Forget about abortion, stop worrying about gay marriage and never mind euthanasia, the new issue getting the Religious Right all riled up is: Harry Potter. No, seriously. In Georgia, an evangelist is working to get Harry Potter books banned from public schools on account of it being evil. The Werewolf Prophet over at Street Prophets has put together a nice timeline of Laura Mallory’s crusade.
September, 2005: Laura Mallory, evangelical Christian mother of four, filed a complaint to ban the Harry Potter books from J.C. Magill Elementary where her children attend school. She objected to the books because of their “evil themes, witchcraft, demonic activity, murder, evil blood sacrifice, spells and teaching children all of this.” Media review panels (composed of parents, teachers & community members) from the school and the district ruled the books should remain. Mallory appealed to the Gwinnett County school board.
Mallory has admitted she’s not read the book series partially because “they’re really very long and I have four kids. I’ve put a lot of work into what I’ve studied and read. I think it would be hypocritical for me to read all the books, honestly. I don’t agree with what’s in them. I don’t have to read an entire pornographic magazine to know it’s obscene.”
Oh, no! Surely they didn’t teach them any Unforgivable Curses? Crucio! Imperio! Avaada Kadarva! Oh, that’s even worse than comprehensive sex education!
April, 2006: Prior to the County school board hearing, in an article in the Gwinnett Daily Post, Mallory is quoted as saying “I think the anti-Christian bias — it’s just got to stop. And if we don’t say something, we’ll just keep getting pushed out of the schools. And I pay taxes, too, and I think that gives me a voice to speak out about this.”
But, but, but Harry Potter is Christian! They celebrate Christmas in, like, every book! In fact, there isn’t a single character in the books who isn’t Christian, I don’t think.
May, 2006: The Gwinnett school board decided the books encourage children to read and should remain in school libraries. Mallory appeals to the state education board.
Good point. Kids like Harry Potter. They like to read Harry Potter. It should get many of them to start reading other books. Well done.
December, 2006: Without discussion, objection or comment, the Georgia State Board of Education upholds the Gwinnett school system’s procedure, ruling that the county school board acted appropriately when it voted to keep Harry Potter books in school libraries. The state board did not consider the merits of the books in making its decision.
During the state appeal hearing, Mallory said the popular books are harmful. She said the stories encourage children to perform spells and that the books’ good characters lie, cheat and steal and are not punished.
Not punished? Five points from Gryffindor! And detention for you, Potter.
April, 2007: Mallory has appealed to the Gwinnett Superior Court, which will hold a hearing May 29 to “review the decisions made by the state and local boards of education on this issue” says district spokeswoman Sloan Roach.
Very persistent of her. I wonder what the other parents think of Mallory. What a witch.
Cross-posted at The Flying Fascist
The woman is a psychopath. I think it's funny that she says she doesn't need to read the books to know that they're bad. That's like saying you know some people are evil just by looking at them.
(if you can't see the fnords they won't eat you)
Okay, so they are trying to ban yet another book, and presenting their case as morally right because Harry Potter promotes the supernatural, witchery, and oh my yes, tomfoolery. I have to laugh yet frown at the simplisitic attitude of some people
As a parent I read much of what my kids read when they were smaller. I read all of the Harry Potter books, and am waiting for the last one to come out. Why did I read them? To find out what all the hoopla was about and because my kids thought they were so interesting. I found them funny, interesting, and a good read. Yes, they are fantasy books. Hello people, fantasy. Made up. Not real.
Did either of my kids try to perform the spells, no. Did they think Harry Potter was real, no. Should any book be banned simply because it is about a somewhat controversial subject? No.
I remember when certain books were on the "ban" list when I was in school, they made you want to read them more. I remember wondering what the big deal was...so I went to the main library off school grounds and checked out books like Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn, Tom Sawyer, or books like "Lady Chatterly's Lover" etc. Yes, believe it or not when I was in elementary school the real version of Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer were banned because of "racial" language.
"A prime part of the history of our Constitution...is the story of the extension of constitutional rights and protections to people once ignored or excluded." ~US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg
I just love this woman. She makes the rest of society look pretty darn intelligent.
"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." -Dr. Seuss
"May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. May the warm rays of the sun fall upon your home."
