Dumbledore's Army - Activity #2

[http://users.livejournal.com/midnightdream__/]

Alright, are you guys ready for our second activity in the DA?! Put your thinking caps on and join in on our first debate!


The Debate:
Here is the topic up for discussion:

In the Harry Potter books, Dumbledore's Army is a student-run organization that was founded for learning more about Defense Against the Dark Arts and other spells in general. We know that anyone wanting to defend themselves better are allowed to join. However, do you agree with this? Should the DA be open to absolutely anyone, or should it be an exclusive group?

Can the members really trust anyone when someone has already snitched on them? If you think it should be exclusive, state why and give reasons (ie: age restrictions? Tougher contracts?). And the same goes for the opposite, if you believe it should stay a completely open club (ie: school unity? Prejudice issues?). No matter what side you're on, explain why it should be that way.

Although the DA was mostly non-existent in the last book, we are going to approach this discussion as if the group is alive and well and will continue to run into Book 7.


What To Do:
-First, you need to choose a side. Open, or Exclusive? I am hoping that we will end up being fairly split on our choices, because I really do not want to force certain Houses to each side! This is a debate, and we need people fighting for both sides!

-Once you made your choice, comment to this post below with why you feel your option is the best one for the group (bold "Open" or "Exclusive" in your post to make it easier to tell what side you're on). Examples and book information can be highly useful in stating your case.

-Do not switch sides once you're on one.

-You can then reply to any opposing side comments.

-Be as thorough and firm as you can, but keep language to the PG-13 rating of HiH. This is a debate but it's also meant to be fun! If I see any comments that are rude and/or out of line, you will not receive any points for that post.


The Points:
First comment - 10 Points
Each additional comment with more than 3 sentences - 5 Points
Each additional comment with less than 3 sentences - 1 Point

Duration:
Thursday, October 26th - Monday, October 30th at 9PM EST.

***DON'T FORGET*** - Sign each comment with your name and House OR use a sigtag! If you do not, your points will not be awarded!


------
Hey, are you not a member? Join us!


--Emily,
Gryffindor ♥

Comments

Exclusive baby!

[jackie.livejournal.com]

Exclusive.

I say exclusive because I'm far too cynical about the world. I feel there are people who will stab you in the back and turn you in.

However, I also think that while it should be exclusive, they shouldn't completely discount all people. Perhaps a screening process?

Anyone else have thoughts?

Jackie//Ravenclaw

Exclusive

[jiffner.livejournal.com]

Exclusive

The DA needs to be exclusive. Look what happened when they let whoever wanted in to join. They were ratted out. Granted most of who joins will do so for the right reason, but there are going to be the ones that wants to screw it up for everyone else. Say have a "Sign Up" meeting for those who want to join and have some sort of screening to know who REALLY wants to learn. Not just cause problems. And then stick with the whole contract thing, just in case.

Jennifer//Hufflepuff

Exclusive

[astronomychica.livejournal.com]

I would vote exclusive because if someone snitched on them once, what's going to stop another from snitching on them again. Actually, I'm too cynical to let all people join. In agreement to cinderbella, they shouldn't discount all people, but they should make it harder to join. Give them tests to see how they would handle certain situations.

Jordansan the Hufflepuff

Open (because no one else has the minerals...at least, not yet...)

[reblsocr19.livejournal.com]

(bonus friendship points if you know where the quote in the subject line's from...)

I vote open. With any exclusive group, you run the risk of eventually weeding down the membership until there is no diversity. A lack of diversity can stunt actual growth in many ways. The DA in OotP is an excellent example of how diversity of personality, of background, of intelligence, and of perspective can transform a rag-tag group of students into capable fighting machines.

We have people like Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Hermione, who are no strangers to fighting against Voldemort and his minions. They are the ones with experience, with know-how, and with the resourcefulness to actually do some research on various methods of Defense(whether it be reading books or thinking back over previous experiences). We have older students, like Fred, George, The Gryffindor Quidditch Girls, Cho, Marietta, etc, who are older than the Trio, and who can add some of their more advanced classroom knowledge to the mix. And then we have students from the other Houses -- Terry Boot, Michael Corner, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Susan Bones, Ernie MacMillian, just to name a few of the top of my head -- who bring in other personalities and ways of thinking into the group.

I think it was wrong of the DA or exclude all the Slytherins. Clearly, not all of them joined the Inquisitorial Squad, and in HBP we see that not even all of Harry's classmates in Slytherin are LV-sympathizers (I'm thinking in particular of Blaise Zabini here). Plus, Slytherins have skill sets that most members of the other Houses do not, traits that are (somewhat) decisively Slytherin traits- resourcefulness, cunning, ambition, determination, stealth, subtlety, etc. These students could add immensely to the already vibrant mix of the DA as it stands now, yet the DA is lacking some of those traits and perspectives which are absolutely crucial in a wartime setting.

