Excerpt from CNN on Harry Potter

[MollyMac]

Soooo, I copied the following statement from CNN to add to my "THIS is who no one wants to be seen with you" file:

RE: Harry Potter not being banned in Georgia schools.

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.”

How is her god not part of church and state?

Seriously, there should be a law that you must be able to follow a basic causal chain, exhibit basic logic, and also be able to read before you can bring any suit.

I will note that CNN did not capitalize "him" in Mallory's second clause. Lack of attention to detail, snarky editing to drive the point home; or nor giving a flying bunnywallow either way?

[deafasadoornail]

Originally Posted by MollyMac

Soooo, I copied the following statement from CNN to add to my "THIS is who no one wants to be seen with you" file:

RE: Harry Potter not being banned in Georgia schools.

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.”

How is her god not part of church and state?

Seriously, there should be a law that you must be able to follow a basic causal chain, exhibit basic logic, and also be able to read before you can bring any suit.

I will note that CNN did not capitalize "him" in Mallory's second clause. Lack of attention to detail, snarky editing to drive the point home; or nor giving a flying bunnywallow either way?

O. M. G.

Do they even realize how many books would have to be banned on those grounds? Bye bye Shakespeare, Huck Finn, Dracula, etc, not to mention a great deal of poetry.

Yeah, the logic is wonky all around. And I wouldn't count on CNN to keep the country literate so I'm betting basic ineptness in the case of the lowercase "him."

[MollyMac]

and, uh, the Bible would have to be banned is we separate church and state.

Oh, she meant *other* churches and state. My bad.

[Godslayer Jillian]

It's just as how fundamentalists don't like that people can swear on the Koran on court.

[MollyMac]

I think it's bullshit that people have to swear on anything in court- talk about a hollow gesture...

[Godslayer Jillian]

I actually like that. It's unnecessary, but it's a nice symbol.
If it were me, I'd swear on either Dawkins' The God Delusion, Plato's Republic (it only seems proper), or a stack of Playboy magazines. What kind of man would lie to Hugh Hefner?

[MollyMac]

Falwell would if he could. But God's work through him is thankfully finis.

Cool idea though- what book would mean more to you to swear upon if you do not believe in anything that had a creed or "sacred text"...

I could deal with The Jefferson Bible, or The Path to Peace. Nothing by Hemmingway... dude, that'd be wrong...

[Aaroneet]

Strangely enough, this reminds me of a health teacher I used to have. This teacher, who shall remaine anonymous, did not believe in evolution, a must, in my opinion, for someone who is teaching one of the sciences. In addition, the teacher went as far as to tell us not to read Harry Potter books because they promote "devilish behavior", and are undoing the works of God. The Harry Potter controversy is far from new, believe me.

[MollyMac]

The controversy has been around since the series became popular, maybe even before. But the ruling was solid, which i liked. What I was addressing is the contradiction in Mallory's thinking

[Splintered]

I'd swear on one of those self-help books on "How to lie". It's part of my religion of "Fuckoffism.'

Seriously though, instead of banning all books on religion, just welcome them. Burn one book, you put the flames dangerously close to them all. Leave them alone, and you're going to be fine. Sure, people do bad things with books. Some read the Anarchist Cookbook and think it's okay to make flaming tennis balls. Some read the Turner Diaries and become a Nazi.

But very few people have picked up a book and beat the shit out of people with it to kill them.

[Aaroneet]

Just to add one more fact; it was Hitler who first became notorious for burning books.

[Aaroneet]

I know that it was slightly irrelevant, sorry.