An open letter to J.K. Rowling and Harry Potter fans:
“Soon we must all face the choice between what is right and what is easy.” – J.K. Rowling
As is true for so many people all over the world, J.K. Rowling and the Harry Potter series have had a huge impact on my life. From the treatment of house elves and other magical creatures to taking a stand for what’s right with Dumbledore’s army, her books hold many important lessons that extend well beyond the wizarding world and encourage her readers to be independent thinkers and upholders of truth and to stand for human rights.
Yet, there is one lesson many Harry Potter fans have yet to recognize or understand in relation to what is going on in the U.S. right now: fascism and the nightmare of the Trump/Pence regime.
As many Harry Potter fans know, J.K. Rowling loosely based Lord Voldemort on Hitler and the Nazi regime. The character of Voldemort is an evil wizard seeking power and one who is obsessed with “blood purity,” wishing to remove lineage he considers “unpure” from the wizarding world. Lord Voldemort rises to power through a regime based on hate, fear, violence, intolerance and greed. Most of his followers also seek a “pure-blood” world and feel superior to other magical and non-magical creatures. It is even insinuated that Voldemort and his followers believe non-magical people should be enslaved.
It is quite evident that Lord Voldemort is a fascist and an embodiment of the dangers of allowing fascists to rise to power. Throughout the series, there are several times when Voldemort could have been stopped if Harry Potter would have had enough support. The refusal of many in the wizarding world to recognize that Voldemort had returned after being presumed dead allowed Voldemort and his fascist movement to do horrific things and grow its following.
It is time for Harry Potter fans to face the truth and recognize that there is a very real Voldemort in our world. If he is not stopped, the results can and will be catastrophically horrific for billions all over the world. It is time to step up and call out Trump for what he is: A FASCIST!
The Trump/Pence regime mirrors that of Lord Voldemort in many terrifying ways. It threatens the lives of billions and targets many groups. It is racist, homophobic, misogynistic, xenophobic and ready to unleash terror and war on an even greater scale than what is happening now. The reality is that the Trump/Pence regime represents a qualitative change into fascism, and if this regime is not stopped it will consolidate this fascism.
The Trump/Pence regime disregards basic human rights and democratic principles and gains support by targeting groups with hatred. This regime has openly gone after immigrants, Muslims, refugees, women, the LGBTQ community, Black and Latino people, and this list is only growing. The Trump/Pence regime threatens people all over the world with bombings and nuclear war. There is an outright disregard for science and the truth as this regime suppresses critical thinking and discourse in favor of “alternative facts.” The entire planet is at risk of being destroyed due to the complete denial of climate change and the crisis facing the environment. The separation of church and state is under attack, with members of the Trump/Pence regime defending policy with the Bible. The longer this regime is allowed to stay in power, the worse the situation will become and the more difficult it will be to overcome.
Fans of Harry Potter: It is time to uphold all of the lessons we learned from these books and movies and apply them to the real world! The Trump/Pence regime must be driven out!
We must understand that that the entire Trump/Pence regime is fascist and must be driven out as a whole. There is NO time to wait! Allowing this regime to continue to hold power is literally life-threatening for billions. If you stand by and wait for an election, you are turning your back on the massive numbers of people who are suffering at the hands of this regime today. If people continue to ignore what this regime truly is, then they are no different than the Ministry of Magic that stood by and allowed Lord Voldemort to grow his following and orchestrate his rise to power. If we are to overcome the fascist Trump/Pence regime, we must come together as Harry Potter fans, and as brothers and sisters of the world, and fight for justice now!
Each day this regime is allowed to continue its reign is a threat to humanity itself. Let us use what we have learned from J.K. Rowling and Harry Potter and stand up for what is right. This nightmare must end: the Trump/Pence regime must go!
In the words of J.K. Rowling:
“We do not need magic to transform our world. We carry all of the power we need inside ourselves already.”
Signed,
A longtime Harry Potter fan and a supporter of Refuse Fascism