Uniting Behind a Common Enemy
How Hate Wins
You know how Hitler did it, don’t you? He united his devotees against a common enemy. The Jews were demonized, turned into the dreaded Other. They became an entire race and community to be blamed for society’s ills and no one would be safe until the danger was eliminated. Exterminated. Locked up, starved, made to suffer, and killed. Then Germany would be safe.
You know how the children on the deserted island in Lord of the Flies did it, don’t you? They united against a common enemy. Piggy was to blame for everything that went wrong and everything that ever could go wrong. They would not have peace or safety until the threat was neutralized. Piggy had to die. Then the island would be safe.
You know how the Pigs in Animal Farm did it, don’t you? They united against a common enemy. They established themselves as superior and enforced their authority with fear mongering and brutal retaliation. Every problem on the farm was caused by Snowflake because he threatened their peace and safety. Their animal farm history was revised to support the narrative that Snowflake was never a good community member. That he wanted to sabotage and destroy from within from the start. The Pigs tarnished the legacy of Snowflake and used his name to instill irrational, yet deeply rooted fear. The animals needed a scapegoat on which to project their anxiety. No one was safe, as long as Snowflake was loose to wreak havoc.
In each of these examples, the toxicity was in the leadership. The oppressed group was never an actual threat, but totalitarianism requires a scapegoat. Someone must take the blame, and therefore, the fall.
If this sounds familiar, it should. Please celebrate Pride responsibly, but also, do not apologize for having trauma. Do not accept culpability for your own wounds. Do not let allies tell you how you’re allowed to feel, think, speak, and behave. Do not shrink when the world insists you’re too big for your britches. You just need bigger britches, and better community.
Love wins, especially love for ourselves.
Find your people. They’re waiting for you with open arms. And they probably have better snacks.
Welcome home to yourself,
Chris