Bigotry or NOT? / ACID POPS and Teenager Draco - Motivation? LONG

[Sydney]

No: HPFGUIDX 157591


Alla:

so even though I was
> going to stay out of this thread, I changed my mind.

Sydney:

-*sigh*-  Ditto.  I was going to stay out of this thread, but I
changed my mind too.

Alla:

> SO, I am confessing to being just as baffled as Mike is as 
> to "bigotry" on Hagrid's behalf. Of course I won't dispute that 
> Hagrid was using the *Squib* as derogatory name, but there is such a 
> big road from derogatory to bigotry and even prejudice IMO.
> 
> I mean to me there is not a slightest sign in canon that *squibs* is 
> a slur. The fact that Arabella calls herself a Squib speaks volumes 
> to me. Are you saying that she is being prejudicial towards herself?
> 
> I mean, that is what she **is**, no?

Sydney:

Yes, but the point is that Hagrid was using the word 'Squib' *as* a
slur.  And putting the word 'sneakin'' in front has a definte whiff of
"sneaking, like Squibs often are".  It's exactly Magpie's example of
calling someone a "Jew" as a slur.  It's not an insult to say someone
is Jewish when they are;  but if you use the expression 'sneaking Jew'
to someone who is Jewish in an argument, well, yeah, I'm afraid that's
bigotry.  I'm really amazed that this is even in question.  

If you heard someone say, "What do you know, you sneaking Jew" to a
Jewish person, even if they were a jerk, even if they started the
argument-- honestly, would you think that wasn't bigotry?  Would you?
Or if someone said, I dunno, "you dirty Pakistani".

Please pause and ask yourself that question, before you pronounce
finally on how you feel about this subject.

As to whether this translates into, "Hagrid is therefore a bigot", I
wouldn't say so myself, but not so much because it doesn't logically
follow.  I really don't like applying labels to people, period, and
that goes for labelling people bigots as well.  People are
complicated, self-contradictory, and ambiguous, and the same person
can do a bigoted action and a selfless action and a tolerant,
open-hearted action.  Hagrid is very much someone who can use a
bigoted expression one minute and do something hugely generous to a
squib the next.  

That does not change the fact that he used a 'racial' expression as a
slur in an argument.  And implied that his enemy's handicap made him
categorically a lower sort of person.  That is bigotry in action.

Actually, I think JKR uses Hagrid to show how this sort of casual
bigory infects even the nicest people when it is societally
institutionalized.  It's the same thing as when she has Ron say, "Get
away from me, werewolf!" to a flinching Lupin.  Or the way everyone
talks in a condescending way about Muggles-- isn't it McGonnegal who
says, "They're not completely stupid", in PS?  Uh, thanks, ya
narrow-minded Scottish hag (joke! joke!  I love McGonnegal.  And I'm
half Scots, so I'm allowed to use racial slurs according to some
theories). 

Alla:

> And precisely because the implications of the **Squib** and 
> **Mudblood** are so different to me, I don't buy the analogy between 
> what Malfoy does to Hermione and what Hagrid does to Filch either.
> 
> I mean, sure they are both trying to put down the other person, but 
> Malfoy does it with the **racial** slur, and Hagrid does it with 
> something which in context I would also analogise to as an **idiot**.

Sydney:

Buh... dude.  Come on.  You yourself have just said, Hagrid is using
the word 'Squib' as a synonym for 'idiot'.  How on god's green earth
is that not a racial slur?!  If you use "Black" as a synonym for lazy,
it's not bigotry now?!?!


Alla:

> Now, I am thinking about werewolves. Calling person a **werewolf**, 
> that IMO would be plain bigotry. Why, because werewolf as I see it is 
> a human being inflicted with the disease and even though Remus agrees 
> with Hermione that he is a werewolf, he does not go around and 
> casually calls himself that.

Sydney:

But... Lupin DOES call himself a werewolf.  I only have HBP with me at
the moment, but in that book he says, "I've been living among  my
fellows, my equals.  Werewolves." He IS a werewolf.  There isn't
another word in canon that's a euphemism for it.  There is no
difference between what Ron said and what Hagrid said.  

Nobody likes thinking ill of their favorite people, but shouldn't we
be able to acknowledge their flaws and still love them?  Is Hagrid
only lovable and good if he's perfect?


--Sydney, already regretting wading into this minefield, but feeling
this is really critical issue in the whole theme of the books and so
unable to let it go.