Arthur right or not? ( was Hate crimes (was Re: muggle baiting vs. muggle torture)

[juli17 at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 155786

 Magpie wrote:

In canon the same argument is laid out.  Arthur claims this is the 
kind of thing he fights against, the Twins claim it isn't since they 
didn't do it because he was a Muggle and Arthur says that's not the 
point.  The list seems to disagree along the same lines: but they 
didn't do it because he was a Muggle/that's not the point.  It's 
gotten focused on the word Muggle-baiting but it seems like that's 
sort of a cover for the real question, which is whether or not it's, 
for lack of a better word, bigotry.  Maybe I'm wrong but it seems 
like that's the whole reason we're disagreeing over the word, 
because it's so clearly connected to something like discrimination.  
It's not like the word itself really matters since it's a made-up 
word about made-up people with no connection to our lives.  As has 
been pointed out, if you look at what the words mean in the 
dictionary (as opposed to imagining how this word is understood in 
Rowling's fictional world) it fits.Dudley is a Muggle and what the 
twins are doing is baiting.  


Julie:
I agree that "muggle baiting" is just a made up term, and whether
it officially fits Fred and George's actions is beside the point.
Either you agree with Arthur on that fact: that the twins were
wrong to use magic against a Muggle *whatever* their motivation.
Or you think they were justified because Dudley has bullied 
Harry on a regular basis. (I agree with Arthur. And additonally 
again, two wrongs never make a right--i.e., Fred and George
using superior force--magic--to bully Dudley is stooping to 
Dudley's own bullying tactics, and when has that ever been a 
good thing?). 
 
However, their actions aren't as bad as the DEs, because 
motivation does make a difference too. Fred and George wanted
to punish Dudley for his previous actions, even if it wasn't
their place, and they used unfair tactics (magic against someone
with no defences against it). The DEs intended to humiliate and
hurt the Muggles they mistreated simply for the fun of it though
the Muggles had done nothing to them or anyone else.
 
Julie 
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