Standing up to bullies WAS: Re: Which Harry Potter character

[jkoney65]

No: HPFGUIDX 186005

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "sistermagpie" <sistermagpie at ...> wrote:
>
> > > Magpie:
> > > And Zach probably thought he was the one standing up against the 
> man
> >  there! I really don't see what Zach is saying there that doesn't 
> fall
> >  into the realm of normal commenting on a game.
> > 
> > Pippin:
> > Is it normal to make an unsubstantiated accusation of favoritism? 
> 
> Mapgie:
> He's commenting on the team line-up, so yeah, I think that 
> speculating that Ron's well-known friendship with Harry had a hand in 
> him being on the team would probably be considered within limits to 
> mention. As Kemper pointed out, he's not completely far off. Ron 
> isn't just on the team because Hermione hexed his rival (although 
> that, too, I could imagine him saying in his commentary if it was 
> rumored to be true), he's also there because Harry knew he'd get 
> along with him more than McClaggen. The year before he was put on the 
> team despite not being up to snuff because his brothers were good 
> players. Ron really has always been a borderline player given a 
> chance because of things outside his skill, including his connections.
> 
> Likewise, I wouldn't be surprised or think it would be off-limits if 
> Lee Jordan mentioned Lucius buying brooms for the Slytherin team, 
> especially if Draco had a season like Ron did the first year. I get 
> why Zach's remarks make the team angry, I just don't think it's 
> bullying. 
> 

jkoney:
But Zach doesn't know how good anyone else at the tryouts were. Ron had ended the season on a high note, playing a great game. He performed well at tryouts and won the position. As the person who held the position it was up to someone else to prove they were better than him. Even without Hermione's help the best that McClaggan would have done would have been to tie Ron. At that point I would still go with experience. Add in McClaggen is a jerk and it isn't really a hard decision.

Zach's comments don't show any inside information that Ron actually performed poorly they are just cheap shots. 


> 
> Magpie:
> Commentary on Quidditch games has always been biased and included 
> personal remarks, and I just don't think it's that surprising that 
> something like this would get said, however McGonagall says the 
> commentary is supposed to go. If McGonagall didn't force Zach to 
> retract his statements (as you claim she would have done with Lee), 
> perhaps she thought it was okay. I don't recall being told that 
> McGonagall was bending over backwards to not look like she's 
> deflecting criticism from her own house, etc. 
> 
> But however McGonagall feels about what Zach said, whatever 
> punishment she did or didn't give to Ginny (perhaps Ginny's claim it 
> was an accident saved her), I simply don't think it's bullying. To 
> me, bullying requires more than just insulting someone in any 
> context. Draco's accused of buying his way onto the team by Hermione, 
> but I don't think she's bullying him when she says it.

jkoney:
I think it's the fact that McGonagall didn't force him to retract his statements like she did with Lee that makes it look like she is bending over backwards.

If you don't think it is bullying than do you believe that verbal insults are a prelude to bullying behavior?

After all if you can get away with insulting someone the next step is verbal or physical intimidation.

If you are going to insult someone, you must expect them to stand up for themselves. Maybe Zach was only expecting words to be thrown back at him. That was his mistake. Zach started it, Ginny finished it. I don't have a problem with it.