Child Abuse (Draco) (was Re: Christmas present pattern...)

[Chris]

No: HPFGUIDX 131839

> Betsy Hp wrote:
> Draco should have known better, of course.  It's foolish to pick on 
> a boy's family and *not* expect a beat-down to occur.  But I'm not 
> sure Harry should be patted on the back for his behavior.  It's 
> hardly heroic to beat someone with such overwhelming odds on your 
> side.

   I would not pat Harry on the back here, nor call it heroic. But I 
will say, "It's about time!" I am all for being the better person, 
walking away from a fight, trying to settle a situation peacefully. 
As a matter of fact, it was an integral part of my martial arts 
training. However, may ask I all of you who are against this sort of 
behavior: When is enough enough? How many prejudiced slurs must 
someone have to take? How many references to the financial state of a 
family must one endure? How many times must a kid be teased about his 
dead parents before he can do something about it?

   I'll ask another question: Who out there was bullied when they 
were children and were happy about it? I was bullied as a child, by 
one kid in particular who was two years older and a lot bigger. Then 
my growth spurt came, and suddenly I was bigger. Oh yeah, and I had a 
black belt. Amazingly enough, this kid tried it again one day. I was 
the better person, and tried to walk away. Then came a slur about my 
grandfather. It was over in two roundhouse kicks and a punch later.
 
   Now I suppose I will hear, "Oh no. You are a black-belt in Kung 
Fu. It was so unfair, that kid never knew what was coming. WHY would 
you do such a thing?"

   You know why? I was tired of being picked on , beat up, called 
names, having my normal peaceful life shattered every day when I got 
off of the school bus...the list goes on and on. And the sad thing 
is, all the things my grandmother ever told me about how I would feel 
worse for resorting to such behavior, was an outright lie. Feeling 
his nose crack under my fist felt really good. The memory of it felt 
even better when I learned this person had been incarcerated for rape 
five years later...

   The point is, there are those who condone violence and those who 
rail against it. There are those who shun Harry for such behavior, 
and there are those who are secretly glad he did it. There are those 
who for some reason feel sorry for Malfoy, and there are those who 
can't wait to see him get his. I fall on the side of the latter...no 
matter what kind of childhood Malfoy has endured, no matter whether 
he can be redeemed or not: you reap what you sow, and it's time to 
gather in the crops...

Chris