JK Rowling lost out on US medal over Harry Potter 'witchcraft' (UK Guardian)

[Jackeens]

JK Rowling lost out on US medal over Harry Potter 'witchcraft'

New book claims that Bush administration officials objected to giving JK Rowling a presidential medal of freedom on the grounds that her Harry Potter books 'encouraged witchcraft'

A memoir by George W Bush's former speechwriter claims that Bush administration officials objected to giving JK Rowling a presidential medal of freedom on the grounds that her Harry Potter books "encouraged witchcraft".

According to the liberal American blog Think Progress, Matt Latimer's Speech-Less: Tales of a White House Survivor reveals how politicised the medal, which is America's highest civilian honour, became during the Bush administration.

Latimer, whose memoir was published last week by Crown in the US, says that the "narrow thinking" of "people in the White House" led them "to actually object to giving the author JK Rowling a presidential medal because the Harry Potter books encouraged witchcraft".

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2009/sep/29/harry-potter-rowling-medal

[Captain Hilts]

1. Yeah, screw that welfare mom made good story she has...nt

[Flabbergasted]

2. So George thinks Witchcraft actually exists? nt

[Jackeens]

3. That dog CRACKS me up!!

:rofl:

[alittlelark]

6. My mother believes in witchcraft. She's a fundie.

She believes that witches and demons make people do unholy things......


sigh.

[juno jones]

20. I believe in witchcraft too.

However I'm too busy dancing nekkid under the moon to bewitch your mother into doing unholy things. :)

:hi:

[Canuckistanian]

4. .

:wow:

[AnnieBW]

5. It's worse than that

They encourage READING! And the value of friendship, and banding together to fight evil!

Besides, if Harry Potter promotes witchcraft, I want my house elf!

[ShadowLiberal]

12. Not to mention they encourage equality for all! Oh the horror!

Someone in the Bush administration must have seen that Dumbledore was gay and Rowling was all for gay rights! The horror that must have been for an administration pushing for a ban on gay marriage to be put in the constitution.

I mean one of the biggest themes in the books, especially book 7, was how horrible racism is, the books really expose how awful that kind of hate is quite nicely. Better yet, JKR even realized after the fact that how Wizards determine who's a pure blood and who's not is actually exactly the same the way the Nazi's determined who were the most valued citizens based on their heritage/bloodline.

Obviously lots of young people reading about how horrible that kind of hatred was isn't what Bush wanted, as it would turn them against his gay marriage ban.

[Confusious]

17. Darth Cheney doesn't need people banding together to fight evil n/t

[tanyev]

7. And that Expelliarmus spell to disarm your opponent would have totally

undercut their reason for invading Iraq.

[TlalocW]

8. You know... no matter how many times

I said, "SHAZAM," as a kid, a lightning bolt did not strike me turning me into a superhero.

And no matter how many times a Potter-fan says, "Alohomora," at a locked door or a pagan "witch" tries to use a "spell" stone, the door is going to stay locked, and the rock is just going to be a hardened lump of earth. I really wish we could move past the magical thinking that infests this country.

TlalocW

[juno jones]

21. A pagan witch should know better and have the key.

If not, they'll just have to come in the bathroom window like everbody else. :)

[Mind_your_head]

9. Ms. Rowling should consider it a relief that she didn't have to decide

whether or not to accept a 'medal' from an unelected/interloper/usurper like gwb.

Peace,
M_Y_H

[kath]

13. good point.

I sure wouldn't want to be in the same room with the illegitimate asshole.

[Solly Mack]

10. Death Eaters object....

[donheld]

11. I'm sure Ms Rowling couldn't care less about W's stupid medal or Opinion

[mrbarber]

14. Bush was just upset he couldn't read them.

Not enuff pictures, ya know.

[Mrs. Overall]

15. Ok, time to bring out the whoop ass:

[keroro gunsou]

16. yup.

Molly Weasely, anyone that can cow nearly the entire main cast of Harry Potter into obedience (especially Fred and George), deserves to be feared.

[XemaSab]

18. I liked my earlier analysis, and I will add that since nobody is all good or all bad,

it really cripples the right-wing narrative.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x5521831

[gauguin57]

19. Just another reason to thank god, goddess or whomever you worship that Bush isn't POTUS anymore.

Just another of the many reasons to thank our lucky stars the Bush years are OV-AH!

As Bugs Bunny would have said: "What a maroon!"

[Hekate]

22. hmmm. Why don't we find out if Sasha and Malia are Potter fans? I'll bet their Dad ...

... wouldn't mind honoring an author that inspired millions and millions of kids to read.

Hekate

[bridgit]

23. Pft, so what is it to be now? The Congressional Medal Of Freedom, Valor (fill in the high-blank)

You cannot make her kind of money without it were the embarrassingly opulent hierarchy of hybrid British thespians showing up with 6' beards in plodding robes wearing rumpled, serious-black Hattie's all talking to owls dropping missives from the rafters through production designer halls ala Hearst Castle eh fuck it! Lifetime season SF Giants sky box accoutrement and a coupon for the buffet at Harrah's seems fair to me but that's just me http://www.harrahslaketahoe.com/casinos/harrahs-lake-tahoe/restaurants-dining/forest-buffet-detail.html