Gentle Readers,

 Dr. J. has received a pair of missives related to his recent post on Dolores Umbridge as the fictional figurehead of the Progressive Movement.

The Czar sent this interoffice memo via owl:

To: Dr. J. 

From: The Czar 

Re: Dolores Umbridge 

Dear Dr. J.: 

It isn’t popularly known, or popular to reveal, but JK Rowling is a strong supporter of common sense government; she started out desperately poor, as you recall, living out of her car—for which she blamed Labour and its inherent progressivism. 

When she got fabulously wealthy after the first book, she lost most of it to taxes and decided that government had gone far enough. The Umbridge character is most definitely a shot at Progressivism, and not a coincidence or even a clever interpretation. She’s IT. 

Great post, because we think that most people familiar with her character HATE her, and fail to recognize what she’s supposed to be.

Czar, as always, you are spot on. She is the most loathsome creature in all of the Potterverse, and that includes the 25% who were members of Slytherin! Dr. J. just wonders how many of Dr. J.’s lefty friends and colleagues find her as awful as Dr. J. does.

He picked up the meme from a Facebook friend from Governor’s School back in the day. She’s a Wiccan, and hard to peg as a progressive or a libertarian. So it’s hard for him to tell if her dislike of Umbridge is projection of self-loathing or her freedom loving streak.

Regardless, she was moved by Puter’s post on the Catholic Church’s views on homosexuality, and learned a lot about the difference between Catholics and the Catholic Church.

Bluesun also writes on the same topic. His blog can be found here. Dr. J. hopes you read him everyday.

He writes:

Dear Dr. J, 

Your post yesterday about Dolores Umbridge and the progressives of the world reminded me of the famous CS Lewis quote: 

“Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.” 

Great minds and etc.Too bad they can’t just build their city on a hill and leave the rest of us alone. 

One would hope that the kiddies who read Harry Potter will keep Ms. Umbridge in their heads as they grow up… 

Best regards, 

bluesun

Dr. J.