Muggles v wizards redux

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 183222

So the conversation on OTC about JKR's latest story got me thinking 
about something we discussed a lot in the past, but I do not think I 
remember the answer to this particular question. Thinking about James 
and Sirius communicating with muggle police in the story made me 
think about muggles and wizards relationships, in particularly about 
why one would want to identify with muggles of the potterverse. Now 
before I will get the answer that's because we **are** muggles and I 
feel bad about how wizards treat muggles, let me just say that I do 
not think so ;)

No, I am not talking about wizards treating muggles badly; I fully 
understand the logic of this argument and to extent even agree with 
it. No, I do not agree that all wizards treat muggles badly, but I 
agree that even the best of them at some point behave 
condescendingly, so you do not have to tell me that even Arthur does 
that. And I know all about Tongue toffee and Dumbledore and Muggles, 
this is not what I am interested in learning right now. I mean I 
cannot stop anybody from talking about anything obviously, just 
trying to frame a question that I have.

So I guess the question is what are the reasons for you to identify 
with muggles in Potterverse? See for me, I do not see anybody in 
muggle world whom I can like or sympathize with, therefore I just, I 
guess cannot care for them that much. I mean, we see Dursleys and 
whom else? I guess we have Hermione's parents and those poor people 
that DE terrorize, but they are so minor characters that I am not 
sure that this is enough for me.

And I am not even talking about Dursleys deserving all that came to 
them, even though I do believe so that they did deserve it, I am 
simply asking that based on Dursleys I just cannot understand how one 
can root for muggles, you know?

And when I say I do not root for muggles much I do not mean that I 
want them to be killed, I do not mean that I want teenage Dumbledore 
and Grindelwald plans of domination over muggles to come to fruition, 
of course not! All that I am saying is that I do not get when wizards 
behave condescendingly and patronizingly towards Muggles, I do not 
get why it upsets people. I absolutely DO get why it would upset 
people if wizards cause muggles bodily harm, therefore while I enjoy 
Toffee incident a great deal, I get why it upsets people.

Are you identifying with Muggles because the world described so close 
to ours and you feel that if there are wizards living nearby same 
things like memory charms can happen to you and this is scary? This 
is just pure speculation, but as I said I do honestly want to know 
the underlying reasoning.

Because again on its own, I HATE memory charms, I think that it is 
such a violation of personal privacy that it is not even funny. But 
in these books it does not bother me at all; it feels to me simply as 
means for wizards to stay away from muggles. I mean, it is plausible 
for me to imagine JKR portraying some muggle and describing how charm 
caused him harm and be very angry about it, but she does not do any 
of it here.

Do you just think that what wizards do is wrong and even if we do not 
have positive characters from muggle world, it is still wrong no 
matter what? But then again, I get if you condemn wizards for it, but 
where is the sympathy for muggles comes from?

Having said all that, I have to say that this does not mean that I 
would want to live in WW as it stands at the end of the books either, 
I do have a hope that Harry and CO sufficiently transformed it for me 
to may want to stay longer after my imaginary visits there.

The thought of living in the world where any child of mine can have 
Snape as a teacher and have a headmaster who may ignore my wish to 
have my child be brought up by a friend of the family gives me chills.

The thought of living in the world where those who know how can 
mentally rape you and be privy to your deepest secrets (HA, not like 
we have much privacy in real world these days either) gives me chills 
as well.

But all the characters I like live in WW and that what makes me 
rooting for it.

Thanks guys,

Alla