From book burnings in front of churches to the hundreds of complaints by concerned parents, the Harry Potter book series has faced a lot of challenges. Why do some people feel that Harry Potter should be banned from school classrooms and libraries? What is the reasoning behind the attempts at censorship and what difference does it make that some people want to censor books?
Is Harry Potter Evil?
The Harry Potter book series has been incredibly popular and in many ways has influenced an entire generation of young readers. From the development of the International Quidditch Association (quidditch is the fictional game that the characters play in J.K. Rowling's books ) to a new genre of music known as Wizard Rock, the stories have clearly made a strong impression on those who have enjoyed them. Loved by many yes, but not by all. There are those that feel the book series should be censored, at least from public school classrooms and libraries.
Why should Harry Potter books be banned? The concern is that the content encourages and even teaches witchcraft, that it may make Christian children uncomfortable, and that it inspires an interest in the occult. Is Harry Potter really evil? Can a fantasy series really be that bad? While there are countless works of literature that talk about wizards, warlocks, and magic, it is J. K. Rowling's that have garnered unrivaled attention. Their popularity is what makes them such a threat.
Harry Potter Books Banned and Burned
According to the National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC), parents in Minnesota, Michigan, New York, California, and South Carolina have asked that the Harry Potter book series be banned because it teaches sorcery, witchcraft, and satanism. A Harry Potter reading program had to be dropped from a public library due to the controversy over the series. In Arkansas, the Baptist State Convention passed a resolution asking for members of the church to protest the sale of these books in stores. The Jesus Party has held both book burnings and book cuttings to destroy the books and express their opposition to the ideas held within. According to the Forbes article by David Serchuk, "Harry Potter and the Ministry of Fire," one Michigan pastor comments, "Parents have to realize this is more than a fictional book. It's attached to the occult."
Despite the efforts of fundamentalist religious groups and concerned parents Harry Potter books are still on the shelves. When the censorship of Harry Potter in Cedarville, Arkansas was taken to court the judge ruled in favor of First Amendment rights saying, "regardless of the personal distaste with which these individuals regard witchcraft, it is not properly within their power and authority ... to prevent the students at Cedarville from reading about it." While the series is not censored, what are the effects of strong efforts to censor books?
Most Frequently Challenged Books of the Decade
According to the American Library Association the Harry Potter series is at the top of the list of banned and challenged books for the 2000 to 2009 decade. School boards have not been given the legal right to ban J.K. Rowling's works from libraries and classrooms but there has still been a reaction to the censorship efforts. Judy Blume points out in her piece in a NCAC newsletter that teachers and librarians may feel that their jobs are at stake if they defend books that are challenged. The controversy over these popular books also sets a precedent that certain ideas should not be available to children nor discussed in the classroom.
While Harry Potter is still widely available to the public, being aware of the attempts of censorship and the reasons behind these attempts is essential to protecting the rights of adults as well as children to access information, express themselves freely, and discuss ideas, whether those ideas are accepted by everyone or not.
Resources
Serchuk, David. "Harry Potter and the Ministry of Fire." (Forbes)
"Harry Potter Wins His First Censorship Courtroom Battle." (Kidspeak)
Blume, Judy. " Is Harry Potter Evil? " (NCAC Newsletter, Issue 76, 1999/2000)
Brenna Coleman - Brenna is a freelance writer focusing on natural health and beauty. She has written hundreds of articles, helping readers find ways to ...
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