HP and the democratic equilibrium(Re: Umbridge, brooms and DEs)

[Karen]

No: HPFGUIDX 87163

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Derek Hiemforth <derek at r...> 
wrote:
> Geoff Bannister wrote:
<snip>
> This is ridiculous.  No one would stand for this, IMO.  The violin
> itself breaks no school rules, isn't the school's property, isn't
> being used to disrupt classes, etc.  This isn't normal school
> discipline, this is outright thievery.
> 
> And this is perfectly analogous to what Umbridge does to Harry, 
IMO.
> 


Change the analogy slightly to something more athletic... A kid is 
banned from playing soccer, yet he has a soccer ball at school. If 
he is using that soccer ball in unacceptable ways (playing in the 
hallway, throwing into the middle of a match, being a nuisance) any 
AMERICAN school would confiscate it and keep it until a parent came 
to get it or until the end of the term.

That being said, Harry obviously did not do anything that merited 
that severe a punishment, although the fighting would have probably 
warranted his being benched for a match. Of course, Malfoy should 
just be turned into a pi~nata!

Karen