Affect of Election on HP (OT sort of); Duplos/Leggos

[Penny & Bryce Linsenmayer]

No: HPFGUIDX 5450

Hi --

Ebony wrote:

> Anyone who says this election is not relevant to Harry Potter is
> out of their minds.  It is not inconceivable that the result of this
> election will determine or influence whether or not I can teach
> Harry Potter in my classroom.

This is very true -- and partially influences why I think these
discussions can continue for now.  One only needs to think about the
recent Supreme Court decision Santa Fe Independent School Dist. v. Doe
to know that it's a fairly fragile majority on the Supreme Court
upholding our Bill of Rights.  This particular ruling had to do with
whether students could deliver a Christian prayer over the public
address system at public school functions (such as football games).  The
Supreme Court held 6-3 that this violates the Establishment Clause of
our Constitution.

This is the *same* school district that recently banned HP in the
classrooms and requires parental permission slips to check HP out of
school libraries.  Muggles for HP is actively fighting this decision.

The *same* school district has also, incidentally, narrowly (4-3) voted
against a proposed ban of books with even a single word of profanity (a
ban that would have prevented the instruction or use in classrooms of
such classics such as Where the Red Fern Grows, Pride & Prejudice & Call
of the Wild).

The election affects the future character of the Supreme Court.  The
Supreme Court has an enormous amount of influence on our daily lives.
Changing the composition of the Supreme Court could affect a number of
"rights" that we all take for granted.

> Here, hundreds of registered voters DID NOT VOTE after
> standing in line for hours due to inept polling facilities.  Federal
> judges were appealed to on behalf of these voters here and in a
> few other places nationwide (largely urban, poor, and
> minority)--unanimously, these were struck down.

I was a bit confused by television reports last night -- is this the
reason that a judge in St. Louis ruled that the polls there needed to
reopen &/or stay open a longer period of time?  I never heard an exact
reason but it makes sense that this could be the reason.

Thanks to all who cleared up my confusion on duplos.  I have a lot to
learn, eh?  <g>

> Presidents may come and presidents may go.  But long live
> Harry Potter--the Boy Who Lived!!!
>

Thanks Ebony!!

Penny


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