Re: Part III
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The analogy of racism, while it fits in many respects and perhaps provides a certain emotional punch, is not a perfect fit by any means. IMHO using the term 'racism' and only that term to describe the prejudice against Muggleborns elides these differences.
It doesn’t have to be a perfect fit to work. Also, I’m not suggesting (and nowhere have I suggested) that only the term racism be used to describe prejudice against Muggle-borns (and/or blood prejudice in general). I’m saying that racism is a valid term to apply to prejudice against Muggle-borns (and blood prejudice in general), and I’m suggesting that people recognize prejudice against Muggle-borns (and blood prejudice in general) as being a form of racism.
For instance, I don’t exclusively use the term racism for blood prejudice. I may call it blood prejudice, pure-blood-ism, blood purism, pure-blood supremacy, prejudice, bigotry, blood based bigotry, racism, blood based racism, etc. With regards to the blood prejudice specifically aimed at Muggle-borns, I would add xenophobia, anti-Muggle-born-ism, anti-Muggle-born bigotry and anti-Muggle-born prejudice. Ones’ vocabulary need not be decreased by recognizing blood prejudice as racism.
Regarding calling blood prejudice racist as “[seeming] to [you] that doing so allows [other] disturbing elements to go unchallenged”:
Blood prejudice is racist in all cases. Blood prejudice is also xenophobic, in the case of Muggle-borns, some half-bloods (e.g. half-n-halfs with a Muggle parent raised in a Muggle community), Muggles, and Squibs. Blood prejudice is also classist in some cases (in the case of some pure-bloods against all blood qualities seen as beneath them, and in the case of some half-bloods against all blood qualities seen as beneath them). Blood prejudice is also ableist in the case of Muggles and Squibs. See, nothing got denied by my calling blood prejudice racist.
[*] I’ve been, up to this point, mostly talking about wizard on wizard blood prejudice, but I would include anti-Muggle prejudice and anti-Squib prejudice under the umbrella of blood prejudice in general.
Also, notice how racism applies across the board of blood prejudice. This indicates to me (among a few other reasons which I've already discussed) that racism is the biggest and overarching factor in blood prejudice. The other factors are still recognized and are still recognized as important factors, though.
(cont.)
It doesn’t have to be a perfect fit to work. Also, I’m not suggesting (and nowhere have I suggested) that only the term racism be used to describe prejudice against Muggle-borns (and/or blood prejudice in general). I’m saying that racism is a valid term to apply to prejudice against Muggle-borns (and blood prejudice in general), and I’m suggesting that people recognize prejudice against Muggle-borns (and blood prejudice in general) as being a form of racism.
For instance, I don’t exclusively use the term racism for blood prejudice. I may call it blood prejudice, pure-blood-ism, blood purism, pure-blood supremacy, prejudice, bigotry, blood based bigotry, racism, blood based racism, etc. With regards to the blood prejudice specifically aimed at Muggle-borns, I would add xenophobia, anti-Muggle-born-ism, anti-Muggle-born bigotry and anti-Muggle-born prejudice. Ones’ vocabulary need not be decreased by recognizing blood prejudice as racism.
Regarding calling blood prejudice racist as “[seeming] to [you] that doing so allows [other] disturbing elements to go unchallenged”:
Blood prejudice is racist in all cases. Blood prejudice is also xenophobic, in the case of Muggle-borns, some half-bloods (e.g. half-n-halfs with a Muggle parent raised in a Muggle community), Muggles, and Squibs. Blood prejudice is also classist in some cases (in the case of some pure-bloods against all blood qualities seen as beneath them, and in the case of some half-bloods against all blood qualities seen as beneath them). Blood prejudice is also ableist in the case of Muggles and Squibs. See, nothing got denied by my calling blood prejudice racist.
[*] I’ve been, up to this point, mostly talking about wizard on wizard blood prejudice, but I would include anti-Muggle prejudice and anti-Squib prejudice under the umbrella of blood prejudice in general.
Also, notice how racism applies across the board of blood prejudice. This indicates to me (among a few other reasons which I've already discussed) that racism is the biggest and overarching factor in blood prejudice. The other factors are still recognized and are still recognized as important factors, though.
(cont.)