got those tattoos to survive in prison (where he has spent most of his life) and in the past couple of years completely turned his life around. He told me he needs to keep his hair short there for ongoing laser treatments to remove it.”
As Pangburn continues his journey of redemption, he hopes to leave behind his past and the symbols that have caused so much pain, striving to live a life free of negativity and hatred.
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