One reporter reacts to JKR's revelations

[susanmcgee48176]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at yahoogroups.com, "Carol" <justcarol67 at ...> 
wrote:
>
> 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
>


Okay, what do I consider immoral....
Let me think about this..the things that jump to my mind are hurting 
other people, assaulting someone, being verbally abusive, 

There are things that I find distasteful....things like certain 
sexual practices....I find the idea of incest even between consenting 
adults distasteful...

I don't think spanking (I'm talking here about swatting a child on 
the rear end, not beating a child) is per se immoral, although I 
don't consider it an effective means of child guidance....I don't 
smoke and have a very hard time with cigarette smoke....yes, I think 
adultery's wrong...but it's one of those judge not lest ye be judged 
things....I have the hardest time with people who are unnecessarily 
harsh or unkind to their partners or children...not criminal 
behavior...just lack of compassion....I find all kinds of injustice 
immoral.people being punished who don't deserve to be 
punished....littering, befouling a scene of natural beauty,
more later...I have to go take my son to get a haircut..

Susan