Future sacrifices?

[Scott]

No: HPFGUIDX 9826

Allyson wrote:
"Just thought of something else, too.....
 
"We had this discussion in my class today at school.  We are at 
Chapter 18 in CoS and as we muddled through Chapter 17 (the Heir of 
Slytherin) we were talking about *WHY* we thought Voldemort was such 
an unloving, uncaring person.  I was making the argument about him 
being 'abandoned' by his muggle father before he was born and one of 
my students literally yells at me saying "Don't be making excuses for 
him.  Lord Voldemort is just plain evil, Allyson.  He needs no 
excuses for that."  I just sat there sort of stunned.  Made me glad I 
had instilled this type of thinking in these kids, but I still 
thought, WOW!"

Ok, just to clarify, are you the teacher or a student?

I think that the person who said "Don't be making excuses..." is 
completely off base. In fact I'm not sure whether they are reading 
the same books as me.

I think that in life, as well as in the canon people aren't born 
inherently good or evil.  (see Amy's message- Who is Harry Potter).
As a baby and a small child I don't think that Tom Riddle was evil 
incarnate.  He may have developed into a bigot, a persecuter and 
eventually a murderous mad-man but he didn't start out as any of 
those things, IMO. Remember Dumbledore's statement (paraphrased) "It 
is our choices Harry that determine who we are, far more than our 
abilities."

The books are about courage, and friendship, and free will. I think 
there MAY be something about Harry that's special but I hope that 
doesn't take away from the free will aspect. (What essay of Peg's 
dealt with this?).

I do agree with that person in that there are no excuses for the 
Voldemort's being evil. It's just that IMO he made the decisions and 
is responsible for them. We're all responsible for our own desicions.

Erm, I not so sure I actually said what I was trying to in this 
message but maybe it made some smidgen of sense...

Scott