Gosh, yes.
Here's a tweet that gave me pause for thought: "Sounds like it comes down to a fear that if whites become a minority they'll be treated like they've treated minorities."
Yes. To somebody who assumes everyone else thinks and acts as they do, and knows (however little they'll acknowledge it to themself or others) deplorable things have been done to various minorities in the past and even current treatment of minorities is very shabby, the idea of those minorities suddenly coming into power over them would be terrifying. That does make a kind of sense.
In reality, that's not going to happen any time soon, if at all. Current projections are that "non-Hispanic White" people will stop being the majority in 2043, but it's absurd to suggest everybody would vote on racial lines in 2044. (Also, they'd remain the majority for a little longer amongst people of voting age.)
Equally, in reality, most people don't think and act like they do.
But they could be in for a nasty shock. They would do well to read the Lord of the Rings with particular reference to Saruman's fate. In the penultimate chapter, the Scouring of the Shire, having cornered Saruman the hobbits could easily kill him. That's what Saruman would do in such a situation, and it's what he expects:
I have already done much that you will find it hard to mend or undo in your lives. And it will be pleasant to think of that and set it against my injuries.'
'Well, if that is what you find pleasure in,' said Frodo, 'I pity you. It will be a pleasure of memory only, I fear. Go at once and never return!'
The hobbits of the villages had seen Saruman come out of one of the huts, and at once they came crowding up to the door of Bag End. When they heard Frodo's command, they murmured angrily:
'Don't let him go! Kill him! He's a villain and a murderer. Kill him!'
[…]
'I will not have him slain. It is useless to meet revenge with revenge: it will heal nothing. Go, Saruman, by the speediest way!'
[…]
Saruman turned to go, and Wormtongue shuffled after him. But even as Saruman passed close to Frodo a knife flashed in his hand, and he stabbed swiftly. The blade turned on the hidden mail-coat and snapped. A dozen hobbits, led by Sam, leaped forward with a cry and flung the villain to the ground. Sam drew his sword.
'No, Sam!' said Frodo. 'Do not kill him even now. For he has not hurt me. And in any case I do not wish him to be slain in this evil mood. He was great once, of a noble kind that we should not dare to raise our hands against. He is fallen, and his cure is beyond us; but I would still spare him, in the hope that he may find it.'
Saruman rose to his feet, and stared at Frodo. There was a strange look in his eyes of mingled wonder and respect and hatred. 'You have grown, Halfling,' he said. 'Yes, you have grown very much. You are wise, and cruel. You have robbed my revenge of sweetness, and now I must go hence in bitterness, in debt to your mercy. I hate it and you! Well, I go and I will trouble you no more.
To someone mired in evil, mercy and justice can hurt more than any violence. The alt-right fear us stooping to their level; maybe they should be more fearful that we will not.
Cross-posted from this Dreamwidth original. If you can, please comment there instead.
DW Comments: Read
or Add Your Own.
Yes. To somebody who assumes everyone else thinks and acts as they do, and knows (however little they'll acknowledge it to themself or others) deplorable things have been done to various minorities in the past and even current treatment of minorities is very shabby, the idea of those minorities suddenly coming into power over them would be terrifying. That does make a kind of sense.
In reality, that's not going to happen any time soon, if at all. Current projections are that "non-Hispanic White" people will stop being the majority in 2043, but it's absurd to suggest everybody would vote on racial lines in 2044. (Also, they'd remain the majority for a little longer amongst people of voting age.)
Equally, in reality, most people don't think and act like they do.
But they could be in for a nasty shock. They would do well to read the Lord of the Rings with particular reference to Saruman's fate. In the penultimate chapter, the Scouring of the Shire, having cornered Saruman the hobbits could easily kill him. That's what Saruman would do in such a situation, and it's what he expects:
I have already done much that you will find it hard to mend or undo in your lives. And it will be pleasant to think of that and set it against my injuries.'
'Well, if that is what you find pleasure in,' said Frodo, 'I pity you. It will be a pleasure of memory only, I fear. Go at once and never return!'
The hobbits of the villages had seen Saruman come out of one of the huts, and at once they came crowding up to the door of Bag End. When they heard Frodo's command, they murmured angrily:
'Don't let him go! Kill him! He's a villain and a murderer. Kill him!'
[…]
'I will not have him slain. It is useless to meet revenge with revenge: it will heal nothing. Go, Saruman, by the speediest way!'
[…]
Saruman turned to go, and Wormtongue shuffled after him. But even as Saruman passed close to Frodo a knife flashed in his hand, and he stabbed swiftly. The blade turned on the hidden mail-coat and snapped. A dozen hobbits, led by Sam, leaped forward with a cry and flung the villain to the ground. Sam drew his sword.
'No, Sam!' said Frodo. 'Do not kill him even now. For he has not hurt me. And in any case I do not wish him to be slain in this evil mood. He was great once, of a noble kind that we should not dare to raise our hands against. He is fallen, and his cure is beyond us; but I would still spare him, in the hope that he may find it.'
Saruman rose to his feet, and stared at Frodo. There was a strange look in his eyes of mingled wonder and respect and hatred. 'You have grown, Halfling,' he said. 'Yes, you have grown very much. You are wise, and cruel. You have robbed my revenge of sweetness, and now I must go hence in bitterness, in debt to your mercy. I hate it and you! Well, I go and I will trouble you no more.
To someone mired in evil, mercy and justice can hurt more than any violence. The alt-right fear us stooping to their level; maybe they should be more fearful that we will not.
Cross-posted from this Dreamwidth original. If you can, please comment there instead.
DW Comments: Read
or Add Your Own.