[HPFGU-OTChatter] Re: Here we go again <sigh> ... Another HP-banning attempt

[Richelle Votaw]

What annoys me about this sort of thing, is that 99.9% of the people wanting to ban Harry Potter haven't actually read it.  I'm a very devoted Christian, and I happen to also have a good concept of the difference in reality and fantasy.  There is a huge difference in real life witchcraft and fantasy stories.  Fantasy is, well, just that.  Fantasy.  The Chronicles of Narnia and the Lord of the Rings trilogy are commonly referred to as Christian literature.  Crossings book club (a Christian book club) had to issue an apology when they included an insert selling Star Wars Episode 1.  Yet they included the first LOTR movie in their catalog, not as an insert but as one of the main selections.  What is Gandalf, if not a wizard?  His staff?  A really big wand.  

For that matter, what exactly is the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella?  A witch. A good one, but a witch nonetheless.  What about Merlin in The Sword and the Stone?  A wizard.  What about The Wizard of Oz?  Glinda, the Good Witch.  And I could go on, but I'll spare you.

If someone doesn't think their child should read Harry Potter, that's fine. It's their business.  There are ways around it without banning the books from an entire school or school system.  For example, a library can have a block on certain books for certain children.  System not up to that?  A post-it note works just as well.  If the teacher's reading it aloud, have permission granted for the child to read their own book in the back of the room or out of the room.

Richelle


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