What do you think?

[samwiselvr2008]

What do you think about the people who clame stuff about HP such as it being "mind controlling" to children, unreligois (please don't brake out in a big argument), racist ect?

[samwiselvr2008]

What do I think? I think that it is all stupid, most of the people haven't even read the books! Here's an essay that I wrote on the subject for school:

Is Harry Potter evil? The subject has been brought up half a million times (at the least) and don’t you think it is time to get the “Harry Potter is evil” side to read the books? Okay, so some people on that side have read the books, and say that “children and adults are being brainwashed by Harry Potter.” Well, I guess that they have the right to make that decision if they have read the books and thought about it, but first lets review the facts, and think about those that think that Parry Potter is evil and have not read the books.
Ever since Harry Potter and the author; J.K. Rowling, began to get famous, I have been told to and to not read the books. The two sides have been talked, argued, debated, and pondered about. At least, and usually, only one side have read the books (hopefully one side has) while the other side, usually the “band Harry Potter” side, has never read them, so here we have two arguing sides, one side yelling “BAND THE BOOKS! HARRY POTTER IS EVIL” and the other yelling back “NO IT’S NOT! HARRY POTTER IS PERFECTLY FINE!” and only one side actually knows what they are talking about. Like I said, I have been told both to and to not read Harry Potter. First, it was brought up by my father, when he was talking to me and my brother and sister, I am the only one that reads for fun, but he was talking to them just incase, and telling us not to read the books. That was back in 3rd or 4th grade, when I still thought “daddy and mommy are always right on these subjects,” but I was wrong. My mom didn’t have anything to say to the subject, but my dad did, even though he had never read the books; and it made me wonder as I got to be twelve and thirteen, and then one month away from fourteen “Is daddy right? Are they really bad books? Why? How would he know?” well, they say “curiosity killed the cat” and I picked up a copy at Sam’s Club, and began a journey into England, and from there I traveled to London, and so on to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I enjoyed my journey, at the end of each book I went back to England, and started the next book after Harry stepped out of Platform 9 ¾, and was able to travel to the Witches and Wizards shops in London, and ones again I was finally at Hogwarts. This went on for four books, approximately eighteen hundred pages, and two weeks of reading, were I paid careful attention to characters, witchcraft, spells, divination classes, broom flying, and Hagrid’s Care of Magical Creatures class; in the end, I noticed that I didn’t get killed by curiosity, but was actually more mentally alive then ever before. Now that I have read Harry Potter, I have my own opinions, and can say that my dad and the other “band the bookers” are wrong. I can tell them that I have lived through the books, and that they can to. I can tell them not to judge a book by it’s cover, or, in this case, not to judge a book by the words “Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry” or by the words “witch,” “spell,” or “wizard,” I can tell people to read the books and then judge, I can think, say, and due whatever I want to with or to the books. Before I had to keep my mouth shut, because I didn’t know what I was talking about. But, like have said many times in the past couple of weeks “many people who criticize the books have never read them, and you just can’t do that.” Now, if you have read the books then read on, if not, then put this down, and before you quote me or take my word for anything, read the books. If after you have read the books, if you fill that they should not be read and should be banned from public school libraries and from your house and so on, then read on. If you have read the books and find nothing wrong with the books, then reading on will show what you think, in my head. Enjoy…
*Out of room, continued on next post*

[samwiselvr2008]

