The Evils of Children Reading

[VoodooAce]

I keep warning people that Harry Potter is out to conquer the earth for The Dark Prince. Here's more proof:ASSOCIATED PRESS

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.

In a letter to the township and the YMCA, Fichthorn challenged the religious integrity of the YMCA, and questioned whether it was "serving the will of God" in using the books.

The wildly popular children's books by J.K. Rowling chronicle the fictional adventures of the young Harry Potter as he attends a boarding school for wizards and battles his nemesis, the evil sorcerer Voldemort.

The YMCA's executive director, Michael Carr, said he was disappointed by the department's decision, but doesn't expect it to stop about 600 triathletes from participating in the race.

Township Supervisor Ronald Krause said the YMCA may have to hire police from another community to direct traffic for the race.

The course includes a one-mile swim, a 25-mile bicycle route and a 6.2-mile run. About 200 volunteers are needed to run the event, which passes through Penryn, a small community about 66 miles west of Philadelphia.


Well, not only are the promoting reading, but outdoor exercise to boot!! We all knew about HP, and I had my suspicions about the YMCA, and now we all know.

Seriously, I think I read about the Penryn, PA police in a Stephen King book.

No, really, all kidding aside, how the hell can anyone possibly justify this???? WTH are the cops doing taking a stand and NOT DOING THEIR FREAKIN' jobs. They should all be canned. Religion is absolutely no reason to not do your job....not if your a cop.

 

[CurtSibling]

Total madness!

How can anyone see any harm in the HP books?
I mean if the YMCA think the books are ok...the cops are nuts.

You may as well say Narnia is demonic!

Crazy!

 

[Knowltok]

While I agree that it is laughable that people think these books promote witchcraft, if the issue is over the hiring of off-duty policemen to direct traffic for the event, the policemen do have a right to refuse. Generally it is the case that these events hire the policemen, not that the policemen have a civic obligation to go and direct traffic. That is why the article indicates that the planners will hire police from another town.

Of couse, I'm not sure if any of that is the case in this instance.

Apart from that, you are right, these people are loony. Oh what I wouldn't give to live in a world where Harry Potter was the greatest danger my children (I don't have any yet) face. Or then again, maybe not. Without some of the more dangerous activities (running with scissors, using playground equipment with out adult supervision, looking at the sun during an eclipse, etc.) in the world, life will be dull for children, and thus, my children will be dull. I guess I'll have to accept a little danger in the world not to have dull children....

 

[Leowind]

Its laughable, yet makes me very sad that people can be so short-sighted and narrow-minded. I wonder how many of those officers have actually read Harry Potter cover to cover? Just getting started on books three and four myself, having read one and two some time ago but having taken a break to read some other things (like Tolkein!!)

 

[VoodooAce]

Originally posted by Leowind
Its laughable, yet makes me very sad that people can be so short-sighted and narrow-minded. I wonder how many of those officers have actually read Harry Potter cover to cover? Just getting started on books three and four myself, having read one and two some time ago but having taken a break to read some other things (like Tolkein!!)

None of them, probably, have ever read the books. Their pastor probably told them it was evil, and that was good enough for them. Ban it!

 

[CurtSibling]

I think these 'Officers' are probably the same as those 'Officers'
who were around in Germany in the 1930's who burned books!

Ignorance makes me furious!

 

[Simon Darkshade]

Completely bloody ridiculous!!!
Just because I give one interview in my capacity as an Evil Dictator, and endorse the book doesn't mean it's satanic witchcraft

The people who have a problem with Harry Potter really need to remove their heads from their bottoms, and live in the real world. It is utterly silly to spout such rubbish, and what is more concerning for the state of the human gene pool, there are people like them in many different places.

They will pay, I tell you! No one insults Harry and gets away with it! Not on my watch!!!!

 

[allan]

Did people ever say anything like this at the time Baum's Oz books came out? After all, like Harry Potter, there were "good witches" and "bad witches" in the land of Oz, lol....

Give it time. Some people miss the point of things at first (reading old 20s reviews of Huxley's Brave New World come to mind), but over time, when their rantings are ignored and people start looking at things for themselves, everyone can laugh at themselves (well, maybe a few people can never do this) at how silly their worries were....

