Lord of the Rings labelled racist

[Elu Ancalime]

Even though the first half of the 20th centrury was clearly racially divided in culture, it sounds like this Dr. Shapiro is capitalizing off something he/she sees as a threat to Western 21 century integrated culture.
It is intersting that the Dr said that Tolkien aliked the elves and the other Free Peoples to "Aryan" culture. Since much of Tolkien's work was coming together during the 1930's and 40's, I think that if Tolkien was truly an advocate of supremacy, he would have flown into Nuremburg and being Goebbles right hand man. Here is a quote from Tolkien when his german publishers asked him if he was of aryan descent:

"I must say that the enclosed letter from R?tten & Loening is a bit stiff. Do I suffer this impertinence because of the possession of a German name, or do their lunatic laws require a certificate of arisch origin from all persons of all countries? ... Personally I should be inclined to refuse to give any Best?tigung (although it happens that I can), and let a German translation go hang. In any case I should object strongly to any such declaration appearing in print. I do not regard the (probable) absence of all Jewish blood as necessarily honourable; and I have many Jewish friends, and should regret giving any colour to the notion that I subscribed to the wholly pernicious and unscientific race-doctrine." ? July 25, 1938 (The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien, #29 ?

and then

:"Thank you for your letter ... I regret that I am not clear as to what you intend by arisch. I am not of Aryan extraction: that is Indo-Iranian; as far as I am aware noone of my ancestors spoke Hindustani, Persian, Gypsy, or any related dialects. But if I am to understand that you are enquiring whether I am of Jewish origin, I can only reply that I regret that I appear to have no ancestors of that gifted people." (The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien, #30 ? Tolkien's unsent response to his German publishers; a more neutral version was ultimately sent)

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