rape was Love Potions (was: Re: Fred and George)

[susanmcgee48176]

No: HPFGUIDX 136673

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "delwynmarch" 
<delwynmarch at y...> wrote:
> Sorry Elves, 4th post (if I counted well), but I couldn't let that 
one
> pass.
> 
> Elizabeth wrote:
> "What's the difference between "stopping a criminal" using force and
> "inducing romantic feelings" in the person I've promised to remain
> monogamous with by using a potion?  Both serve my better interests.
> Both are without consent to the "victim". "
> 
> Del replies:
> 
> Difference number 1: stopping a criminal who has entered your home
> without your consent is called self-defense. Taking away someone's
> free agency to force them to feel and act in a specific way is an 
offense.
> 
> Example: injuring someone who is trying to rape you is self-defense.
> It's the other person who is going to go to jail, not you. 
Inversely,
> having sex with someone to whom you gave a rape drug is an offense.
> You are the one who is going to go to jail, even if you have a video
> showing the other person begging you and pulling your clothes off.
> 
> Difference number 2: when someone enters your home without your
> consent, they automatically put themselves at risk of your defending
> yourself with any means necessary. In short, they *do* give their
> consent to being hurt or even killed.  But when someone enters into 
a
> romantic relationship with someone else, they do *not* give their
> automatic consent to being fed rape drugs.
> 
> In short: in the first case, you're the VICTIM. In the second case
> you're the OFFENDER.
> 
> Del


Sure..if someone comes into your home, tries to rape you and you 
injure them that's self defense. Of course...

But in the HP universe, I don't think a love potion can actually be 
characterized as a rape drug....

Rape is a crime of violence, not sex. It involves forcing someone 
else to have sex, or sexual contact... It involves degrading, 
humiliating, and exerting power over the other person.

If someone is given a love potion, they are indeed forced to be 
infatuated with the person who gives it to them...and that is wrong...
but the person who receives the love potion will not automatically 
become a rapist....that would be a behavioral choice of acting on 
feelings of love/attraction/obsession and would depend on the 
character and choces of that person...

The person who gave the love potion would not be a rapist unless they 
engaged in sexual contact/intercourse with the person to whom they 
gave the love potion...it's unethical, and it's wrong, but there's 
another step to rape.

Susan McGee
If you want to talk with adults over 40, you can join Harry Potter 
for Grownups over 40 by emailing me at SusanGSMcGee at aol.com