Thing is, I HAD reasoned myself into that position so I could reason myself out.
And that's the key problem with irrational beliefs like racism, conspiracy theories, religious fanaticism, and so on. I've grown up most of my life in religious-right communities, and have seen personally just how resistant those beliefs are to reason and education.
Whenever one tries to counter them with science, it's the science that's wrong (Jewish science, Secular/Ungodly science, etc.). The "True" science is always on their side, everything else is a lie. And so on, and so on. Emotions are the only thing that convinces them, and they always have a justification for their prejudices. God said it, "it's just common sense", personal experience (post-hoc fallacy), appeal to authority, and so on. There is always a reason why their beliefs are right, and yours are not only wrong, but evil.
Just listen to any Trump voter, especially his Evangelical voter base, on the subject of Trumps many lies, his cheating, and his racism. There is nothing that they cannot deny or spin to fit their prejudices and preferences. Even when it's clear that they've been royally screwed over by his policies, it's never his policies that are the problem, there is always someone else to blame.