I'm grateful for the judge's decision ... furious that it was ever brought up in the first place!

Ga. Judge: Keep Potter Books in School

By HARRY R. WEBER
Associated Press Writer

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LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. (AP) -- The adventures of boy wizard Harry Potter can stay in Gwinnett County school libraries, despite a mother's objections, a judge ruled Tuesday.

Laura Mallory, who argued the popular fiction series is an attempt to indoctrinate children in witchcraft, said she still wants the best-selling books removed and may take her case to federal court.

"I maybe need a whole new case from the ground up," Mallory said. The woman, who said two of her four children attend public schools in the county, was not represented by an attorney at the hearing.

The ruling by Superior Judge Ronnie Batchelor upheld a decision by the Georgia Board of Education, which had supported local school officials.

County school board members have said the books are good tools to encourage children to read and to spark creativity and imagination.

J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter books, published by London-based Bloomsbury Publishing PLC, tell stories of children with magic powers. They are the most challenged texts of the 21st century, according to the American Library Association.

At Tuesday's hearing, Mallory argued in part that witchcraft is a religion practiced by some people and, therefore, the books should be banned because reading them in school violates the constitutional separation of church and state.

"I have a dream that God will be welcomed back in our schools again," Mallory said. "I think we need him."

Rest here:
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/P/POT...EMPLATE=DEFAULT

Sean

Good for the judge.
Of course, I am for removing Harry Potter from society period, but that is an aesthetic thing, not a religious one.
Give the kids something better to read than Hairy Pothead.
"The Once and Future King"
"A Wrinkle In Time"
"The Thief of Always"
Any number of books, including the phone book, would probably do them more good than reading substandard novels. I will never figure out why the most popular young adult literature is always the worst. Made me go from reading "Hardy boys" to Stephen King. I think I read maybe three or four 'Young Adult' novels that I liked when I was a kid, then got a hold of a bunch of bad ones and ran like hell for that adult section. LOL.
Anyway, back to topic. Just another case of Christians damning something for publicity. Harry Potter, Teletubbies, Bugs Bunny, Mighty Mouse, what will they think of next?

I think the problem in this issue is that, as is said in the last quote about needing god back in school, it is believed god needs to be allowed through the doors, by law. And so someone says that. That they hope he makes it back. When , to my understanding of the scriptures, god is in everything and it is but us, that believes it needs a specific name, a specific attachment to a sectarian philosophy, and as such is biased as to who he is faithful to, in accord with those that hold specific faith in him. I thought god would enter school, with the heart and mind of every child that believes he is alive in their faith. And I find it odd that anyone living with that spirit in them, would then think , when they enter school, it doesn't come too.
And if one wishes for prayer in school, is not god always listening!? Or does one need the laws to establish a moment, for him to pay attention. I'd think not. But I could be wrong.

So when I read someone run to the courts, claiming a work of childs fiction can threaten the faith in the heart of a child, I think what that person is saying, when they tell it to the record, how weak their god is. I'd think one would pray for someone this afraid. But I could be wrong.



Bravo, Lady Justice!

When I was a kid we had just about everything under the sun in our library. I remember reading various books that had witches and magic in them. This never seemed to be an issue. For me, even at a young age the books would interest me but I never was influenced by them. We read Tolkien and Dahl and many others in the fantasy and sci-fi genre. All it did was improve our reading skills, which is what books do. I am a Christian although a bit of an odd one by comparison and I see nothing wrong with the books. What's next? We ban the Munsters from late night TV?

Well, I'm in favour of the judge's decision, as I don't believe a fictionl book about a wizard should be removed on the basis that it encourages children to take up witchcraft, or violates the constitution.

I do believe, however, that the HP books are awful, and children should be encouraged to read books which are at least well written.

My headmaster caused a stir when I was at school. First of all he moved the bible to the popular fiction shelf and then, when parents complained, he removed it entirely and confined it to the RE department, and he said if the parents pushed any harder he would order it to be locked in a cupboard.

