In Defense of Salazar Slytherin

[darrin_burnett]

No: HPFGUIDX 40990


> Treyvan wrote:
> 
>  > It seems hypocritical of Slytherin to call
>  > them that, considering he prefers students who have a "certain
>  > disregard for rules." I think Slytherin didn't trust
>  > muggle-borns to keep the location and existence of the school 
>  > secret.
>  > After all, the castle was built as a safe haven, away from the 
eyes
>  > of muggles. Revealing any information about Hogwarts to the 
muggle
>  > parents of witches and wizards put the school and all the 
students 
>  > in jeopardy. The four founders might have been the best wizards 
of 
>  > their
>  > time, but I doubt very much they could have held off a muggle 
army.

 
> And Naama countered:
> 
>  > You know, I've never seen why not. It seems to me, from what 
we've 
>  > seen so far, that a) Muggles simply couldn't have found Hogwarts 
and 
>  > b) wizards can easily defeat any number of Muggles.
>  


I write:

The one thing that keeps me from wholeheartedly agreeing with this, 
Naama, is that the Hogwarts teachers have to protect their students. 
I do believe that the Hogwarts Four and probably a few teachers 
besides could hold off whatever mobs came along in this time period, 
BUT... you have to consider the children's safety as well.

But I still believe Slytherin was going along with the racism of his 
day. In my opinoin, it was Gryffndor who was the liberal, wishing to 
open the doors to Muggle-borns, and Slytherin was part of the old-boy 
network.

Like so many old boys, his views are completely antiquated today.

Treyvan, I dispute your Jewish/Nazi student parallel, and it was  
shattered rather neatly by a poster I cannot recall right now who 
pointed out that unless Nazis can spontaneously give birth to Jewish 
children, the comparison falls apart.

But I will give you a parallel from that era that I think works 
better.

Hitler and the Nazis completely misquoted and misuesd Frederick 
Nietzche's philosophical texts about a Superman figure.

Perhaps Slytherin would indeed be horrified to find out what 
Voldemort and the DEs are doing with his beliefs, which probably 
would have been mainstream when Hogwarts was founded.

Again, your post brings up the fascinating question. Why does 
everyone put up with the Slytherins? The answer to me, is that 
Salazar wasn't so bad, or at least just a bit misguided, but V-man 
and the DEs are taking it too far.

Darrin
-- V-Man and the DEs would be a great name for a band