Insight and connection to real world through a book

I wrote this earlier and it may sound a little rambling; sorry about that....

I have recently come into quite a different opinion regarding the, in my opinion, unexpected and, at the time, shocking news about one of my favorite characters in the HP series.
When I first found out, apparently a long time after everyone else, that Dumbledore was gay, I thought it was just another one of those stories that circulate about stuff that is usually just rumors. But once I realized the statement JKR made was true, I was flabbergasted. Unintentionally, my view of him started to change and did not like that. Then, trying to reevaluate, I started to think, well, so what? That certainly doesn't diminish the great things he's accomplished. Just because someone is different than you, doesn't mean they aren't as good a person as yourself.
So anyway, I read that editorial on MuggleNet and I found it very, very, well written and the defense presented was well said. It is true that most people who discriminate against others are generally influenced by the ones around them; just following the crowd (kinda like a herd of sheep) ;).
It's a bit disappionting because, right this moment, we're probably all being influenced in some way by society. Sometimes it's as if we can't have opinions of our own, we're too busy doing and saying what everyone else wants us to.
Anyway, I could probably say more on the issue of "doing things for other people and instead of for yourself," but I won't right now. But that editorial definately put things back into the right perspective for me. It's amazing how your views can be swayed without your knowledge of it.

Kid Nation on tonight! :)

~vanessa