I remember in junior high, writing book reports from our schools library collection, about witchcraft, astronomy, etc... I never then, imagined such a thing to exist as a "Banned Books List". Because at recess or study hall, I'd always have my nose in one, so it could never occur to me that that could be forbidden, depending on what it had to say, and according to someone else's judgment then, it wasn't fit to read.

If I was headmaster of a public school, I'd have every holy book, from every faith including the pagan publications, in the reference section. Because in general collections, in my experience visiting various States across the country, left there they tend to get checked out and then disappear. As if by magic. While the librarians tell me, it's largely because some people don't think they should be allowed on the shelf.

When someone doesn't think a book about personal faith, isn't allowed to be at option for everyone, they say they also feel there are certain people they can not tolerate to exist. Because those books forbidden, speak to someone in a community. And if we'll ban books, we'll ban people. If we burn books we'll burn people that read books. There's a history of that char already. We can't afford to let it ever happen again, and call ourselves civilized, having learned something from our past mistakes.

Hmm does this mean that they should remove the Chronicles of Narnia because they have a witch in them too? Small minded people who freak over things they fear and then try to remove from that fear have no business taking cases to court like this. There are of course entire video series (I kid you not) offered by at least one televangelist I've seen about the "dangers of harry potter". So now this comes along. I recently watched "Jesus Camp" and the people through that church were saying the same thing. Funny thing is did anyone of them, this woman included, bother to actually READ the books before condemning them as works of the Devil? Sadly I think about the poor kid who doesn't get to read a wonderful series of books that have bonded kids and their parents on something as worthwhile as reading.

And who exactly does this shrew Mrs. Mallory think she's going to protect from those insidious and diabolical Harry Potter books? Her kids? All the small, fragile, impressionable, children of the great big evil world? Look, if your such an inept parent that you cannot control what your child.....CHILD!!!.....watches and reads(at home OR school) then you should be hoping God grants you better parenting skills...........Judge not, lest ye be judged, yeah right.

I hope they never read His Dark Materials or they would want to ban that too.

And I'm surprised that this actually comes out in the news

Anyone with half of a brain ought to know that the "Witchcraft" in Harry Potter is genuinely fantastic, and is completely different than what Witchcraft really is. J.K. Rowling is a writer of fantasy, not religious studies. Clearly the mother is completely unaware of what Witchcraft actually is, and is probably too biased to accept it as what it is if she learned about it if this is the type of thing she brings to court.


Highly ironic that she debates that "Witchcraft" in books is violating the separation of Church and State, yet wants God back in our schools. Utter hypocrisy. Does she not realize that God is part of Christianity, which is one of the largest religions on Earth? Essentially reading anything, by this logic, violates church and state, since most everything informational might talk about a person that is of a religion and thus "indoctrinates" the children with this blasphemy. I'd expect to see something like this on Comedy Central, not in our courts. If she is that radical about Harry Potter in schools, why doesn't she send her kids to a private Christian school or home school them? Taking them out would also ruin it for the parents that allow their children to read these books, and essentially the Witches that have children in public school. Apparently she does not understand that radicalism is not appropriate for everybody.

a better tactic might be removing "Gideon's Bible" from hotels.

My thoughts Exactly!!!! She needs to start at home.. . If she has her child in an atmospher where they are exposed to something she opposes, then she should trust in her child/children not to partake....thats like banning swim suits at the beach

I don't know why people even make a big deal out of Harry Potter books. I think people are smart enough to know that they're works of fiction. I don't see the harm in Harry Potter books. They're entertaining stories. If they get kids to read then they're good. Some Disney movies have magic in them. Fairytales have magic in them. By that woman's logic we shouldn't watch Disney movies or tell fairytales either. I think the judge made a good decision.

