[HPforGrownups] Re: What's wrong with being bad ?

[Barbara D. Poland-Waters]

No: HPFGUIDX 102154

>>>Del wrote:

<snip>

And all Slytherins are DEs at heart, right ?

Wrong. Draco might be some kind of junior DE, and Pansy seems to like
being nasty, but that's pretty much it. Crabbe and Goyle would follow
anyone who could buy them. Theo Nott and Blaise Zabini have never been
heard of. Millicent Bulstrode seems to be nothing more than a female
Crabbe. And the gang of Slytherin girls that Pansy keeps making laugh
have not even been broken apart into individuals by Harry, which says
a lot about their personal nastiness.

And nobody from the other years seems to be anywhere as nasty as
Draco. Honestly, if *Draco* is the top in nastiness that Slytherin can
create, then I say the DEs have reason to worry : the next generation
won't bring them any interesting nor strong fresh blood.<<<


Barbara writes:

My read on this must be similar to Darrin's because I remember reading
multiple times where unnamed Slytherins were laughing with Draco when he'd
make fun of Harry or Hermione. I can't quote a specific passage, but in
reading the books, I get the general sense that JKR is NOT putting the
Slytherins in a good light. Now, if she specifically singles out a couple
Slytherins who have different attitudes, I have no problem with that. But so
far, her depiction of Slytherins is the bullying Draco, his oafish-cronies
Crabbe and Goyle, Pansy, and his "gang" (it's often written that he's got a
gang of Slytherins around him laughing at his comments about Harry or
supporting him when he insults someone).


Darrin wrote :
> "Light" bullying. Now we have degrees of it. Is there no argument
> you won't resort to in order to mitigate how loathsome the
> Slytherins are?
>
> Tell me, what is "heavy" bullying?

>>>Del wrote:
Yes, let's discuss the degrees of bullying, and then let's have a poll
to ask how many of our members NEVER indulged in some degree of
bullying ! Honestly, how many of us never made fun of the nerd in our
class ? How many of us never called a girl fat just to make her sad ?
How many of us never commented on the acne of a guy ? How many of us
never refused to associate or to be seen with certain people ? (I did
do some of those, though not all).

Bullying, to various degrees, is a part of childhood and adolescence.
Teenagers, in particular, like to make others look bad in order to
make themselves look better. It's sad, but it's normal.

I've always been fat, and I had to endure horrible bullying because of
it. And one thing I discovered was that *teachers* and other adults
were important : if the kids got told off for bothering me, half of
them would be less tempted to do it again, because somehow, they knew
deep inside that it wasn't nice and hearing the adult say so was
enough to make them ashamed.<<<


Barbara writes:

I am surprised at your statements asking "How many of us," as if that is a
right of passage every kid goes through. I NEVER indulged in bullying and
certainly never did the things you suggested above. I was, however, the
object of bullying and peer-abuse and I can tell you, it doesn't matter what
"degrees" you talk about, it's all painful. I also don't agree with you that
it's normal to make others look bad. (That is, if your meaning of normal is
healthy or proper. If your meaning of normal is "common," then yes, it's all
too common.) Bullying and talking nastily behind the backs of your peers is
prevalent in some schools in some areas, but that doesn't make it normal or
acceptable (it makes it something to fight against and teach our children
NOT to do). And I wonder, if you yourself were the target of bullying, how
you could have "called a girl fat just to make her sad"? (Or whatever
specific thing is you were owning up to when you said "I did
do some of those, though not all.")


>>>Del wrote:

So yes Draco bullies a lot. But why isn't anyone in charge doing
anything about it ? It took only ONE DAY, if I remember correctly, for
Fake!Moody to put Draco back in his place !!<<<


Barbara writes:

I think Draco is too cunning to get caught by someone he would actually get
punished by. But he certainly does this enough in front of Snape, and what
does Snape do? NOTHING!  Just because one of the teachers, who himself has a
nasty and unfair attitude towards certain students, doesn't punish him, does
not make it right, acceptable or justified.


Barbara
bd-bear