Firstly, I would like to thank you for reading the books, even if you do not agree with me. I am sick of people who think that they know what they are talking about, and yet continue to ramble on about it, and try to take it away from others, because of what they have heard. Secondly, I would like to tell you that since you have read the books, I respect your opinion, you have the right, as I said before to think, say, or do anything to or with the books. Lastly, I would like to request that you take this time to read over the next few things that I have to say, and to consider them. If you consider what I have to say, then I will consider what you have to say. If you are a Christian, then don’t worry yourself with it being against our (I’m a Christian to) religion. Harry Potter is full of wizards, spells, and witches, but not the kinds that worship the devil, it’s the kind that flies on broom sticks, and uses owls to send letters to other witches and wizards. To say that Harry Potter teaches children and/or adults to worship the devil, is as true as saying that a cow really did jump over the moon. My second point is that Harry Potter is not racist. I have read that Harry Potter is racist because they use muggles (people with no magic) as stupid people and magic users as smart __________ (fill in the blank with wizard, witch, unicorn, house elf, or whatever other magical user there is in Harry Potter). People relate this to the real world, and are saying that J.K. Rowling was saying that some people are bad just because of there race, as the muggles were stupid because they were not magic users. However, J.K. Rowling makes Herminie’s parents; muggles, nice, and though they do not understand magic and the magic world’s money, well, that is okay, because the Hogwarts-School-Kicked-Out Hagrid can not understand money either. So know is J.K. Rowling making fun of high school dropouts? Of course not, Harry’s best friend’s father; Mr. Weasly, a wizard that loves muggle artifacts, studied muggles at Hogwarts, and works at the Ministry of Magic in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts office dose not understand muggle money. As far as many muggles being deceived by Lord Voldermort, so were many great, wise and powerful wizards, so don’t be deceived by that (how do I know that they were? Dumbledor said so in the second book!).So, it all evens out to not being racist, now doesn’t it? Besides, I don’t see why a muggle would use muggles as examples. Finally, some people say that Harry Potter is a negative influents to kids and adults. When you say that Harry Potter teaches kids that they should hurt others, hate, and destroy all rules and that evil dose sometimes win, then you are right, well, at least on the last one. Congrats, we do agree there! Voldermort, or He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named dose succeed so far in not being killed, and only so far temporarily overthrown, but isn’t that the truth in reality? Evil dose sometimes win, and we need to except that fact, and everyone, even the babies need to know that! If they do not learn that, then they may be up for a rude awakening some day. So, teach them that everyone from the life-saver to the killer can get away with things, that is reality, teach it, know it, face it, and admit it, and if everyone can not do this, then it will never stop! It is a lesson we all need to learn, and if taught correctly, as I think that J.K. Rowling dose, then you will get more people against hate, racism, and crime then for it. But now, I must ones again disagree with you. Harry Potter dose not teach you to hurt and hate others, but as Harry did to Diggory in the fourth book, to help them, and as Harry’s parents did, to love, a love so deep that you are willing to die for it, a love that can not be broken, a love that is always there. As for teaching kids and adults that they can get away with stuff, which is a good thing (reread the part on evil sometimes winning), it also teaches that you can get in trouble for it also. In book one, Harry gets a detention and looses Gryfindor fifty points (which is a big deal), just for being out of his dormitory when he wasn’t supposed to! He was hated for a long time afterwards by the other students of Gryfindor, and in his detention, he was attacked and nearly killed!

[samwiselvr2008]

Well, that is all that I have to say. I guess that it is up to you now, band the book, or don’t band the book? Make innocent explainable things out of what they aren’t? Band others from reading it? Defend the books? Let others enjoy what might become their all time favorite book? Drop the subject and let others carry on this verbal war? It’s up to you! Think about it, pick, and whatever side you are on, let me give you one peise of advise, whatever you say, whatever you do, whatever you think, if you are gonna win your case, then keep this in mind, and use it as you will, for your benefit and to throw the other person off if you can and would like to, or to think of and answer incase it is used against you, or to drop it all and let others do it for you, just remember, keep in mind, that Harry Potter is fantasy.

Sorry that this took up so many posts! It would only let me have so many letters or words or whatever the rule is on each page! SOOOOOOO what do you think?

[sun-star]

That's a really good essay, samwiselvr, and I completely agree with you! Harry Potter is not a bad influence on children, and anyway, I believe children have to learn to make up their own minds on issues like this.

[Elf Girl]

Originally posted by samwiselvr2008
My second point is that Harry Potter is not racist. I have read that Harry Potter is racist because they use muggles (people with no magic) as stupid people and magic users as smart __________ (fill in the blank with wizard, witch, unicorn, house elf, or whatever other magical user there is in Harry Potter). People relate this to the real world, and are saying that J.K. Rowling was saying that some people are bad just because of there race, as the muggles were stupid because they were not magic users. However, J.K. Rowling makes Herminie’s parents; muggles, nice, and though they do not understand magic and the magic world’s money, well, that is okay, because the Hogwarts-School-Kicked-Out Hagrid can not understand money either.

I would like to add to that: The "bad guys", the Death Eaters, are the ones prejudiced. They are the ones who levitate Muggles fifty feet in the air just for fun. They are the ones who do not think Muggle-borns are unfit to learn magic. It seems to me that because of that, the books are as anti-prejudiced as a book can be.

