JK Rowling denied top US honour

BBC ^ | 9/30/2009 | BBC

[Saije]

Harry Potter author JK Rowling missed out on a top honour because some US politicians believed she "encouraged witchcraft", it has been claimed.

Matt Latimer, former speech writer for President George W Bush, said that some members of his administration believed her books promoted sorcery.

As a result, she was never presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

The claims appear in Latimer's new book called Speechless: Tales of a White House Survivor.

He wrote that "narrow thinking" led White House officials to object to giving Rowling the civilian honour.

The award acknowledges contributions to US national interest, world peace or cultural endeavours.

Past literary recipients of the award include John Steinbeck and Harper Lee.

Others denied the privilege under the Bush administration included Senator Edward Kennedy, who died in August this year.

Latimer claimed, in his book, that the veteran politician and health care activist was excluded because he was deemed to be too liberal.

[Saije]

Another juicy tidbit from Latimer's book and I don't find this one all that believable either. If Rowling was rejected for the Medal of Freedom it wouldn't exactly be a surprise. Her books may be entertaining best-sellers but that wouldn't seem to be a sufficient reason for her to get this kind of recognition from the President.

[mnehring]

Not giving her the medal of freedom is one thing, however, saying she ‘encourages witchcraft’ is like saying that Walt Disney encouraged poisoning apples.

[ConservativeMind]

I’ll never forget being in a bible study in which one of the elders of my church (who was the person giving the study) brought up how he was looking forward to the next Harry Potter book to read with his kid. He said the books encouraged youth to understand good versus evil.

One lady in our packed room raised her hand and then asked him how he could justify encouraging the reading of books that are based in witchcraft and wizardry, especially for children.

I was known for having pretty solid justifications to any position or opposing position brought up in class. However, on this one, the elder looked at me as though I would help defend his position. I smiled and simply shrugged. :-) It was funny watching him recover and justify the books.

[JLS]

Exactly,

1. Some people who supported the president do not like the witchcraft in her books.

2. She was not given an award.

This does not necessarily imply causality.

[plain talk]

why would we give a civilian honor to a foreigner?

[Billthedrill]

What would we give a Medal of Freedom to a British author of children’s books for? I mean, they’re great books and she’s sold a boatload of them, but a Medal of Freedom? Why?

[TurtleUp]

Oh, come on! She was a guest of the White House several times, even reading from one of her books at the Easter Egg Roll one year. If she didn’t get every honor in existence, that doesn’t mean she was discriminated against.

[wbarmy]

In what way did Rowling's books contribute to US national interest, world peace or cultural endeavours? They pretty much just encouraged her pocket books. As for getting people to read, C.S. Lewis's books are being read by three of my five children (the other two are still working out See Jack Run).

[bgill]

Snow White shacked up with seven dwarfs. Half of Disney’s characters are naked from the waist down. And dogs owning dogs is just shy of slavery.

The HP books promote goodness over evil, loyalty between friends, acceptance of those different from ourselves, and the value of learning.

[Saije]

“why would we give a civilian honor to a foreigner?”

I thought of that too and did a quick search. Foreigners are given the Pres. Medal of Freedom. Tony Blair. Mother Theresa, a bunch of others.

[CaptRon]

Why, exactly, would she get the Presidential Medal of Freedon. No Americans eligible?

[CodeToad]

“As a result, she was never presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. “

Um, she’s never done that, promote freedom, wo why would she be given the medal? I didn’t get one, either.

[GeronL]

Not giving her a medal she didn’t deserve is a big deal?? Can we give her the Presidential Medal of Literacy?? How did she ever promote freedom?

[ThomasThomas]

I didn’t get one either.

[ari-freedom]

if anyone should get a medal of freedom it should be this man for teaching kids (especially from very culturally deprived backgrounds) how to read in the first place:

Zig Engelmann

[Candor7]

Unmitigated BS. Rowling is not a US citizen for one thing, which makes the hurdle for the CMF a lot higher for her. Her books would have to have a significance beyond entertainment, either in a spiritual or revelatory way. Has she discovered anything new? Has her writing positively impacted our civilization wholesale? Has she by her writing liberated the minds of men and women the world over?Has she become a philanthropist with her massive wealth?

No.

She writes great fiction that borders on a mind f__k. That alone doesn't make the grade.

JR Tolkien would be a different matter, if he were still alive.

[PLMerite]

I like the HP books.

That said, I don’t think they rise to the level of the Medal of Freedom.

[calex59]

There is no need to justify a work of fiction. The books don't encourage witch craft because they are patently untrue and merely for entertainment purposes only. Any person with a brain can recognize the difference between fiction and a work that would really encourage the practice of witch craft.

These books are entertaining and they do have a good moral to them overall, I feel sorry for self righteous people who let their religious fervor over ride their good sense to the point they can't even read a work of fiction for fear of being contaminated.

[MamaB]

I was wondering the same thing.

[paudio]

Did Enid Blyton, James Herriot, or Roal Dahl get the Medal of Freedom? How about Tolkin?