[HPforGrownups] "M**blood" and handicap (was Re: James the Berk?)

[Jocelyn Grunow]

No: HPFGUIDX 106299

on 15/7/2004 1:46 AM, delwynmarch at delwynmarch at yahoo.com wrote:

> I know I was always a bit surprised by the strength of the reaction
> the word created. To me, that smelled of guilty conscience. I mean,
> even if someone insulted my friend on the basis that he's Black or
> Jew, I wouldn't react so strongly, even if they used an insulting
> word. I'd say "Yes he's Black, or Jew, and so what ??". But *nobody*
> reacts that way in the WW. And it makes sense : it's because they
> *all* have guilty conscience. They *all* believe that indeed Muggles
> are disabled, and thus inferior and useless, but they won't let anyone
> dare saying it out loud.

I think it's more like using 'nigger' or 'kike'.  Not just the fact, but a
judgement of inferiority as well.  Muggle is a value-neutral word.  Mudblood
is an insult.

Jocelyn