Bigotry or NOT?

[horridporrid03]

No: HPFGUIDX 157597

> >>Magpie:
> > And I continue to be amazed that apparently calling somebody a 
> > dirty Jew isn't the kind of name-calling that depends on        
> > prejudice.  How can you put someone down by identifying them as 
> > part of a minority group unless the minority group is understood 
> > to be a bad thing to be?  

> >>Alla:
> Eh,**no**, that is not what I am saying. If you ( not you a 
> generic "you") call me a **dirty jew**, you will make me very     
> angry, but if you call me a Jew, even if you make it in the       
> context of the heated exchange, I am not sure I will be thinking   
> of you as antisemite, because this is who I am if that makes sense.

Betsy Hp:
It doesn't make sense to me, sorry.  So if you were in an argument 
with someone and they called you a sneaky Jew, you'd *not* feel that 
they'd expressed a certain level of bigotry against Jews?

Personally, I don't even understand how if someone in the middle of 
an argument called you "Jew" in a tone that makes clear it's 
supposed to be an insult, you'd not feel they were expressing a 
certain level of bigotry.

Hagrid uses the word "Squib" as an insult.  Which suggests that he 
sees being a Squib as a bad thing.  It's something that one can be 
insulted by as per Hagrid.  So he uses it.  

> >>Alla:
> I am just saying that this is the question of the degree for me.   
> IMO Hagrid makes an insult by adding the adjective, **but** the    
> way I read this insult is the same way if Hagrid would have       
> said "you, sneaking or ruddy Filch** . Does that make sense?

Betsy Hp:
But if Hagrid had said "you sneaky Filch" it would have been quite 
clear he disliked Filch.  That even just *being* Filch was a bad 
thing.  Which I think most folks would be fine with because 
obviously Hagrid and Filch don't get along so yeah, Hagrid sees 
being Filch as being a bad thing.  (It'd be like Ron or Harry 
calling each other Malfoy, as in: "Combed your hair enough, 
*Malfoy*?"  Both boys would understand the underlining insult 
because they both dislike Malfoy in similar ways. They see him as 
vain, etc.)

But by using the term Squib *as* an insult, Hagrid is suggesting 
that *being* a Squib is bad.  Which isn't as fine because it points 
to a basic belief in the "lesser than" status of Squibs.    

And that's quite a strong belief in the WW.  Being a squib *is* a 
bad thing.  I'm betting it's a word that gets whispered in 
discussions.  "They're a good family, though one of their cousins a 
[whisper] *Squib*."  Neville fully realized that being a squib would 
shame his family.  (Though, disturbingly enough, if Neville *had* 
been a squib, he'd have probably been killed by his family's 
desperate attempts to prove that he wasn't.)
 
> >>Magpie:
> > Merope is called a Squib by her father to indicate his disgust   
> > with her.  Squibs don't live up to their wizarding bloodline.  

> >>Alla:
> Actually, yes I buy that. That is convincing example, I would     
> still not put what Hagrid did at the same level though.

Betsy Hp:
I agree that Hagrid is not on the same level.  Just as his insult 
isn't *quite* on the same level of Draco's insult to Hermione.  But 
it's on the same scale, even if it's at a different level.  And it 
points to an underlining issue within the WW.  One that JKR has 
purposefully (IMO) brought to our attention.

A good question may well be why?  Why does JKR choose to have Hagrid 
say what he says? (I suspect there's a reason.)

Betsy Hp