Debatable ethical issues in OotP and HBP

[lucianam73]

No: HPFGUIDX 143368

<lucianam73 wrote:
> 
>  [Quoting HBP] <snipped>

> > That sent shivers down my spine. In two very small paragraphs, 
in 
> > short sentences coming out of the mouths of the biggest heros in 
the 
> > series, JKR demolishes centuries of religious, ethical and moral 
> > debate. Yes, children, it's allright to kill Death Eaters. As 
many as you can!  


  
> Amiable Dorsai wrote:
> "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men 
to do nothing."  Edmund Burke
> 
> I see no other moral course, either for Harry or Dumbledore.  Do 
you?
>  

Lucianam:

I see the course of accepting the need to kill as their only option, 
not something to feel vengeful and proud of. I see two paragraphs 
overflowing with proudness and lack of 
questioning. 'Fierce', 'strong', 'gleaming eyes', 'approving pat on 
the back', 'true son' and 'take my hat off to you' leave no room to 
feelings of doubt, which would be normal considering who is 
speaking, about what he is speaking, and to whom he is speaking. Aka 
a teenager who has never killed anyone previously and therefore 
doesn't know how he really feels about it yet; talking about killing 
which I presume is no easy thing in any situation (I might be wrong 
about that but I hope not); addressing a public composed mostly of 
teenagers like himself and also children.

In my opinion those two paragraphs are offensive (to me, I know) 
because the killing problem wasn't treated as a problem at all, it 
was addressed way too briefly and that was it. Since in a previous 
book Harry spared Pettigrew's life and was told he did the right 
thing, I guess it's fair to suppose the books' take on the matter 
have changed. Well, because it's war now? Fine. Show me the war. 
Show me Harry fighting for his life and killing Death Eaters as he 
tries to save himself and his friends, but spare me the simplistic 
speech.

About Amiable Dorsai's quote, I remember (or don't, actually) a 
similar one from LotR. I'm not sure it's from the books, maybe it's 
from the movies (perhaps The Two towers)? Aragorn sees Eowin 
carrying a sword and asks her if the women of Rohan fight as well, 
or something like that. Eowin answers something like (wish I 
remembered the exact quote):

"Those who do not fight with the sword can still die by it."

That felt pretty heroic and adequate, because LotR has numerous war 
scenes and lots of its heroes are warriors. It's all too clear in 
LotR that in order to survive you gotta chop many orks' heads off. 
It even gets a litle sickening in the end of the second movie.

In my opinion, to talk about killing must be different from fighting 
and doing the actual killing. Possibly Harry can't make that 
distinction, being little more than a child, but Dumbledore is 
supposed to be wise. 

I don't think I have any more arguments on this, right now. I'm 
afraid I'm being tiresome.

Lucianam