but if we can convince bigots that the minorities aren’t to blame this time, then why is that a bad thing

You can’t. Not most of them. It’s like convincing people that Christianity isn’t true. You’ll get a few people here and there siding with you, but you’re pissing in the wind most of the time. This is way too embedded to think you can just talk them all out of their bigotry.

Again, this is the sort of hopeful comment that generally comes from people who have not had bigots get up in their faces and it’s just not how the world works. I wish it was, but it isn’t.