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

[spookedook]

No: HPFGUIDX 155834

a_svirn:
They found it particularly hilarious when the whole muggle family was 
humiliated and went frantic with panic. How come their notion of fun 
is so very  different from that of Death Eaters'?

AD:
I don't know.

Have the Death Eaters in question ever found their 12-year-old friend 
and teammate locked in a room with bars on the window?
 
Have they ever ripped the bars off themselves, then found an innocent 
owl padlocked in a cage, unable to fly, to hunt, or even to stretch 
her wings?

Have they ever picked the locks on their friend's bedroom door?  Have 
they seen the catflap though which he was fed cold soup?
 
Have they crept through his darkened house to find the cupboard in 
which his school things were locked away?  The cupboard he slept in 
for most of a decade?

Have they witnessed the contempt with which his "family" regards 
their friend?  Seen those very well-off people dress him in ill-
fitting castoffs?

Have they heard tales of Harry-hunting?

Of barren birthdays and cheerless Christmasses? 

Have they?


Tinktonks:
I think the whole argument comes down to reason. What reason did the 
DE's have? None, except entertainment. What reason did F&G have? All 
those listed above. I am not saying that their reasons are acceptable 
(Mainly because I will probably get drawn in to a long and pointless 
disagreement with people who's point of view wil always differ from 
my own, and neither point will be reconcilled) what I am saying is 
that they had reason.

Muggle baiting is for pleasure. Not for any purpose or in response to 
any wrong done. It is pure voyeristic enjoyment of suffering, whats 
more it is done by cowards who enjoy hurting anyone who they feel 
they can get away with hurting. This is NOT F&G's motivation and we 
see nothing suggesting that they have anything like those character 
traits.

I have seen nobody criticising Zonko's for selling biting teacuos 
even though they could be used for muggle-baiting in the wrong hands. 
So why should F&G be persecuted for what others decide to do with 
their products? Anything can be abused? Should we all be deprived of 
water because someone may use it to drown another?

F&G believed that their actions were justified or not (whether you 
agree or not) and that is the difference.

Tinktonks - Who thinks that this debate will never be resolved and 
should be laid to rest, for nobody is going to change their minds and 
it is spreading contempt between members rather than friendship and 
enjoyable debate which we all enjoy so much and which this brilliant 
site was designed for.