The Turner Diaries is every racist’s wildest, wettest dream. This fictional work is framed as diary entries of the protagonist, Earl Turner, who plays a pivotal role in a revolution against the United States government, which has been overrun by Jews and leftists intent on taking away the civil rights of others in the name of “anti-racism.” Turner is a model toward which other racists can aspire- he’s strong, brave, smart- the perfect bigot. Surviving imprisonment and torture by the “System,” I think that Turner’s character is supposed to represent an idealized, powerful version of racism that William Luther Pierce (the text’s author) and readers can aspire towards. His character is the man racists wish they could be. This book allows bigoted readers to create a fantasy around a revolution, where they can become influential members of the rebellion whose suffering is hailed and revered. Turner’s martyrdom is the ultimate show of strength. Those who read this book and are inspired by it find purpose, meaning, and a sense of self worth that they may not otherwise have within their idea of themselves as militant revolutionaries. I think this book plays into the psychology of a bigot- self-loathing, but unable to bear the weight of their own self hatred, they turn that anger on an “other.” It’s from here that they build a sense of self-esteem- because no matter how unsuccessful they are, at least they aren’t that other… or maybe, they’re unsuccessful because of the group they hate. Bigotry provides a scapegoat for low self esteem and unhealthy amounts of anger, and The Turner Diaries is an erotic fiction for the dangerously bigoted reader. This is evidenced by the creation of white supremacist groups named after the book, and its associations with various neo-Nazis responsible for numerous crimes. The diaries provide an ideal, showing its readers that the way toward success and self-satisfaction is through acts of terror. I think that Timothy McVeigh, David Copeland and others would probably have committed the heinous acts without the influence of The Turner Diaries, but I also feel that the text may help to normalize or justify the actions these people take.