Every few years, there's a story in the Daily Prophet about a baby that died because its parent(s) left it silenced and forgot to take care of its basic needs. The Ministry formally classifies using the Silencing Charm on a baby as a form of child abuse, but this rule is almost never enforced, and very few parents are able to resist the temptation forever.
Lily's comments about the IRA don't necessarily reflect the attitudes of the author. It wouldn't be surprising for a 1980s British muggle to view the IRA as nothing but a violent threat. I was specifically avoiding having Lily call Voldemort “wizard Hitler”. I thought of having Lily say “wizard Charles Manson”, but I don't know whether a British person would have known much about Charles Manson.
Approximate readability: 11.19 (606 characters, 132 words, 6 sentences, 4.59 characters per word, 22.00 words per sentence)