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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
.
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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Auror
Points: 2380
Phoenix's_Song says:
I go to school in Gwinnett! the lady that tried to ban the books has kids that go to my old elementary school... anyway, i heard about this weeks ago i can't believe she tried to ban these books! it was making mad yesterday. sure i own all of the books, but i would hate for my school to ban them from the library. GRR! i'm typing right now in the library (SHH!), and it would suck if the books weren't here. but, thank goodess they're staying!
Posted May 12, 2006 at 1:02 PM EST
Auror
Points: 2032
mgigs13 says:
I think it was hilarious that she had never read the books. as most HP critics are the same way.
Posted May 12, 2006 at 1:04 PM EST
Auror
Points: 2380
Phoenix's_Song says:
I was watching the news last night and the lady was even "crying". l0l. i'm sorry, but i thought it was funny. she's talking about making an appeal to the state about banning the books though... it probably won't come through.
Posted May 12, 2006 at 1:07 PM EST
Muggle
Points: 85
pixie22 says:
When I first started reading the books it was due to a local story on them. One of the churches in my town was doing the same thing. So I did what anyone would do I pick them up and started to read them. It was through their hate that I found these books so I guess even bad publicity can be good.
Posted May 12, 2006 at 1:13 PM EST
Order of Merlin, 3rd Class
Points: 1479
Newest Mrs. Weasley says:
Clearly, these people are idiots.
I hate to be mean, but COME ON.
Total Losers.
Posted May 12, 2006 at 1:29 PM EST
Witch
Points: 902
Potter_Pal says:
I work in Gwinnett; this has been a huge embarrassment. Thank goodness it is over and it was resolved “for the children" not against them. My daughter picked up Potter in 3rd grade and really learned to enjoy reading because of the series! Reading the Potter books has made a huge impact in her academic success
Posted May 12, 2006 at 1:43 PM EST
Azkaban's Most Wanted
(Moderator)
Points: 13598
Lord Zimkel says:
Good! What a bunch of bull sh** that is, anyway! Removing books from schools, what a GD joke. Fanatics, religious fanatics, that's what it's all about. I'm telling you, if fanatics had their way... bah, forget it.
Posted May 12, 2006 at 1:48 PM EST
Professor
Points: 1166
Cornelia Welsh Green says:
I cannot believe some people!!! How can you slander a book if you havent even read it? I had a similar problem with a coworker. I had asked her if she was going to let her daughter read them. And she said definatly not that they were "ungodly" or some such nonsence. Oh well some people are just mean.
Posted May 12, 2006 at 1:49 PM EST
Muggle
Points: 13
Victoria_Lovegood_Moody says:
witchcraft and demonic activity???
oh yes... now I remember... since I finished hp6 I like to spend my days dancing naked around a fire pouring frogs into a cauldron and worshiping the devil while I play some Marilyn Manson music... that really knoks me out!!
give me a break...
Posted May 12, 2006 at 1:50 PM EST
Goddess of the Moon
Points: 10680
dee_dee says:
some people should really do the research before they open their mouth and show to the world how stupid they are... I am glad that the school decided to keep the books... it shows that religious fanatics can't rule the world...
Posted May 12, 2006 at 1:55 PM EST
Student
Points: 284
martymcd says:
It appears to me that the Board of Governors have made the right decision. To me literature should be open to anyone to right of their own curiosity and volition.
Obviously I am an avid Harry Potter fan, and have I ever attempted to practise witchcraft? I think not; I simply appreciate the novels for their excellence in plot, characterisation, and what are actual Christian, if not moral, values of love and the combat of those who seek to do evil.
Posted May 12, 2006 at 1:57 PM EST
Order of Merlin, 3rd Class
Points: 1550
the_girl_who_lived89 says:
That's kind of weird! Don't they (Gwinnett Public Schools)have something else to do then try to remove JK's collected work. Are we living in the 21 th century or NOT?
Posted May 12, 2006 at 1:57 PM EST
Healer in Training
Points: 2661
nubian_weasley01 says:
I don't know why they want to exile the book. The books clearly makes children want to read more.
