by Matthew Lowe
“I hate them. That's all. I'm not scared of them. I just find them... “
“Find them what? Do you really think that they do not feel the same discomfort around you that you feel around them? Hate is a strong word. That's all I'm saying.”
“Strong, maybe, but not unwarranted. Look at what they've done to us. Look at what they have the potential to do. Should we just sit here and let it happen when we both know what they are and what they could do? They have power..”
“Power? What power? They have whatever power you give them. No more. No less. You have demonized them to the point that you believe your own rhetoric. It is difficult to talk to someone who is so bent on fear-mongering that they will not listen to reason.”
“You are one to talk about reason. You speak from sheer emotion. I speak from thought and reason.”
“Only to the degree that you allow yourself to think and reason. You only look at facts that suit your needs. Not the...”
“Could I at least finish a sentence. It's not easy to talk to you. As I said, 'thought and reason.' You support neither. You don't look at the facts. You see them as people. That's your problem! They are not people! They are less than us. I've known you forever. You can't believe they are equal to us because they aren't!”
“I'm not in disagreement that they are different and that there are issues that need to be addressed. But some of these plans for dealing with them... I just can't support them. I am uncomfortable being part of a group that would even suggest such strategies. You say you know me? I thought I knew you, I just...”
“Don't worry. We'll get through it. We always do.”
“We will? With what?”
“An uneasy hand shake and an awkward pat on the back.”
“I hate them. That's all. I'm not scared of them. I just find them... “
“Find them what? Do you really think that they do not feel the same discomfort around you that you feel around them? Hate is a strong word. That's all I'm saying.”
“Strong, maybe, but not unwarranted. Look at what they've done to us. Look at what they have the potential to do. Should we just sit here and let it happen when we both know what they are and what they could do? They have power..”
“Power? What power? They have whatever power you give them. No more. No less. You have demonized them to the point that you believe your own rhetoric. It is difficult to talk to someone who is so bent on fear-mongering that they will not listen to reason.”
“You are one to talk about reason. You speak from sheer emotion. I speak from thought and reason.”
“Only to the degree that you allow yourself to think and reason. You only look at facts that suit your needs. Not the...”
“Could I at least finish a sentence. It's not easy to talk to you. As I said, 'thought and reason.' You support neither. You don't look at the facts. You see them as people. That's your problem! They are not people! They are less than us. I've known you forever. You can't believe they are equal to us because they aren't!”
“I'm not in disagreement that they are different and that there are issues that need to be addressed. But some of these plans for dealing with them... I just can't support them. I am uncomfortable being part of a group that would even suggest such strategies. You say you know me? I thought I knew you, I just...”
“Don't worry. We'll get through it. We always do.”
“We will? With what?”
“An uneasy hand shake and an awkward pat on the back.”
I like this. And now I'm jealous of your skills in dialogue xD
ReplyDeleteQuite a debate. Great writing here.
ReplyDeleteYou are excellent with dialog. Will they get through it? I believe in agree to disagree so maybe that's where these two are headed!
ReplyDeleteI love the back and forth of this piece. Great writing.
ReplyDeleteOoo. I can't tell for sure if this is suppose to be more of a sci-fi/fantasy piece or a modern, realistic piece. Either way it works well. I love the conflict you've created.
ReplyDeleteScary. It could so easily be the democrats and republicans talking about each other (and one voice of reason), or Hitler and his advisor.
ReplyDeleteReading this and watching the debate right now! Definitely a parallel. I would definitely want some visuals to add to your really great dialogue. I want to see where they're talking.
DeleteI immediately thought of politicians too, but talking about one another? About immigrants? About any demographic? Interesting! It flows really well, though, and ended before I was ready for it to.
ReplyDeleteI keep trying to supply a context here, but this could apply to so many different issues. There's a great universality to it.
ReplyDeleteGreat writing. I was thinking about aliens, which says more about me than it does about your writing. :-)
ReplyDeleteI love the ambiguity of the group in question. It allows the reader to fill in the blanks with whatever most speaks to them. Clever.
ReplyDeleteAnd sadly, this could really have been about so many different groups of people, African Americans, Jews, gays, women. Really interesting piece.
Thanks for sharing it with us.