[HPforGrownups] Shocked and Apalled!!

[Stephanie Becvar]

No: HPFGUIDX 7079

Be Forewarned: Angry Rant to Follow

I live in Texas, and sometimes i am extremely disappointed to say that here, 
people live up to a bible banging hick stereotype.  In a school district 
near me, October brought up a nasty fight between district administrators 
and parents.  What were they fighting over, you ask?
The Harry Potter books of course!  MANY parents who had refused to allow 
their children to read them "based upon witchcraft and wizardry and magic" 
were complaining about the availibility of the books at school.  So what did 
the district do? They banned the books from the library.  Also, while yes, 
if your parent permits you to read the book, you may bring it in, BUT the 
kids arent allowed to talk about the book or lend them to each other.  
Parents were also petitioning for the adding of a non-Harry potter 
merchandise to the dress code etc, aka no Harry Potter notebooks or tshirts 
etc.  When i saw the parents complaining, it was before i had read the 
books.  I said, well, ok i guess that makes sense.  Then i read the books.  
I mean, they obviously celebrate christmas and easter dont they?  They fight 
the evil dark forces dont they?  I mean, they portray the FAIRY TALE version 
of a witch, not the new crap we are subjected to today where i walk down the 
halls and see people in all black claiming to be satanists.  I can not even 
begin to state my anger, banning books, flashback to the 50s 
much?!?!?!?!?!?!
While yes, i will say that the books may not be appropriate for children of 
some ages.  My electronics teacher was telling me that his wife reads the 
books aloud to his kids (who are 6 and 8 but LOVE th books) and leaves out 
things she does not feel they are ready for...aka violence....bad 
language....and specifics about torture, and fills in gaps with toned down 
versions of the material.  But i mean, these people are acting out on 
religious grounds and this makes me wonder if they have even READ the books. 
  I would call myself fairly religous(I am lutheran not that it is 
important) and the books dont bother me AT ALL....Anyways...to end m rant, i 
am shocked and appalled at this act and wonder when people will realize that 
fiction is fiction, that their 9 year old will want to fight the bad 
side....i mean, kids KNOW that Magic doesnt exsist as well as grown ups do.  
Maybe more so.  I can not tell you the innumerable conversations my mother 
had while decorating the Christmas tree, using about 30 strings of lights, 
pretainging to our wish for a wand and an "Attatchio" spell to make our 
lives that much easier.  Thanks for listening and let me know if you think 
that the administrators were within hteir rights to do so.

Stephanie, The Shocked



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