Why Harry Potter should be banned

[Skimmel_98 at yahoo.com]

Original Yahoo! HPFG Header:
No: HPFGUIDX C929
From: Skimmel_98
Subject: Why Harry Potter should be banned
Date: 4/4/00 10:50 am  (ET)

As promised, here is a summary of some of the main arguments
used against Harry Potter. These were taken from a web site put
together by a group fighting the banning in Michigan. The link
to that group, if you're interested and want to support them is :
http://www.mugglesforharrypotter.org/

In no particular order:

- HP Books have a dangerous main theme - You can escape the troubles of
the real world and find happiness in the fantasy world of the occult.

- Witchcraft and the occult are portrayed as harmless. HP books are
unique in that the children are the witches and wizards and that magic
is fundamental to their success.

- The books promote a disrespect for authority and reflect an anti-family
bias.

- HP books show people without magic as losers and know-nothings.

- HP books imply that it is all right to use evil to fight evil.

- They should be banned because they promote a religion by being permeated
with Wiccan doctraine. "After all, to the well organized mind, death is
but the next great adventure," is cited as being pure Wiccan philosophy.

- They should be banned because of their violent content.

- They should be banned because they have no educational value. Reading
HP will ultimately lead to readings adult horror novels. As such, HP is
leading kids away from reading better books that would lead kids to read
the classics.

These are not my arguments but the positions held by those who are
fighting to ban HP. In Michigan, they led to a decision to ban in class
reading of Harry and restricting library access to kids who had their
parents written permission.

What are our counter-arguments?