One reporter reacts to JKR's revelations

[Carol]

Susan wrote:
> Oh, okay, so you're fine with the people who say that Africans have
 smaller brains and are less intelligent than Europeans/white 
people...after all, it's their opinion, right? They're not bigots?
> 
> And by the way, the constant statements that homosexuality is
immoral or abnormal ARE attacks on me and every lesbian and gay man.

Carol responds:
Forgive me, Susan, but you're combining unrelated concepts here. One
is a statement about brain size that can easily be disproved through
scientific evidence (which also shows that there's no exact
correlation between brain size and intelligence); the other is a moral
judgment (which I am not making) regarding human behavior (not the
emotion of love but the sexual relationship). I hope you'll forgive me
for dealing with this discussion on an intellectual level, but to me
that's better than hurt feelings and namecalling. (Which is worse,
being called a bigot or being called immoral? Which is worse, being
called "Snivelus" or being called a "Mudblood"? Namecalling on any
level, for any reason, hurts people's feelings. So I'm trying to keep
the discussion on a calm, rational level, about ideas rather than
feelings.)

I'm wondering whether there are any actions that you think are
immoral, for example, spanking, that other people might think are
acceptable behavior. I'm not talking about crimes, just things other
people do that disturb you and that you wouldn't want your children to
do. Is spanking immoral? Smoking in a house full of children? Closet
alcoholism? Reading porn magazines or visiting porn sites? Adultery?
Incest between consenting adults? Is any noncriminal behavior
justifiably called immoral, or is the word only used by religious
conservatives to pass judgment on those they disapprove of?

Just wondering what your view is on the subject. And don't worry. I'm
not going to argue with any of your judgments. I only want to know
what you think.

Thanks for reading this post. And please don't mistake my intentions.
I'm not trying to be inflammatory. Quite the opposite.

Carol, who is interested only in the concept of immorality and its
validity, not in condemning the behaviors that popped into her head as
possible examples