Not many U.S. Wizards

[blpurdom at yahoo.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 27203

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., j.franklin at m... wrote:
> > I beg to differ.  If Diagon Alley serves the entire British Isles 
> (or even just the Island of England) and Hogsmeade is the only all 
> > wizarding village in the U.K., then the liklihood of a wizarding 
> > district in "most cities in the U. S." is very small.  It is far 
> > more likely that U.S. wizards make up a small percentage of the 
> > total U.S. population.
> > 
> > In fact it is probable that U.S. Wizards comprise a smaller 
> > percentage of the U.S. population than wizards comprise of the 
> > European nations.  If wizarding is passed down both as a 
> > science/art and as a genetic disposition, it is easy to predict 
> > that the U.S., as a realtively new nation lacking a wizarding 
> > tradition and being notoriously hostile to the emergence of 
> > witchcraft, would have seen a precipitious decrease in the 
> > wizarding passed on from generation to generation.

I must strongly disagree.  One must merely consider the fact that 
outcasts from countries all around the world have gravitated to the 
U.S. in the "pursuit of happiness" and the conclusion that must be 
drawn is that the U.S. would be likely to have a wizarding population 
comparable to if not greater than most European nations, which tend 
to be very homogeneous still and where people who are "different" 
stand out like sore thumbs.  In fact, I suspect that the seemingly 
small number of British Isles wizards might be directly attributable 
to the siphoning-off of the wizarding population to the U.S. in the 
late nineteenth century.  North America has more opportunities for 
far-flung, well-hidden wizard enclaves that might remain unknown to 
Muggle society.  This would appeal greatly to such a secretive group 
looking to make a fresh start, just like the large variety of 
religious and ethnic groups who found shelter on these shores.  Plus, 
they would be able to connect with wizarding Native Americans...
 
> > This goes part and parcel with my final point.  Wizarding is 
> > contrary to the American ideal.  In wizarding, all men are not 
> > created equal.  There are greater and lesser talents, and some 
> > have no talent at all.  

This does not explain how wizarding is "contrary to the American 
ideal."  In truth, all humans are NOT created equal.  But the point 
of our system of government is that people are supposed to be TREATED 
equally, regardless of any demographic baggage or innate ability (or 
lack thereof). In practice, of course, this doesn't always happen 
(or, if you're being very cynical, you could say this seldom happens).
Having magical ability does not make you incapable of participating 
or wishing to participate in a democracy, and as JKR illustrates, 
being a wizard doesn't automatically make you ANYTHING, egalitarian 
OR elitist, it just makes you MAGICAL.
 
> > The British, on the other hand, have magic as a part of their 
> > national history.  Arthur would not have been king but for a 
> > wizard named Merlin and an enchanted sword and stone.  The Druids 
> > were up to something at Stonehenge, the evidence of which still 
> > stands.   

There are a variety of very old folk legends from North America that 
illustrate the yearning toward magic of people who live here.  The 
fact that we have elected leaders rather than "anointed ones" does 
not preclude that yearning.  There are some very ancient 
archeological findings on this continent that are right up there with 
Stonehenge, which was, after all, just a very large and unwieldy 
calendar and observatory (and probably one of the oldest extant 
public works projects, in addition to the pyramids...).

--Barb