Detentions

[Judy <judyshapiro@directvinternet.com>]

Quotes from Article that Shaun linked to:
> European Convention on Human Rights - Under Article 5 of the
European
> Convention, detention can only take place if there is a "lawful
> order".
> He (the lawyer) said this would mean that a detention due to run in
a
> child's free time, as it had in Freya's case, could not come from
the
> school itself but would need this legal authority.

And Steve the Bboy (um, what *is* a Bboy?) said:
> wouldn't the word 'detention' as used in a
> civil right law, refer to unlawful imprisonment? 
> As in, you can not be held in detention, jail, prison, or locked
> confinement without due process of law.
> ...[The plaintiffs] are taking a broad
> general use of the word 'detention' and applying a very
> specific meaning to it; a meaning which does not truly reflect the
> action of this detention.

I agree.  This seems to be a misinterpretation of what the Human
Rights convention means by "detention." Let's hope the judge in the
case agrees with us.  Teachers already have very few tools for dealing
with disruptive students, and this problem interferes with the right
of the other students to get an education. 

Steve added:
> This is exactly the leason we are suppose to learn from Draco
Malfoy.
> Draco sees himself as priviledged. By virtue of the fact that he
> exists, he should be the center of the universe, the center of
> everyone's attention, and should be given freedoms and priviledges
> that other mere mortals do not deserve, and should be above the
rules
> that govern the mere mortals of the mudane world. 

Audra pointed out on the main list that Lucius is a good example of a
narcissistic personality, which basically consists of the personality
characteristics Steve just described, plus a few others such as a
tendancy to see others as either completely good (if they help bolster
one's self-image) or completely bad (if they don't bolster one's
self-image.)  In fact, one might say that Draco's animosity to Harry,
after Harry refused to shake hands with him, fits this later trait. I
suspect JKR intends for the whole Malfoy family to serve as examples
of narcissists.  She even named Mrs. Malfoy "Narcissa." 

Steve ended with:
> Of course, that's just my opinion.

No, no, that's your story and you should stick to it!

-- Judy