My Two-Bit Opinion #11: The Harry Potter = Witchcraft Crap
It's the 21st Century, People! There are real, live terrorists attacking major cities in our country and you're worried about WITCHCRAFT????
AARRRGGGHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jan. 24, 2002 | PENRYN, Pa. (AP) -- The police department has refused to direct traffic at a YMCA triathlon because it says the club promotes witchcraft by reading Harry Potter books to children. Penryn Fire Police Capt. Robert Fichthorn said the eight-member force voted unanimously to boycott the 20th running of the triathlon, scheduled for Sept. 7.
"I don't feel right taking our children's minds and teaching them (witchcraft)," Fichthorn said. "As long as we don't stand up, it won't stop. It's unfortunate that this is the way it has to be."The Lancaster Family YMCA began reading chapters of the Harry Potter books to children enrolled in an after-school program in November.
For awhile the accusations that Harry Potter encouraged witchcraft were mildly amusing to me. But when official government agents refuse to do their jobs, to PROTECT AND SERVE THE PUBLIC, you have to get mad.
A number of things are disturbing here:
1. Cops are refusing to do their jobs because of books they haven't even read.
2. People still fear witchcraft in the 21st century. To blatantly plagiarise my friend Robin, "Why not yank out all copies of The Wizard of Oz? Doesn't that have witches in it? What about The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (nevermind that it was written by a Christian author and meant as a parable). Why don't we start outlawing any faith that has witchcraft or magic as an aspect, and start burning witches again? Take away Dragonlance books? And The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings? They have wizards and magic, too."
3. People believe they're doing good deeds by not protecting the public and by not doing their jobs.
If there were ever any better proof that the end is nigh, this is it. Forget the WTC collapse, if it's the 21st Century and people are still fearing witchcraft like it's 1692, we're doomed.