Who is the adult (Was: Who's to blame for Occlumency?)

[demetra1225]

No: HPFGUIDX 100853

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "pippin_999" <foxmoth at q...> 
wrote:
> 
> Hmmm...I can recall a lot of argument on this list over *who* 
> should be considered capable  or guilty of racism and murder, 
> but I can't recall anyone seriously arguing that racism and 
> murder are okay. And I think most of us understand the position, 
> though we might not agree, that racist name-calling is a hate 
> crime and should be considered worse than bullying in general. 
[snip]

Demetra:
Not trying to nitpick here, but I don't necessarily agree that racist 
name-calling should be considered worse than bullying.  I would say 
it depends on what the bullying consists of.  Hanging a teenager 
upside down in front of classmates is worse than name-calling, IMHO.  
Hanging someone upside down *because of what race/blood status they 
are* IS a hate crime that is worse than general bullying.  

I'm at work, so I dont have my books with me, but if I recall 
correctly, in the penseive scene James explains that he bullys Snape 
simply because Snape exists.  Because he exists as a Slytherin? 
Vampire? Wizarding equivalent of a Goth?  Whatever the category, that 
smacks of racist/bigoted thinking to me and I would have to classify 
their treatment of him as hate crimes.  

As far as Slytherins all being bad, I just can't buy it.  If JKR is, 
in fact, equating being in Slytherin to being inherently evil then 
why the focus on choices being important? Why have the sorting hat 
urging cooperation amongst all houses?   Yes, the Slytherins we've 
met thus far all appear to be Jr. DE's in training.  That doesn't 
mean every Slytherin will end up fighting on the same side.  After 
all, Gryffindor would appear to be the 'good' house, yet the 
contemptible Pettigrew was a Gryffindor.