JKR messed up........ no.

[prep0strus]

No: HPFGUIDX 178486


Del:
> However, when it comes to equating Muggleborns to homosexuals, I must
> point out that the comparison falls apart on this point, because
> homosexuals were *never* invited into the "heterosexual world" to
> begin with, so they can't be evicted. They are in the situation
> Muggleborns would be in today if Slytherin had had his way: not part
> of the WW. Now imagine that some Muggleborns discovered the existence
> of the WW, and asked to be included in it, because they have magic
> too: this would be a much closer similitude to the current situation
> of homosexuals. Should they be included because they have magic, or
> should they be kept on the outside because (fill in reason)? We know
> the WW has had that debate for centuries.

Prep0strus:

The wizarding world/real world analogy, which is apt when used to
describe how a majority thinks it can control the actions of a
minority that is doing nothing harmful is apt.  The analogy falls
apart because you are creating heterosexual and homosexual 'worlds'. 
There is no 'eviction'.  We are talking about personal actions taken
in 'the' world at large - both fictional and real.  And, while you say
the muggleborns would not have been invited into the wizarding world,
homosexuals attempt to live in 'the' world.  Unfortunately, I suppose,
in this analogy, there is no other world for them to give their wands
up for and return to.  For the most part, though, your arguments have
struck me as loathsome and offensive, so I prefer to focus now on the
issue you bring up of Muggleborns never being invited to bear wands
and join the world.


That in itself is an interesting topic - because these muggleborns
have exhibited signs of magic.  Now, it is likely that many would go
their whole lives not realizing what they can do, or being freaked out
by weird coincidences.  Maybe undergoing persecution.  Perhaps they
would have found little ways to control it - made a name for
themselves as muggle magicians, even.  What really seems likely,
though, is that over time (though, and not meaning to be glib here...
my argument stems at this point from the ideas of evolution, mutation,
and natural selection, which may not be as accepted a doctrine on the
board as I might have thought previously) certain individuals would
stand out.  They would learn to understand their skills even better,
and recognize others with those skills, and learn, and teach, and
probably devise how to make wands on their own.  Or even learn how to
control their magic without wands, with an entirely different device
or method - the wizarding world for the most part really seems hobbled
by their necessity for wands.  

And, can easily imagine, this is how it started in the beginning -
whenever magic entered the human race, either at the beginnings of
civilization, or later on, those early wizards had to come to
understand and control their magic and develop into communities.

Now, when these special individuals in the modern muggle world begin
to do this, the difference is that a community already exists.  Now,
that community can be welcoming and accepting, or it could reject
them.  But ignoring them does not seem like it would work for long -
the cycle would repeat itself until they had their own community, and
likely were able to discover the existing magical community on their
own.  The wizarding community, could, I suppose, target these
individuals and 'remove' them from society, I suppose.  Murder of
outsiders that challenge the status quo is always a possibility.  But
it seems more fruitful (and of the good side of humanity) to
incorporate them into society, as they represent no threat as
individuals.  Only in the abstract could an argument be made for their
threat, and one could be made for any individual.

It seems the majority of people in the wizarding world should want to
help these people, as we all hope the majority of people in the world
want to help and care for other people.

The ideas of exclusion and suppression exercised by Voldy's crew is of
course reminiscent of any other totalitarian regime, and just as
absurd.  The idea that muggles could steal magic somehow... it's
implausible even for a children's fantasy villain.  And yet I see
arguments as thin as it in real life that appear to be accepted by
many, so perhaps I am naive.

Perhaps the wizarding world has no obligation to help muggleborns -
but has no authority to hinder them, or block those who would help
them.  The rights of the minority are a very dear concept.  And when
those rights do not impede on the rights of the majority, are
sacrosanct.  Live and let live... protections exist from true
democracy so that when 51% of the population believe something, the
other 49 aren't destroyed.

I think the incorporation of muggleborns into the wizarding world is
good for the individuals as well as for the wizarding world (and
really, the muggle world as well).  And after they've been there for a
while, they're indistinguishable from the population.  Good for the
early wizards who decided to help those who were outsiders, but like
them. 

~Adam(Prep0strus), who appreciated Miles' original analogy for how one
can think about a dominant group attempting to judge and control a
minority group, and was fairly startled by an active defense of the
dominant group's behavior.