04.14.06
Mom wants to make ‘Harry Potter’ disappear
I live and work in the Atlanta (Georgia, USA) area and so when I heard about a mother in suburban Atlanta who wants the Harry Potter books removed from her children’s public schools, I had to post here.
Now the woman in question, Laura Mallory, doesn’t just want them gone from one elementary school her kids attend, but all school libraries in the state’s largest school district!
I’ve wasted space here previously debunking all the religious clap-trap against Harry Potter, JK Rowling and the books and movies. Suffice it say the stories have done more to teach values, morals and good judgement while at the same time encouraging reading than any other contemporary piece of literature of the last decade. Banning them or advocating such action flies in the face of Rowling’s intent and represents a complete lack of basic reading comprehension.
Now that I’m off my soapbox, I want to say that I’m confident Gwinnett County and the School Board will make the right decision. I can see them restricting Harry Potter to a certain age-range as they’ve done with Judy Blume books in the past, but an outright ban would be ludicrous.
If you live in Georgia, especially Gwinnett, and you’re a fan of the books, now might be a good time to go to a school board meeting, write your city council representative or go to AJC’s The Vent.
I really don’t want to seem dour, because I see this as just a bump in the road. An ignorant, uninformed bump that I wish wasn’t coming up in my neck of the woods, but just a bump nonetheless.
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RavenclawWit said,
April 17, 2006 at 12:44 pm
The thing that most bugs me about this stuff is that this woman and others like her are actually arrogant enough to think that they have the right to decide what other people’s children are going to read. If she doesn’t want her child reading Harry Potter, that’s her right, but why does she think she has the right to prevent other children from reading them? Shouldn’t that decision be left to their parents?
PotterFan said,
April 20, 2006 at 10:17 am
It is certainly a shame to hear of miserable people with anger issues attempting to make others life as miserable as their own. Laura Mallory needs to get a life and stop looking for stardom in the wrong places. Go to Hollywood the walk would do her good!! She obviously is in need of a good shrink or maybe a better education, how anyone gets anything but positive thoughts from a Harry Potter book is beyond me.
duane said,
April 23, 2006 at 1:35 pm
Um, these people seem to have a real problem with that all around, first the Bible, now this!! HA!
fred said,
April 25, 2006 at 10:18 pm
idiot. try reading at least the first tiny books. and where the heck dose she get off comparing a fairy tale to PORNO?
Celebwen said,
May 10, 2006 at 4:40 pm
Hi! I’m a teenage girl named Mallory, and I was just messing around, Google-ing my name and seeing what came up. I was intruiged when I found a link that said that “Mallory… wants ‘Harry Potter’ to disappear.” Or at least that’s what the link heading said. I was curious about it because that is the complete OPPOSITE of me; I’m a complete Potterhead, I practically LIVE on mugglenet, and I have read the books so many times that I pretty much link everything to Harry Potter in some way, shape, or form.
Not that any of this is important, just a matter of interest. Anything Potter-related pulls me in instantly.
I’m glad you’re taking a stand on this! Banning Harry is Riddikulus. Siriusly.
Bye now!
-Mallory, a/k/a Celebwen
Blogging Harry Potter » Harry Potter and the state of Georgia said,
October 3, 2006 at 5:19 pm
[…] A story I’ve covered previously continues with another chapter (book?). […]
Robynn said,
October 5, 2006 at 1:23 pm
From what I understand, Ms. Mallory hasn’t even read one of the Harry Potter books. She stated that she was a working mother of 4 & just doesn’t have the time to read the books. She’s got enough time to stir up some trouble though and file appeal papers. Interesting, huh? I strongly agree with the person who thinks that Mallory doesn’t have the right to decide what everyone’s children should or should not read. If she doesn’t want her kids to read this series than she can simply not let them read it. Mallory claims that she is a christian woman and that these books are evil. The bottom line is that they are just books. They are fantasy. In this world there are many religions. Christianity is just one of them. The wicca religion is another. I myself, don’t practice any religion. So you see, there are a million different beliefs. Who is Mallory to say that her way is the right way? For Mallory’s information the wicca religion is one that worships the earth. Witchcraft is not bubbling cauldrons, broomsticks and bats eyes, and for the people that believe in it, it’s just as real to them as Mallory’s beliefs are to her. I believe she is a nut waiting to crack and has entirely too much time on her hands…..maybe she should read a Harry Potter book:)
fsdf said,
July 11, 2007 at 2:56 pm
Mallory BITCH!