Posted on 10/04/2006 6:54:36 AM PDT by SmoothTalker
"A suburban county that sparked a public outcry when its libraries temporarily eliminated funding for Spanish-language fiction is now being asked to ban Harry Potter books from its schools."
"Laura Mallory, a mother of four, told a hearing officer for the Gwinnett County Board of Education on Tuesday that the popular fiction series is an "evil" attempt to indoctrinate children in the Wicca religion."
"Board of Education attorney Victoria Sweeny said that if schools were to remove all books containing reference to witches, they would have to ban "Macbeth" and "Cinderella.""
There is a lot of satire in HARRY POTTER, which would attest to the lack of seriousness about witchcraft in the book.
Rowling played the whole thing for laughs. Granted, the book has dark & serious undertones as well, but the whole witchcraft thing is more a vehicle for secular entertainment rather than pagan instruction.
But this is a lady who won't take "no" for an answer.
She's on like her fourth appeal on this one. Bet her next bright idea is to file a mandamus lawsuit in Gwinnett Superior.
It's her right (and her money), but she's still a dingbat.
Everybody is just amazed that this lady waited 7 years to fuss about this, and then is SO persistent. If she were pursuing some kind of worthy cause with this much enthusiasm, she could do a lot of good somewhere . . .
I tried the petrificus totalis, but it didn't work...
Apparently something happened at some point, which got the attention of the news media.
It sounds like she is a real piece of work, but it's also clear that nobody's been deprived of a Harry Potter book through her efforts, so I don't see how the public's been harmed.
Gwinnett has had an incredible influx of Hispanic immigrants, most of them illegal. The county used to be mostly white with some black residents (there are historically fewer minorities in N GA) now it is almost majority Hispanic (IIRC - heard this from a friend a few weeks ago who lives there). The illegals don't pay taxes, don't spend money locally (they send almost all of it back to Mexico), live 20 in a house, and are a drain on the county funds.
I imagine ill-feeling against those folks is the reason for the cutting of library funding for Spanish language books . . .
A kid isn't going to learn anything about actual magical systems from reading these books. Harmless fairy tale stuff.
Couldn't agree more; ban this work of fantasy, we might as well ban all works of fantasy.
The hyper-anti-Potterites (HAP's) are not swayed by this though. Given your point, they counter something like the following, "It (Potter) may not teach about REAL wicca, but it desensitizes kids to the notion of witchcraft, wicca, and everything else not Christian, making it seem more attractive than Christ, as a general notion. This will lead to the children, down the road, embracing REAL wicca."
Again though it all comes back to the main point, "Should we ban all works of fantasy, even works like the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, which are actually based in Christianity, simply because they aren't 'The Bible'"? (because this really is the ultimate reason, it can't be any other. No other book is worth reading BUT the Bible, at least to the HAP's)
It truly is amazing, amazing how some people don't think their rationale through to its logical conclusion. The logical conclusion here is to ban (and maybe even burn) all books but the Bible. Such people clearly haven't learned from history; hopefully we aren't doomed to repeat it because of their mistake.
The author wanted us to associate the Spanish question (public libraries) with the Harry Potter fruitcake (schools), for liberal propaganda purposes. That's the only reason to have mentioned the Spanish books issue.
Exactly. Make the Gwinnettians look bad.
It isn't me!! I swear!!
Scourgify failed me, too. My son has been carving himself "wands" lately. Maybe if I steal one from him...... :)
My husband and I were considering trying to buy a stasis machine on the black market...until we realized that would simply prolong the time until they MOVE OUT!! :)
Grimm's Fairy Tales has also frequently been on the list of books challenged or banned from libraries or schools, due to the witchcraft. A high school teacher in my area was prevented from staging the Greek classic "Medea" because the title character is a witch.
where is the "oh no not this s*** again guy" when you need him
And whose fault, exactly, would that be? Perhaps the Christian parents who didn't tell the kid HP was a work of fiction and the Bible is a work of faith?
LOL! I do see your point, but some women (and a few men) were just BORN with a case of the 'vapors', and nothing will suit them but to have the world revolve in a manner they personally approve of.
:-)
I'll bet this hag hasn't even read the books.
LOL, I always loved that expression "vapors".
(grin)
Me too!
I think the current equivalent in the FR lexicon is 'moonbat'.
:-)
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