This is hilarious. I haven't read any of the Harry Potter books nor do I plan on doing so, but the woman is a complete loon. It's a fictional book meaning it's not real! If the children start casting spells and try to fly with a broomstick, then I think you should be concerned about the child's ability to separate reality with fantasy.
And she really has no sort of evidence that the books are bad if she hasn't even read them--let alone any have sort of case in the first place. Sure the later books are quite long, but the first few are the size of a normal novel. But I'm guessing reading any bit of it would kill her.
"the books’ good characters lie, cheat and steal and are not punished."
Oh really? Well, I'm sorry, ma'am, but that's how the world functions. No one said that books had to be sugar-coated in goody-goodness.
------
"They can smash your cookie, but you'll always get your fortune."
My blog
If she wont let her kids read them at home then they will find another way to read them. She should read them then make a sound decision from there. The books are made up, and if the kid do start casting spells and pretending that they can fly on broom sticks, then fine what ever. As long as they know that it is fake.
Random yet insightful?
My favorite bits:
"During the state appeal hearing, Mallory said the popular books are harmful. She said the stories encourage children to perform spells and that the books’ good characters lie, cheat and steal and are not punished.
Not punished? Five points from Gryffindor! And detention for you, Potter."
and
"April, 2007: Mallory has appealed to the Gwinnett Superior Court, which will hold a hearing May 29 to “review the decisions made by the state and local boards of education on this issue” says district spokeswoman Sloan Roach.
Very persistent of her. I wonder what the other parents think of Mallory. What a witch."
I'm a Christian from Georgia. :P
She says it would be hypocritical to read the books, but how can she argue against something when she doesn't even understand the something?! Know what I mean?
And I'm totally for Harry Potter books- but just because they celebrate Christmas doesn't necessarily mean they're Christian- but your comment made me laugh anyway. ;)
"I feel that there is nothing more truly artistic than to love people."
-Van Gogh
if they actually got banned. There fictional for a reason! NOT REAL! You can not promote something if you claim that it is fiction! a duhr!
-------
visit my blog
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/emily-hansen
...in the Atlanta area. Personally, I get ticked off that we have to keep wasting MY taxpayer dollars to continuously defend the schools from this woman's personal crusade.
I think that her admission that she hasn't read the books is the most telling fact in this case. Her objection to these books is utterly without basis, and she hasn't even taken the FIRST necessary step that would be necessary to consider her opinions as having an informed basis.
Personally, I think Mrs. Mallory has become infatuated with the media attention that has been directed at her.
percivale
Perhaps a "Make Ms Mallory repay the good folks of Georgia her idiocy has harmed" campaign is in order ;)
"Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored." -Huxley
"It is unwise to be too sure of one's own wisdom. It is healthy to be reminded that the strongest might weaken and the wisest might err." -Gandhi
I have to say, this woman may be the craziest person I hear about all day.
The definition of insanity is to repeat an action expecting different results.
Why doesn't she just tell her kids not to read them and stop trying to force her beliefs on someone else's children? Oh yeah because the other kids must be wizards planning to ambush her kids with spells and brooms....
I bet her kids celebrate Halloween, decorate eggs for Easter and even (gasp) can't tell you half of the stories from the Bible! It's time for this lady to get her priorities straight.
You know I do not think anyone has a right to be calling this lady all sorts of things. You just have to put yourself in her place and live her life for a day, you know?
When this woman stepped into the public arena in her crusade to use her religion as an excuse to start banning works of fiction that she has admitted she hasn't even read, she has lost any shield that her personal experience might have offered.
percivale
-------------------------
"Vi Veri Vniversum Vivus Vici." ~ V.
Sorry, there are plenty of us that have read and love the Harry Potter series. When a woman that comes and admits that she hasn't read the books, and wants them banned because she thinks they promote witchcraft, there will be us who defend the series. She also pulls her arguments from very select sites. There are Christians who promote the series because of the morals it does show. If she would look at those Christians, perhaps she would change her mind.
~C
Visit my blog: www.progressiveu.org/blog/mvenus929
Read the news: www.progressiveu.org/news
Yeah, I totally agree to that. If this woman actually knew what the books were about, seeing how she has said she has no time to read them, she could change her mind.