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MAY 12, 2006 at 3:52 AM
Posted by CHEESER
Source: Gwinnett Daily Post via Yahoo! News
A challenge to remove all of JK Rowling's Harry Potter books from the library shelves of Gwinnett Public Schools in Georgia has failed
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The school board there voted Thursday to keep the books available. It was the final action for a petition that began in November and culminated at an April clash in which nearly 100 people attended to voice their opinions.
Laura Mallory, a parent of three children at an elementary school in the district, argued that the books encouraged witchcraft and demonic activity. It was later revealed that she had never read the books. School board officials said the process for determining the series' suitability was unbiased, and they sought mainly to decide if the books were obscene or not.
Still, removing the books would have opened the school system to "ridicule by many of its citizens as well as citizens of the nation," Su Ellen Bray told the Gwinnett Daily Post.
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Student
Points: 229
silva_gabby says:
They cant remove HP from any chool!!!
Posted May 15, 2006 at 2:07 PM EST
Order of Merlin, 3rd Class
Points: 1511
MonsterDEnd says:
I hate when I hear about people who try and pull stunts like this. Calling HP demonic? How do they come up with that stuff? Where in all the books does it say that any of the characters worship the devil or anything of that sort? Just like most action books or movies, its about about good verus bad, thats all. People who try and get away with these crazy ideas are the people who don't have imaginations and too much free time on their hands. They need to get a life.
Posted May 15, 2006 at 2:56 PM EST
Seer
Points: 15207
Brittany Radcliffe says:
Well thats great!
i'd hate to see kids miss out on such a great book just because of what other people think the book is.
Posted May 15, 2006 at 4:01 PM EST
Witch
Points: 945
*Pixie Princess* says:
They better not take away those kids' Harry Potter! I think it should be the kids/parents decesion to not read it, that way, at least if they want to read it they have the option to look in the school libraries.
Posted May 15, 2006 at 4:04 PM EST
Prefect
Points: 354
Ron&Hermione-forever says:
Thats a bunch of BULL. I'm from the USA and I'm sick of hearing parents say that the books promote killing and witchcraft. (the reason I think they want the books off the shelves is because they are witches themselfs, literaly.) This is totaly ridiculous and upsetting to hear parents try to get such great books off the shelves. And to Mrs.Laura Mallory in Georgia, why don't you read the books and you might see they're very educational and it promotes reading not witchcraft and killing. And if she does think the books promote killing, by people waving their wand and saying a curse then she's really messed up in the head, but wait... shes already proved that hasn't she. So to all you people that think Harry Potter books are bad, you might want to try reading them (because none of you do) and you might want to try keeping your mouth shut because you don't know what your talking about. And if you won't let you children read these great books your depriving them from using their imagination and your not very good parents in my mind.
Posted May 15, 2006 at 4:16 PM EST
Squib
Points: 103
purplesky123 says:
Good that the books are going to stay in the library i read the first 5th from the library. Harry potter is soo good there are a lots of other books that are fantasy anyways Laura lady noboday forceing her or her kids to read if she dont want to dont but why stop it for others??
Posted May 15, 2006 at 4:20 PM EST
Student
Points: 262
Dobby's_Cute says:
I am glad that has failed, I think these books encourage kids to have an imagination, people can make their own decisions!
Posted May 15, 2006 at 4:36 PM EST
Squib
Points: 166
Erikson Witch says:
You bet they would've been ridiculed...taking off the HP books while leaving countless others that would be a better candidate to remove would be pretty stupid move. I'm glad they realized that HP is NOT obscene and that the opinion of someone who has never read any of the books just doesn't count!
Posted May 15, 2006 at 6:07 PM EST
Order of Merlin, 3rd Class
Points: 1426
~Hermione says:
Seriously, that is ridiculous. If they take away Harry Potter books from that library, children can read them from another one. Also, that parent haven't read the book.
Posted May 15, 2006 at 7:15 PM EST
Witch
Points: 596
SlytherinsPerfectPrefect says:
That is one thing that I don't like about these people that make such claims. They claim that this series promotes witchcraft and demonic deeeds when they have never even read the books. If you want to make comments about the book, be sure that you have actually read them first...
Posted May 15, 2006 at 7:29 PM EST
Muggle
Points: 42
Professor Padfoot says:
Wow! They are the best books I have ever read. Why would nobody not want to read them?
Posted May 15, 2006 at 7:46 PM EST
Auror
Points: 3252
Tenshi says:
You just gotta love that... it's like saying you don't like some food even though you've never tried it... If they're against Harry Potter and its fiction, then they may as well go on a book-burning spree and burn down entire libraries! They're overreacting!
