Grammar, the Good & the Ugly, prejudice, WAS Harry that Heathen...

[ladjables]

No: HPFGUIDX 33906

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "ladjables"...> wrote:
> His need to compartmentalize good and evil, to constantly 
>categorize and make divisions concerning morality, reflects the kind 
>of logic that is very dangerous, that can be (and has been) used to 
>justify anything from genocide to slavery.<<

Eileen wrote:
> >Oh for heaven's sakes, could we be a little more TOLERANT than 
>that? GENOCIDE AND SLAVERY? So when do we start making the Nazi 
>comparisons about people who disagree with us?<

It has been MY experience, based on my ethnicity, nationality, 
culture and history, that the views Kevin Kimball profess are based 
on a logic that COULD be shared by a prejudiced mind.  Since you do 
not know me, do not presume you know anything about my tolerance for 
others or lack thereof.
I was trying to show that the difference between Kimball's thinking, 
and any bigot's, however vast it may be, is one of degree and not of 
type.  I do not believe you will find a racist in someone who sees 
the grey areas, but you'll probably find one in a person whose world 
view seems strictly black and white, like Kimball's.   

Tabouli wrote: 
> Actually, extremely black and white logic *is*, in fact, closely 
>associated with prejudiced attitudes (which, combined with the 
>right/wrong combination of power and circumstances, have led to the 
>horrors mentioned).  Studying the link between "black&white logic" 
>and prejudice was the very topic of my thesis, and I could send you 
>my entire reference list and the results of my own research as 
>evidence!  (nonono, comes the alarmed chorus of HPFGU listmembers, 
>that's quite all right).  All the same, I agree that comparing Kevin 
>with Hitler would be going a mite far, though I don't think 
>ladjables was really doing that...

It never entered my mind.  I was merely pointing out that his logic 
is dangerous because it is so reminiscent of the type of thinking 
that has underpinned genocide and slavery.  I did not say Kevin 
Kimball was racist or would ever endorse genocide; his logic is his 
own and he is entitled to it.  He is entirely welcome to submit 
another post criticizing Harry Potter. I have no problems reading his 
reasons for disliking the book because it ferments lively 
discussion.  I cannot and would not judge someone I do not know, 
especially based on one post submitted to an online group.  But I was 
in fact ruminating over the genocide of Amerindians and the 
enslavement of Africans in Latin America, both of which were 
supported by the Catholic church, official or de facto, it matters 
not to me.  I was struck by how much Kimball's post reminded me of 
the literature I was reading, hence my own post.

Thank you Tabouli for so eloquently expressing what I could not.  If 
you're ever interested in sharing your thesis with a total stranger, 
please let me know.
Sincerely,
Ama  
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