Societal reactions to Voldemort(was First meetings)

[jenny_ravenclaw]

No: HPFGUIDX 71464

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "slytherinspirit" <kcawte at b...> 
wrote:
 
>I was comparing Slytherin House to a street gang. the gang offers 
support and a sense of pride in what you are. Street gangs tend to 
occur where the youth fell disillusioned by society, they feel that 
belonging to the gang is the only way to gain a sense of family and 
pride. This does not excuse a gang member who takes a gun and shoots 
an opposing gang member, I never said it did.>

You explained yourself very well, and really, I agree with most of 
what you said.  This part above, though I must disagree with and I'll 
explain why.

I see the Slytherins in no way as a street gang.  These are the upper 
crust, old money, pureblooded wizards who are so lost in their own 
traditions they are literally marrying their own cousins.  They are 
not people who feel ostracized by society, but terrified of losing 
their place in it.  They are the plantation owners of the South who 
opposed the liberation of the slaves.  They are the Germans who needed 
someone to blame for the downfall of their economy post WWI.  Gangs 
don't have a hell of a lot of power in society; these old money 
pureblooded wizards clearly have had a good deal of influence (just 
look at the hold Lucius Malfoy had on Fudge for five books).  They are 
scary.

Other than that, I do agree with you in that most people would rather 
save their own skins than risk losing them.  It's sad, but true, and 
we've seen it as much in HP as our own lives.  Seamus (not even a 
Slytherin), who has shared a room with Harry for four years does not 
really make the effort to believe his friend.  Fudge, the Minister of 
Magic himself, knows he is hearing terrible news from very valid 
sources, but cannot deal with that news and chooses to turn a deaf ear 
to it.  Don't we all know people who are really like both of them?

I still say, though, that those people can cause as much damage as the 
ones who actively participate in the torture of Muggles and the 
ostracization of non-pureblooded wizards.  Allowing atrocities to 
continue is as good as participating in them, even if saving your own 
skin is what you want, because at some point, no one will be left to 
save you (that's from a poem).

--jenny from ravenclaw **************