[Estel13]

I think it is stupid to ban the books and here is why: If some children start practicing 'witchcraft', it's the fault of the parents for not teaching them that there it no such thing. And that's my viewpoint.
samwiselvr, I am in complete agreement with your essay.

[Rûdhaglarien]

I think that anyone who claims that HP books are "mind controlling" or that they "teach children witchcraft, which is sacriligious" is stupid. Yeah. Because I can really use the magic spells that they teach us in them damned books. Yep. I can.

[Linaewen]

Hehe. I wrote an essay on this for English. ( AND I got 99%) I can't remember what I wrote tho, but it was something along the lines of violent video games being more destructive for children than HP books.

[SamwiseGamgeeOTS]

My best friends' mom is like this. In fact, my church dedicated an intire month of sermons on this subject. They finally came up with the idea that parents should read these books side-by-side with their children should they get confuzed.......ok. now. i'm 15. if my mother sat down beside me and read my a HP book, i'd just have to shoot her then and there. It would be horrible. If parents are so concerned about the books that we read out of school, how bout they take a look at the books that teachers make us read in school...bet they wouldn't stick to banning HP then! I just wish that people would leave other people alone. No sensible 8-10 year old is gonna read the book and go, "O! MOM! expelliarmous!" (or how ever you spell it...one of the 4 deadly spells) and actually think that it's goin to work. People don't do that! geez...My point is, there are stupid people in the world, I'll give you that. But, let us not judge the world by one man or woman. Just as we should not judge a person by what he or she reads. Hp ROCKS!

[samwiselvr2008]

That's what i'm talking about, I know some people who would look down on me because I have read and seen Harry Potter. I don't get it, I know that the writen word can be convinsing, but in my local book store HP is pute in the fantasy section, not the non fiction section.

[gimli7410]

we had a priest visit our school once in grade 7 and he saw my book and he was like"what would you do if i threw this out" and i said i would be really pissed off. and he explained to me how the devil works through it, and i said that is crap and he said i was beggining to become possessed and we had a big discussion on it in our class and he tried to take very kids harry potter book away and one kid cried(not me of course)

[Fimbrethil]

Originally posted by gimli7410
we had a priest visit our school once in grade 7 and he saw my book and he was like"what would you do if i threw this out" and i said i would be really pissed off. and he explained to me how the devil works through it, and i said that is crap and he said i was beggining to become possessed and we had a big discussion on it in our class and he tried to take very kids harry potter book away and one kid cried(not me of course)

WOW! That's pretty bad! Come to think of it my church did have some sermons on why the book is evil. I just didn't show when I knew the precher was gonna talk about that and when asked why I told them because I thought it was a load of crap. That I had read the books and that they were perfectly fine. I mean it's not like I could even do those little spells anyway! I think if my parents hadn't been there they would have given me an exercisim(sp?).

[Arcala]

I don't think Parry Potter is evil! (well, I'm probably prejusticed.)My viewpoint is: Harry Potter IS just a book, after all. If people want to believe it's true, that doesn't make it evil! I mean, some people believe that every single word of Lord of the Rings is true, but that doesn't make it evil! *glares*

[durin's bane]

I hate people who think that Harry Potter is evil. IT'S A WORK OF FICTION FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!!! Yeah, like Harry Potter's going to teach innocent children how to take over the world with magic twigs.

[Sheeana]

Originally posted by durin's bane
Yeah, like Harry Potter's going to teach innocent children how to take over the world with magic twigs.

Oh damn. *Sadly puts away magic twig*

[durin's bane]

Originally posted by gimli7410
we had a priest visit our school once in grade 7 and he saw my book and he was like"what would you do if i threw this out" and i said i would be really pissed off. and he explained to me how the devil works through it, and i said that is crap and he said i was beggining to become possessed and we had a big discussion on it in our class and he tried to take very kids harry potter book away and one kid cried(not me of course)

You should've brandished a pencil at him and shouted, "Abra kadabra!"
The only problem with this is he might've performed an exorcism.

[Elf Girl]

Originally posted by Arcala
I mean, some people believe that every single word of Lord of the Rings is true...

*cough*

*cough*

*tries to look innocent*