While I admit to the oft exprssed sentiment that it was time for Men to come to the fore.
I ca not agree w/ the staement which several made, that 'Men', destroyerd the ring.
Besdides the obvious fact that it was hobbits, these hobbits were aided and guided far more by a Maia and high-Elves than men, true Aragorn [ under gandalf's guidance] led the Army of the West to the Black Gate as a distraction. but we never were given a chance to see just how essential that was.
The Elven leadership did clearly see it's role here though as backgroung points of resisitancwe and counsel.
Elrond was the cheif in may ways of the many wars and underground resistance ever since Angmar appeared on the scene. He knew his role and stayed exactly within the boundaries set for him, like Bombadil.
Elrond was also taking [ or I should say increasing] an already large risk by harboring the heirs of Isuldur for so many centuries. although to be honest Sauron should have assumed he would help any remaing Arnorians, and as gandalf says in UT & Annotated Hobbit [in 'the quest for Erebor']"to attack Rivendell and lorien would have benn a wiser plan on his [Sauron's] part. It would have proved far more deadly to us if the ring bearer had had no place to take refuge and counsel in".
paraphrase
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The dwindling Men of the West would often sit up late into the night exchanging lore & wisdom such as they still possessed that they should not fall back into the mean estate of those who never knew or indeed rebelled against the Light.
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