[HPforGrownups] Re: Dark Book - Blood and Cruelty

[Bart Lidofsky]

No: HPFGUIDX 177171

lizzyben:
>Draco provokes w/verbal words, Harry retaliates w/physical violence.
>Does Draco deserve to be beat up because of the verbal things he says?
>(excluding the duels here).

 Sali:
> Shouldn't Draco bear responsibility for what he says if Harry is expected
>to take responsibility for his actions? I see his verbal bullying as having
>two possible aims. One is to pick away at someone's weak spot in such a
>manner that retaliation would not be feasible as it would get that person
>into trouble (many people dealing with verbal bullying are afraid that
>retaliating will get them into trouble and do just suffer in silence,
>something the bully is counting on). The second is that he is trying to
>provoke them into retaliating so that they get into trouble (even if he then
>defends himself, it's usually the one who strikes the first blow who gets
>into trouble).

Bart:
In the United States, there is a concept known as "fighting words". It is recognized that words can be used for the purpose of getting someone violently angry. Legally, if someone uses "fighting words" before a fight, and the target of these words starts the violence, neither has any right to sue the other. An acquaintance of mine was arrested for using fighting words on a police official (he had just literally tricked her into unwittingly committing a crime and she told him what she thought; as it turned out, the incident actually got her some good publicity, as the situation was sufficiently absurd as to make the "strange news" columns nationally). 

In Canada, the use of "fighting words", even if it does not cause any negative reaction, can get someone put in jail (a few years back, some minor headlines were made when a customer at a restaurant, frustrated at a waiter's inability to speak or understand English, made fun of his accent after he walked away, was arrested, and tossed in jail; I never found out how that ended up). 

Interestingly enough, professional protesters in the United States are taught techniques on how to anger police officers into using violence without quite stepping over the line of justifying it. One common technique is to put one's face practically against the officer's face and start screaming; it is like having a mosquito in your ear, and not being allowed to swat it. 

There was a movie, PACIFIC HEIGHTS, which was largely based on this concept; Michael Keaton plays a con artist who, staying just barely within the law, gets people angry enough with him to do physical violence, and then sues the hell out of them. 

Sometimes, context and tone of voice are key. If you've gained weight, and your clothes are feeling tight, all you need is for some smart alec to say, "I see you've lost some weight, there." But if you repeat it to someone else, it doesn't sound insulting at all. 

So, I have very little doubt about the ability of a smug, smart adolescent kid to entice others to perform violent actions against him. 

Bart