“...It’s all wrong. By rights we shouldn’t even be here. But we are. It’s like in the great stories... The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were, and sometimes you didn’t want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad happened. But in the end, it’s only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something. Even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back only they didn’t. Because they were holding on to something... That there’s some good in this world... And it’s worth fighting for.”
It has been a difficult week on a personal level for me, but it’s nothing compared to what happened in Christchurch. I had a very different post lined up for today, but I feel that it’s important to address, in what small part that I can, the horrors brought on by intolerance.
I believe that few people are unreachable. That minds can be changed. I believe the first step to doing so is not angry twitter posts. I believe the first step is art. Art is both a softer and harder hitting tool. I can’t change a racist’s mind with statistics. But you can soften someone’s heart with a book, a painting, a movie, a videogame. Metaphor can lead to wonder. Wonder and curiosity lead to learning. You can’t force someone to learn. They have to want it. I believe art creates that hunger. Art opens minds.
The quote is what I hold on to when my world begins to implode. It resonates with meaning for me. There are many other quotes from many other movies, books, and games that have given me joy or broken my heart. I encourage you to share them with those around you. With friends and family. On your twitter feed, your insta. Instead of sharing the white supremacist terrorist’s name, share something meaningful. Spread love. Spread comfort. We live our lives so interconnected with the internet that making safe, online spaces matters.