Posted May 12, 2006 at 1:58 PM EST
Witch
Points: 570
AvalonKarma says:
Oh you have GOT to be kidding e. Demonic activity indeed. And the witchcraft in HP is nowhere NEAR what real withcraft is (as in Wicca, Paganism etc -- of course if that is no your religion, then the "real" gets quotation marks). This lady is just nuts. Seriously.
Posted May 12, 2006 at 2:01 PM EST
Witch
Points: 693
RebeccaWatts+RobynWilson says:
who could ever even think of banning HP? and what's the point if you've never even read them either? now I'm (Robyn's) feeling even more depressed.. (I only got 95% on the HP PS test...I never even read the question properly! the films got me confused.. >.<)
if we were at that school, we would definitely vote to keep it back on the shelves. but imagine if it never stayed! oh that would just be..unimaginable!!
RW+RW
Posted May 12, 2006 at 2:02 PM EST
Student
Points: 205
Nicky says:
Whenever I hear people saying that HP is just about witchcraft and dark stuff it makes me so mad! That woman should be given a good spanking!
Posted May 12, 2006 at 2:04 PM EST
Muggle
Points: 13
Victoria_Lovegood_Moody says:
WAIT!!... u mean... Harry Potter is not about witchcraft and demonic activity???!!! what the f***!!... now I'll have to switch to Da Vinci's Code... 'cos that one is... right?
by the way... I'm kidding...
I don't understand people... they're just books... why they have to say everything is satanic... is it the new fashion word?
Posted May 12, 2006 at 2:13 PM EST
Ravenclaw Ambassador
Points: 3243
Nevar says:
To remove Harry Potter books from any library should be punished...it's not possible to ban Harry Potter books, they're just too popular...it's like trying to eradicate cigarettes...it's not possible.
N
Posted May 12, 2006 at 2:18 PM EST
Head Girl
Points: 471
the_very_random_girl says:
This type of story just makes me shake my head. We hear this on and off- people- and churches frighetened of childrens' books... Thank goodness not all those with an power related to religion or children take this view. I think one man at my church put this quite nicely:
"Saying we shouldn't ready Harry Potter because magic doesn't exist is like saying we should all wathch Sponge Bob Squarepants because fish are real."
Posted May 12, 2006 at 2:19 PM EST
Head Girl
Points: 471
the_very_random_girl says:
I meant read! Not ready! Read! Ah, typos!
Posted May 12, 2006 at 2:20 PM EST
Order of Merlin, 3rd Class
Points: 1499
Belle of the Ball says:
Good for them for keeping the books! I don't know why they would want to get rid of them. Children are starting to read more books now that Harry Potters come out. It's becoming cooler to read now.
Posted May 12, 2006 at 2:23 PM EST
Witch
Points: 622
Hermison says:
I knew that HP was not going to be banned, it would be ridiculous, plus first, you have to read the book in order to make an educate judgement.
Posted May 12, 2006 at 2:29 PM EST
LV Most Loyal DE
Points: 11454
Sinjin Of Montecore says:
If I was parent and had a child in the Gwinnett Public Schools I would remove my child from the school system for evening thinking of such a thing .......It never should have even come to a vote......With worse problems in the US school system they find HP books a problem......
Posted May 12, 2006 at 2:39 PM EST
Witch
Points: 520
Mrs. Hammerlick says:
This is a perfect example of judging a book by its cover. This woman admitted she never read the books, so she picked up on the theme and ran with it. If she doesn't want her kids to read them she can take measures to see that they don't.
Bravo to the school board for looking at the whole picture and not the skewed opinion of a fundamentalist mindset.
Posted May 12, 2006 at 2:40 PM EST
Squib
Points: 131
-Professor Slughorn- says:
Ha! She didnt even read the books, what a loser, im glad that they are not banned from that school.
Posted May 12, 2006 at 2:46 PM EST
Auror
Points: 2495
Jbird says:
I can't believe how far some of these parents take thier dislike for the HP books. It's just a book, why are people flipping up about it, if they disapprove that's fine, don't let your kids read it, but it is by no means inappropriate.
Posted May 12, 2006 at 2:49 PM EST
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