rape was Love Potions

[susanmcgee48176]

No: HPFGUIDX 136735

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "delwynmarch" 
<delwynmarch at y...> wrote:
> Susan McGee wrote:
> "But in the HP universe, I don't think a love potion can actually be
> characterized as a rape drug...."
> 
> Del replies:
> I think that's EXACTLY what they are. They have ALL the
> characteristics of the RL date rape drugs, except one:
> 
> * They are undetectable once slipped into food or drink.
> 
> * They are fast-acting.
> 
> * They make the victim act in a promiscuous way.
> 
> * They render the victim unable to assert themselves, to make
> appropriate decisions, to act as they would choose to act without 
the
> influence of the drug.
> 
> The only difference is that RL victims often have little or no
> memories of what happened, so they are spared the additional
> humiliation of remembering how they "lost it". WW victims apparently
> do remember what happened (see the look of horror on Ron's face, and
> the vague explanations of Tom Riddle about having been duped).
> 
> Susan McGee wrote:
> "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."
> 
> Del replies:
> Ron was very much degraded and humiliated by Romilda's Love Potion,
> she very much exercised power over him.
> 

Ron may have been humiliated...but the act of rape is to force someon 
into SEX......until Romilda forces Ron into sex it's not rape...
The PURPOSE of rape is not sexual gratification, it's humiliating, 
degrading and exerting power over the other person. A lot of rapists 
don't get erections, and many don't have orgasms.




>> Susan McGee wrote:
> "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."
> 
> Del replies:
> I personally consider it as a mental rape. A physical rape is 
forcing
> someone to have sex with you. The Love Potion has the exact 
equivalent
> effect on someone's psyche: they force someone to be in love with 
you.
> I call that a rape, albeit a mental or emotional one.
> 
> Del

Well, I think in order to be clear there needs to be a distinction 
between mental or emotional "rape" and actually forcing someone to 
have sex.

Mental or emotional anguish is terrible; it's not the same as being 
forced into sex.

And I don't think a love potion is a rape drug --- there is no 
indication of anything more than kissing going on in HP (except for 
Bill and Fleur who are much older)...and there is no indication that 
anyone is coercing anyone else into sex. I think there's too much 
analogizing to our own situation where the rape drugs are used for 
just that -- rape..... in the HP universe, the victim WOULD remember 
their experiences and there would be hell to pay....

I think we'd just better agree to disagree on this...

Susan McGee