[HPforGrownups] Re: muggle baiting vs. muggle torture

[P J]

No: HPFGUIDX 155427

Magpie:
>All Wizards know about Muggles, no matter how much actual contact
>they have with them.  And they all speak of them, off-handedly, as
>being inferior.  They're entire society seems rather based on the
>idea.

PJ:
Of course they know muggles exist but I believe we were shown exactly how 
much real information wizards have about muggles and muggle culture during 
the TWT.  All those jazzy outfits they used to "blend in".  Genuine fonts of 
muggle knowledge weren't they?   <g>

Y'know, National Geographic tells me via my television that some group of 
peoples in the world today still use reed boats or handmade canoes because 
they don't know about cabin cruisers... Personally I think that's kind of 
quaint.   I can admire their ingenuity while still wondering how they manage 
without electric motors, etc.   Does this mean I look down on them as 
inferior?   I don't believe it does...  I'm facinated with their ability to 
get along without the things I take for granted in my daily life and I 
sometimes wonder if I would be able to live that way.   I think most people 
in the WW share a similar curiosity about Muggles as I do about that tribe 
in the Amazon.  I can't imagine why that would be considered wrong.  I find 
it about as normal as normal can be...

Magpie:
>One of the results of the candy--an easily forseeable and presumably
>desired result--is the panic

PJ:
What we have are a couple of *kids* who are so used to the effects of 
strange candies that they don't consider all the ramifications of giving 
them to a muggle.  Immature, yes.  Even ignorant and stupid, but I didn't 
see it as intentional cruelty on their part.  And certainly not muggle 
baiting since they told their father straight out that it wasn't because he 
was a muggle, it was just because he was Dudley...

If it had been an adult wizard who'd dropped those candies for Dudley I 
might more easily see your point of view but having raised 4 teens I can 
tell you that they aren't always the brightest bulb in the lamp and that 
sometimes they don't think too far ahead in considering the consequences of 
their actions.  If they did I'd certainly have fewer gray hairs to cover 
up.... <g>


PJ