I just don't get it... this has been going on for several years now...have people gone completely zonkers? I remember (I think it was) about 5 years ago when one of my kids decided to read the first books. I said to let me read it first as I heard (or read) that those books were a bad influence or something. So I read them and they're just fantasy novels, for f...by golly!!! I know ALOT of kids and teens who absolutely LOVE the series and not one of them have been trying to get themselves into Satanic cults, tried riding around on broomsticks, made evil potions or tried any curses or spells. This is most likely due to the fact that MOST people (teens and kids included) still have their common sense and know it's all just a story. Granted, there are people who do not like the novels and that's understandable. But certain people who want to make a big stink out of nothing more than a fairy tale...well, they need to be locked up into the kookoo barn!! There are other types of 'fantasy' media that have far more influence on people than Harry Potter ever did. Just ask the trekkies and anime fans - and even all that is done in good fun, as most sane people with common sense understand.

Sean

.....of all the things to get upset about.....Harry (freekin) Potter ????....gawd!.......B











halfhandshuffle:Black Sabbath - Dio - Neon Knights
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPoMTiecRdY

What is a "headmaster"???

A "headmaster" is much like the "principal" of schools in America.

hell yeah!!

i love that Judge!!!! >.>
<.<

the mother is on crack!!!
there is nothing wrong about Harry Potter
if there is evil in it cause of "witchcraft"
that is just so wrong!
and ignorent
and i say down with anyone who sais different....

Don't know what happened to me previous post...oh well.

I, for one, have to disagree with some of you here; I like the books. *shrugs* Blame it on an unimaginative childhood.

Now, let's look at the basis of the Potter books. There's a wise, benevolent authority figure and a malevolent antagonist. Now, the benevolent headmaster tries to teach his students to use their "gifts" wisely, to take caution not to harm others without just cause, to take embrace the bonds that hold friends together. Hmmmm....where have I heard this before? The malevolent villain is out to conquer the world and rule it, murdering and corrupting as he goes along, crushing the forces of good at every opportunity. This just seems so familiar. Good battling evil, with a little mischief here and there. The two head figures that represent both sides. The little fables thrown in for good measure. That's it! J.K. Rowlings has rewritten the Star Wars saga! I knew I'd read it before!

edited 'cause I wanted to

ahh yessss, Harry Potter and Star Wars....I have the proof!!!
Click to view attachment

What a horrible way to publicly say that she doesn't trust her children. I go to a Christian HS, and we have the whole series of the HP books(Book 7 July 21 WOO!). It's fiction anyway. Some people need to just loosen up and let some stuff go.

The other night in my hotel...Becky was playing with this book she found..I could hear the pages ripping a lil, so I jumped to see what the heck she was messing with..........it was the Gideon Bible lol

I took it clean off her, then for some mad reason, I began to read it yes thats right BM was reading the Gideon Bible!!!

To my surprise, it had a section in there for EVERYTHING... it was like a book of therapy--- for physical, mental, or behavioural disorders...it was ALL right there in that bible

Every last bit of trouble you are struggling with, it had it...I thouth it was fantasic <--yes I just wrote that lol


darn it I should have taken it home with me...I was going to...............but then thats stealing lol...Can just pic it now, BM getting done for pinching a bible from her hotel room

but I am going o get one.....I showed it to Gary, he was surprised it had the OT inside it, because he says, in his college, the Gid Bible never had the OT...but the one in my hotel room did

anyhoo I am going to buy me a Gideon bible.... <---words no one would ever believe BM would utter lol

Actually, hun, they put those in the rooms for people to take them. It's kind of a good samaritan tradition. Back in the day, people would rent a room and then commit all sorts of iniquities; adultery, suicide, etc. Wow, times have changed, haven't they? The Bibles were put in rooms for those who questioned their impulses, wishing to find some answers to their dilemmas. They're "gifted" to patrons, though it's left unsaid...if you don't have to spend the money to replace one, why push it...so that those who read them can continue their "search for truth" after their stay. The Bibles, much like the tiny shampoos, conditioners and soaps are yours for the taking. You missed out on one of your hotel freebies!

I know that now, IAMS told me in a pm also.............but at the time, I figured the bible was the property of the hotel.....so thats why I felt guilty

Thing is i don't wanna buy one...no, I just want a free one lol.......

If someone wants to send me a free Gid bible...pm me lol <---talk about a brass neck lol