Posted May 15, 2006 at 9:40 PM EST
Auror
Points: 2572
Roswelladdict says:
How crazy would someone have to be to think that taking a book out of a library is a good thing? Honestly? It baffles me that people pbject to a book that is FICTION and has inspired millions of children to read, it is like they are saying heaven forbid a child read a book and think that is a good thing! People just make me mad with stupid things like this. Glad it didn't actually pass.
Posted May 15, 2006 at 10:07 PM EST
Silly Squib
Points: 3741
Mat Madcat says:
argued that the books encouraged witchcraft and demonic activity. It was later revealed that she had never read the books
Oh, she never read the books. Hmmm imagine someone voicing an opinion on something that they have no knowledge of. Ya, that doesn't happen often:P
Posted May 15, 2006 at 10:23 PM EST
Silly Squib
Points: 3741
Mat Madcat says:
Sorry for the double post Mod's, feel free to nix this if you read it. I felt the need to comment after reading someones reply.
SiriusBeau~I am writing this letter to the editor in regards to an article in a Georgia’s Gwinnett Daily Post
Boy, very nice work on the letter, Cheri:) Its funny how books are always getting blasted for so called things they may represent or preach. These opinions from afar are always comical on the first read because they seem to never have their facts straight. And they never do, thats always the kicker in my opinion.
On aside note, people sure like to make a fuss about books they may see unfit, but where are these same people when a movie has someone being blownup! I don't see picket lines out front of the new MI:3 movie, and i'm sure theres a few casualities in that one;) And for what, to facilitate a pathetic story which offers little or no point.
Posted May 15, 2006 at 10:40 PM EST
Auror
Points: 2353
Loretta says:
Good for the school board! This is not Fainheight 451. All that mother has to do is instruct her children not to read the books. It is not the best interest of the commonwell of all for one individuals to dictate their views to control all. The last I heard this was a democracy.
Posted May 15, 2006 at 10:58 PM EST
Constant Reader
Points: 2848
Starla Jean says:
This exact situation happened here in Michigan. Except it passed. When the first Harry Potter books were released the Zeeland Public School Board chose to ban the Harry Potter books. I don't know if that is still in effect but it happens. Just so you know I live in a very conservative Christian part of Michigan. (not that there is anything wrong with that) that is just the way it is.
Posted May 15, 2006 at 11:31 PM EST
Order of Merlin, 3rd Class
Points: 1453
smart hermione says:
REMOVE THE BOOKS? I go to a church school and we've got three sets of the books in our library. Oh that's rich, judging the books without reading them!
Posted May 15, 2006 at 11:45 PM EST
Professor
Points: 1150
Witch_one_counts? says:
I can't believe that people actually think that about the Harry Potter books! I read a chapter out of them every night to my little brother, and he doesn't engage in "demonic activity" I May think he's crazy, but that is beside the point! Shame on you people for saying that about Harry! Have a great day everyone :)
Posted May 16, 2006 at 12:00 AM EST
Student
Points: 220
Magical and Mysterious Me says:
I am glad that some states are going to keep HP in the libraries. People shouldn't judge things that they have never done before. Lets say that you never rode a roller coaster before and you say that you hate riding them (roller-coaster riders, I don't mean to be rude but I was scared of them about a year and a half ago, but now I like riding some of the less extreme ones; I apologize if I had offended you). That is like the old saying "Don't ever judge a book by its cover".
~Magical and Mysterious Me~
Posted May 16, 2006 at 12:46 AM EST
Muggle
Points: 42
Magus Prime says:
Has this mother ever read the books, to say they encourage witchcraft and demonic activity is to totally not get the meaning of HP. HP signify the importance of love, friendship and goood versus evil. And these three main points are supposible what religion is all about. So if this lady had read HP she would know that HP books are the best:)
Posted May 16, 2006 at 6:31 AM EST
Head Girl
Points: 436
hermione_granger12 says:
EVIL PEOPLES!!!!! they shouldn't have tried to ban it in the first place!
Posted May 16, 2006 at 7:48 AM EST
Auror
Points: 2198
Black Vulcan says:
Man yeah yo. I was wondering why they were not any more HP books in my library. That junk had pissed me off.
Posted May 16, 2006 at 8:40 AM EST
Auror
Points: 2563
School Governor says:
Hooray, a victory for common sense!
Posted May 16, 2006 at 12:36 PM EST
Auror
Points: 2108
phoenix_feathers says:
Proves that people are purely stupid, let's think here, Harry Potter, demonic? I thought it was so funny the other day when I heard a girl say that JK. Rowling was a witch. I laughed myself to tears because of her pure stupidty. None of Jos books promote witchcraft, they just involve it.
Posted May 16, 2006 at 4:42 PM EST
Muggle
Points: 43
Xtreme_witch says:
THEY TRIED TO REMOVE HARRY POTTER???? i live next to gwinnett (i live in fulton county). Thank goodness it didn't work. i hope they don't try to take harry potter from fulton!!!
Posted May 16, 2006 at 8:11 PM EST
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