Even our staunch, definitive DA members possess traits that could have landed them in another House: Harry with his Slytherin-esque resourcefulness and determination; Hermione with her sharp Ravenclaw mind; Neville and his Hufflepuff work ethic and loyalty. To exclude someone simply on the basis of House bias or perceived qualities is a disservice to the excluded and a missed opportunity for the DA to grow and expand.

However, just because the DA is open doesn't mean we can be cavalier about membership. I completely agree with Jackie, Jennifer and Jordan about having strict responsibilities once you have committed to becoming a member of the DA. With the Ministry ever curious as to what goes on behind closed school doors, we simply cannot take the risk of spilling our secrets out into the open for any little bug of a reporter to get a wiff of. I definitely think there should be some kind of binding, magical contract that must be signed/taken/pledged before one's membership becomes official. If a potential member refuses to make the necessary committment to the DA, then by no means should they be allowed entrance. However, the contract should be straight-forward and honestly presented, and done in such a manner that the potential member knows what is expected of them, what the consequences are if they choose to break their word, and what they as the applicant should expect of the group as a whole. And obviously, the contract should be presented before the applicant is officially granted entrance into the DA.

(I challenge thee to a duel...)

(http://photobucket.com/)

Re: Open (because no one else has the minerals...at least, not yet...)

[astronomychica.livejournal.com]

but to invite Slytherins would spell trouble.
They would have run straight to Umbridge.
I do agree with you on the diversity issue but inviting Slytherins, especially those in the company of Draco would be disasterous.

Jordansan the Hufflepuff

Re: Open (because no one else has the minerals...at least, not yet...)

[reblsocr19.livejournal.com]

But like I said, not all Slytherins are 'in the company of Draco'. There are six other year's worth of Slytherins who may or may not think Draco's the coolest since sliced bread. And if they truly wanted to join and learn DADA (especially if they needed an escape from pressuring parents/relatives), then who are the Trio or anyone else for that matter to say no? Even AD tried to get Draco to turn at the very end of HBP. So even the worst of the worst, so to speak, may want some place to turn to whenever they get in over their heads.

~Samantha Cate//Ravenclaw

[astronomychica.livejournal.com]

I agree with SamCate with the diversity issue. There would be slim to none without Slytherins. However, inviting Slytherins would be *no bueno.* Especially those under the tyrannical rule of Draco and his minions. Who, in turn all follow Umbridge like she's God or something. It makes me mad when they do that and then when the members take an oathe to protect the secrecy of the club that they would go and rat their friends out.

Jordansan the Hufflepuff

[http://users.livejournal.com/midnightdream__/]

I agree with your way of thinking, but - how could the non-Slytherins possibly tell for sure who was under Draco's rule and who wasn't? Sure, most students in that House seem to all follow Draco's way of thinking, but that really can't actually be the truth!

And we know that it's not just the Slytheirn House that poses a potential threat, just take Marietta for example. She was a Ravenclaw and still buckled under pressure and ratted the group out (which made me mad, too!)

Emily || Gryffindor

[jitterbug5bi5.livejournal.com]

I say it should be kept open, but I agree with Samantha about some kind of magically binding contract being needed to assure secrecy before a member is accepted. Making a group totally exclusive would not only rob them of needed diversity, but it would probably drive away some people who they might really want/need to join the group, but would find the group to be too elite or snobbish once it was exclusive. Also, the Trio haven't exactly shown themselves to be the best judges of character, so how are they going to properly choose who will be loyal and is ok to join, and who isn't? And a binding magical contract would nullify any danger of a Slytherin or any other potential member ratting them out, so there would be no real need for exclusivity.

(http://www.flickr.com/photos/44124406648@N01/271081876/)

[http://users.livejournal.com/midnightdream__/]

I think overall, the DA should go Exclusive. For the most part, there needs to be tougher restrictions on who can just simply join. I don't think automatically excluding all Slytherins is a smart move, but the group shouldn't be openly advertised to all of Hogwarts. I think the best course would be to have it at invite only - basically, if they come to you and ask, then you can join. Random people shouldn't be just walk up to the current members and ask what this new club is. Any student could be a potential spy or follower of Voldemort and being able to join the club so easily could be a major threat.

I agree with a lot of the comments already posted about a tougher contract and screening process. There needs to be something more costly than simply getting purple warts on your face. Along the lines of a binding contract, as mentioned a few times by Samantha and Jitterbug.

Unfortunately with a group like the DA, there will always be potential snitches, and other than Slytherins! We've already seen this - and from a Ravenclaw! So it shows that anyone can mislead you or end up cracking under pressure and in the end, rat the entire group out. In the end, I think the group needs to buck down and be a lot more careful.

Emily || Gryffindor