Slytherin Ideology, in context

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 100196

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Eric Oppen" <technomad at i...> 
wrote:
> I know that we mostly believe that the "Slytherin" dislike 
of "m*dbloods"
> and contempt for Muggles is a Bad Thing.  However, I would like to 
try to
> put this sort of attitude into the context of the Wizarding World.
> 
> I think, myself, that the prejudice against muggle-born magical 
folk could
> easily be explained by the real danger of having to deal with 
people whose
> inner values are _different._  Particularly someone like Hermione 
(dearly
> though I love her) who cannot seem to understand that Things Are 
Different
> in the WW---house-elves may well be "enslaved" for good and 
sufficient
> reasons, forex.  The prejudice might be against those _raised 
outside the
> WW_...which would include one Harry James Potter, as well as our 
Hermione.
> 
> If there ever comes a time when Wizard and Muggle values clash---can
> Hermione be trusted, even if the wizards are in the right?  She's 
gone on
> with her house-elves'-rights campaign in the face of repeated 
evidence that
> the house elves, themselves, do not _want_ to be free.  I'd think 
seeing how
> crushed Winky was would have gotten through to her, but our 
Hermione is not
> one to let a little thing like evidence get in the way.  House-
elves are not
> humans.  Neither, for that matter, are giants, and if Hagrid's a 
normal
> half-giant, his lack of common sense and tropism for dangerous 
creatures
> makes suspicion of half-giants not terribly difficult to understand.
> 
> Also, thanks to _someone_ who sleeps through his History of Magic 
classes,
> depending on copying his studious friend's notes to save his sorry 
hide at
> exam time, we don't know just what sort of dodgy rep Muggle-born 
magical
> folk might have earned, back in the day.  What if, for example, the 
majority
> of would-be Dark Overlord types were Muggle-born?  (Heck, if you 
include
> "Muggle-raised" in this category, that would definitely include one 
Thomas
> Marvolo Riddle, aka Lord Voldemort, now wouldn't it?)
> 
> As for their apparent contempt for Muggles, we think that is a Bad 
Thing
> because we're Muggles ourselves, and because we tend to associate 
it with
> racism, which is a Bad Bad Bad Thing---doubleplusungood Goldsteinful
> unIngSocful crimethink, to use a bit of Newspeak.  But, unlike 
racism among
> different races of Muggles, there are perfectly good reasons for a 
lot of
> it.  If I were living in the Wizard World, I'd be terribly 
handicapped---I
> couldn't ride a broom, summon the Knight Bus, use the Floo, get onto
> Platform 9 3/4, or even into Diagon Alley without someone there to 
help me.
> Once the novelty and wonder had worn off, I'd probably start to 
hate it.
> (This, BTW, goes a long way toward explaining Filch, who is one of 
the
> characters in the books I feel sorriest for---poor guy).  Seeing us 
unable
> to do things they can do without effort, and not having had the 
benefit of
> our sort of education, they naturally feel superior and rather 
contemptuous
> of us---even Arthur Weasley, who is about as pro-Muggle as a 
lifelong
> resident of the WW can be, tends to think of us as rather inferior.
> 
> Of course, this does not for a second excuse Muggle-baiting, much 
less
> setting basilisks on other magical people, but the basic attitude 
is, IMO,
> more understandable than not.
> 
> *donning fireproof armor in anticipation of a blizzard of Howlers*




Sorry, I disagree and I disagree very strongly.  Are you in effect 
saying that the prejudice against Muggleborn Witches and Wizards is 
justified because their values are different?


Are you saying by extension that because they are different they 
should not be allowed to Hogwarts at all? Because if you are, then my 
very RL dislike of such philosophy kicks in very fast.


You know, we all as humans are very capable of adapting to different 
culture . Muggle-borns children will learn about their new culture 
everything they need to know in their lifes. Why exactly they cannot 
be trusted to participate as equals in the life of Wisarding World?

Hermione indeed does not do a very good job in her "free house elves" 
campain. But are you saying that this opens up the possibility that 
hermione may betray Wisarding World? I doubt it, frankly.



Sorry, flaming you is TRULY NOT my intention, but I experienced too 
much of Slytherin House philosophy as applied to real life to ever 
agree that it can be justifiable in any way at all.


Alla