Fear of Werewolves is Justified / AIDS

[anglinsbees]

No: HPFGUIDX 40374

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "Amanda Geist" <editor at t...> wrote:
> 
> Okay. I don't dislike Lupin; I like his character very much. That 
said...
> 
> He is a *werewolf.* In my eyes, that is considerably more than 
simply being
> "a member of a group targeted for bigotry." That is being a member 
of a
> group that is damned dangerous. Lycanthropy is incurable; it will 
cut you
> off from society, the only parallel I can think of as adequate is 
leprosy
> and how leprosy has been perceived. Devastating. Permanent. 
Painful. Final.
> 

I think a better analogy is AIDS. thre are many paralells;

It is a contageous disease, with no cure, that people are highly 
fearful of, despite the fact that it is not easy to catch, and the 
methods of transmission may be avoided by simple common sense 
procedures.

The disease is very difficult/ draining on the person who has it. 
They may, with proper treatment/management live for many years, 
however, Treatment is expensive or difficult.  Few people are up to 
making the wolvesbane potion, and anti-viral medications are 
extremely expensive, and only readily availble in developed 
countries. Without treatment, Aids progresses Quickly, and 
werewolves are prone to tearing themselves to pieces or other self 
destructive behavior.



Lupin mentions, I believe, in the shrieking shack scene, that there 
was no treatment when he was bitten.  This implies to me that now, 
if the injury is treated immediately, there is at least a hope for 
preventing infection. (Rather like someone who has accidentally been 
exposed to HIV getting injections of anti- viral mediactions to 
prevent infection today.)  If someone recalls the exact quote, I'd 
appreciate backup!

Like Rowlings werewoves, many people who are HIV+ choose to conceal 
it, because of the real possibility of being ostracized or of losing 
their jobs. 

There <are> many cases of school teachers who have lost their jobs 
because they have AIDS, and many parents who have raised an uproar 
when they found out their childrens teachers or other caregivers 
were HIV+  

How unsettled would you be if you found out someone close to your 
child was HIV+?  As much as the rational part of our mind wants to 
be fair, some deep primal protective instinct can't help but rear 
its head, as it were, in most parents.  Can we really fault wizards 
for fearing and ostracizing werewolves when our society did and does 
the same to HIV+ people?

I can't see Lupins position improving unless the wizarding world 
gets a massive public education campaign similar to that that has 
happened for AIDS.  Even with that, there will always be people who 
fear.


So what do you think- how does this paralell hold up?

Ellen A Pottering Beekeeper
proposing WAPTA- Werewolves Are Paralell To AIDS
(Unless you genuses can come up with a better one!)