 

[knowltok3]

To me it shows a complete lack of faith in the power of the human spirit and of their own religion. I mean, do they honestly think that hidden messages in a couple of books can undo all the good work that their attentive parenting and careful teaching of the bible have done? Strange, but it seems like these people need a little more faith in their religion.

Or is it possible that to brainwash their children into their brand or reality, they have stripped away the their reasoning ability, and now fear that their children won't be able to do what most youngsters can, differentiate between reality and fantasy?

 

[Adebisi]

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[duke o' york]

Erm, they aren't going to enforce law and order. It's a race organised by members of a religious organisation so it's highly unlikely that there is going to be any trouble. The police would have been there in an off-duty capacity merely to direct traffic. Why the heck can't they just get ordinary people to direct the traffic? That's what lollipop men and women do every day of the year for schoolchildren so they can quite easily ensure that everyone finds a parking place and that no vehicles are allowed onto the raceway while it is in progress. And in the case of a triathlon, no speedboats either .

If the police officers in question are dumb enough to think this kind of thing and then to release a statement advertising their stupidity for the amusement of all then we should be worried if they ever decide to do their jobs one day. If they are unable to distinguish between children's literature and satanic propaganda then this must call into question their ability to tell right from wrong and therefore to judge who is guilty of a crime. Not ideal for the upholders of the peace. This seems as though the press release is on behalf of all the officers in the particular force. It would have been far more sensible for those with objections to have just refused to work for the event and allowed others who felt differently to take advantage of one of the perks of this difficult profession. I bet that the YMCA are delighted with the extra publicity for this relatively minor event and I hope that the stupidity of the police officers in question allows those in need to benefit from the extra revenue raised with the increase in participents as a result of this publicity.

 

[VoodooAce]

Well, regardless, this is just another example of 'political correctness' going a little too far.

There is also a gallery in Santa Monica that are being threatened with loss of funding for a display that one group is offended by.

Stop the madness!

 

[Knowltok]

I disagree Voodoo. In this case, it is a complete lack of political correctness (usually not a bad thing).

On the issue of the police, as long as this is an off duty function, there should be no requirement for them to be forced to work. If there is a reason to believe there might be problems (a KKK rally) then they should be there as part of their normal jobs. Also, if there are any problems, they should respond in the same manner they would for anything else.

But these police would have been paid by the YMCA to direct traffic. While I disagree with them and their decision, and consider them to be idiots of the highest (lowest) caliber, given the facts I know, I support their right not to accept this employment.

 

[VoodooAce]

Originally posted by Knowltok
I disagree Voodoo. In this case, it is a complete lack of political correctness (usually not a bad thing).

On the issue of the police, as long as this is an off duty function, there should be no requirement for them to be forced to work. If there is a reason to believe there might be problems (a KKK rally) then they should be there as part of their normal jobs. Also, if there are any problems, they should respond in the same manner they would for anything else.

But these police would have been paid by the YMCA to direct traffic. While I disagree with them and their decision, and consider them to be idiots of the highest (lowest) caliber, given the facts I know, I support their right not to accept this employment.

Well, one mans politically correct idea is another man's politically INcorrect idea.

 

[Knowltok]

Originally posted by VoodooAce


Well, one mans politically correct idea is another man's politically INcorrect idea.

How true, how true. If only we could harness all of these people's energy and turn it into a death ray, we could declare war on Mars, and obliterate it before the "red" (Thinking color of satan here) planet corrupts our youth!

 

[ApocalypseKurtz]

Just another instance of the church trying to get involved in politics.

When will the religion nuts in this country learn the meaning of the phrase "Separation of church and state?"

Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are God's.

 

[Adebisi]

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[VoodooAce]

Originally posted by Adebisi
Hmm. So the media and the hip atheists have blown this out of proportion, eh?

Damn atheists.

Funny how stuff gets blow all out of proportion, ain't it?

Like when Bill Maher made his infamous statements on 'Politically Incorrect'?

The media blew THAT way out of proportion....freakin' political correctness.

 

[Knowltok]

What statements? I am unfamilier with this case.

 

[Adebisi]

n/m, delete (seems only mods can delete posts, eh?)