[HPforGrownups] Lessons in the book WAS:Points awarded to Trio in PS/SS

[Sherry Gomes]

No: HPFGUIDX 146038

> Chris:
> 
> It's certainly not OK to buck the justice system, even
> if it is flawed, just to save 1 or 2 lives. Harry
> should have been fighting the ministry to present the
> truth of Sirius.  Truth serum, non-cheating quills,
> and the pensives are all ways Harry could have told
> the truth. Instead he aided an escaped convict,
> keeping him hidden when he could have been freed.


Sherry now:

But history is full of examples of a few people who did something, something
that broke the law or centuries old traditions and changed the world, or
their world for the better.  Right off the top of my head, two American
examples, the American revolution and Rosa Parks and the whole civil rights
movement.  in the 60's, during the civil rights movements, people were
defying unfair and discriminatory laws, even at the risk of their lives.
And they were right to do so.  If the justice system supports an evil or
corrupt society, it must be bucked.  Take the anti-apartheid, (spelling)
movement in South Africa.  Discrimination was the law of the land, but
people with honor and bravery stood up against it and fought it.  Or the
people who hid Jews from the Gestapo during world war II.  history is full
of people who broke laws to help others or to change an evil or corrupt
society.

Sirius was innocent, yet we can be sure Fudge wasn't going to listen.  not
with the press hounding him and complaining about ministry incompetence.
Sirius would have had his soul sucked out so fast, and we have that from
canon.  so, the trio and Dumbledore should have just let it happen, because
the law is the law?

on a more personal level for a moment.  I am totally blind.  in the US,
there is a law called the Americans with Disabilities act, which is supposed
to try to ensure equal treatment for people with disabilities.  Among other
things, this means i can take my guide dog into public places, and employers
must accommodate me for essential job functions, so that I can compete
equally with sighted people.  on my current job, that could involve
scheduling considerations because of public transportation, special
equipment, such as a screen reading program for my computer.  it also means
that when i finish training--I just started this job a month ago--my phone
system will be automatically set to turn off after every call, so I can
finish the work I have to do on customer accounts.  Sighted employees don't
have this option.  Yes, it is special treatment.  But on the other hand, the
way my computer works, and they way sighted people use a computer are very
different, and especially in my company's internal systems, which are
seriously mouse driven.  my technology is keyboard driven, and it takes a
lot of creativity and jumping through hoops to get it to work with the
internal systems.  So, the company takes that into consideration, and gives
me a little special treatment, because of my technology.  That doesn't mean
they expect less of me, in terms of skill or performance, but just that they
acknowledge, that i have to do the job differently.  yet, there are people
who resent that and complain about special treatment.  should the employer
fire all disabled people, so the rest of the company won't feel bad?

my point being, that Harry has a serious responsibility, saving the world he
loves.  He didn't ask for it.  He would probably love to be an everyday
ordinary wizard, with two parents, a sibling or two, a normal life, no evil
dark lord out to kill him every time he turns around.  For the most part,
much of his special treatment has kept him alive, or his rule breaking rules
has saved the lives of others, such as Ginny in COS, and the WW in general.
Now, at the ripe old age of 17, he gets to look forward to destroying soul
pieces and somehow defeating the most evil wizard of all time.  Somehow, i
can't find it in myself to quibble over a little special treatment or rule
breaking.  


Sherry