Posted on 11/29/2001 12:38:49 PM PST by Starmaker
Throughout history, intellectual luminaries have always been anxious to regale us with the knowledge that darkness resides within man's soul. As if it were a great revelation imparted to them and them only, politicians and religious leaders wish to inform us that there are monsters among us.
Hey ya'll...thanks for the news flash. We'd have never guessed it otherwise.
Parroting the words of Lamont Crantston (aka: The Shadow) our leading lights warn us that "who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?" The problem, of course, is that often such folks are rather subjective in their definition of the malevolent. One man's "evil" is another man's harmless diversion. Liquor, guns, naked women, cars, comic books, TV, bacon, fluoride, oil wells...depending upon whom you ask, all these things (and thousands more) are either the devil's handmaiden or a rollicking good time with a high profit margin.
Yes...evil is prevalent. Unfortunately, common sense isn't. I've always said it is very easy to tell the difference between right and wrong. Hijacking a plane and butchering countless innocents is evil. Murder and rape are evil. Slavery is evil. Mistreating an animal is evil.
Harry Potter isn't evil.
But, don't tell that to certain folks in Fargo, North Dakota. Recently, 100 students from Agassiz Middle School were prevented from enjoying a field trip to watch the flick "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" because a few self-righteous buffoons felt it was "evil." The kids were all 12 to 15 years old. They all had parental permission. They were all set for a fun afternoon of popcorn and the movies.
Then, the thought police stepped in. A few parents, and one radio DJ, through a hissy fit. Harry Potter involves witchcraft, they said. Witchcraft is evil, and some view it as a religion. Taking a school trip to the movie theater thus violates a separation of church and state. Fearing a controversy the school caved in to the ijits.
This is a perfect example of why human cloning would be a good thing; maybe somebody could grow the Fargo School Board a brain and a spine.
A similar occurrence took place in Memphis, Tennessee, where at least two Catholic schools yanked the popular J.K. Rowling book because of alleged witchcraft and wizardry content. A German politician also condemned the film in his country. I'm quite certain than you could find an individual in any state or nation that believes Harry Potter is the lead catamite in Hell's Junior Achievement program.
All this leads me to one conclusion; the world is chock full of flaming morons with too much time on their hands. Bored with their own lives, they spend their days contriving ways to make other people miserable. They are not content to simply have and follow their own beliefs. In order to gain attention and feel important — to attach some relevance to their daily waste of oxygen — they must attempt to impose their half-wit opinions upon others (note to angry readers: my opinions are at least three quarters-wit...thank you very much).
Talk about self-centered. We are in the middle of a war, one which will likely escalate (justifiably so) in the months to come. Real evil is evident...easily identifiable and with no room for doubt. And yet, a certain segment of our population — too ignorant or too scared to confront legitimate menace — characterize harmless issues as a dire threat to humanity.
I'll probably never read a Harry Potter book. I'll probably never see the movie. Nonetheless, those who condemn it to the exclusion of all else should be careful. They may be missing out on other heinous creations which can send us to eternal damnation. I suggest they take a stand against Greek mythology; it's full of idolatry, not to mention a pantheon of gods, witches and demons. I demand that they protest re-runs of "Bewitched." Not only was Elizabeth Montgomery really hot and led me to innumerable unclean youthful imaginings, she could tidy up the kitchen with a twitch of her nose.
Then, of course, there are the secular humanistic plagues known as "Rocky and Bullwinkle." Talking animals? Different species cohabitating? The Egyptians had all sorts of anthropomorphic gods portrayed with the heads of dogs and cats and birds (no flying squirrels that I know of though) and were firm believers in magic. Ban the teaching of Egyptian history! Do it now, least we be forced to drink deep of the brimstone martini.
Don't fall into the inescapable ruination which is now my unyielding destiny. Evil is everywhere. I used some pre-wash on my laundry the other day. The label said it removed stains "like magic."
DISNEYLAND! Need I say more?
I'm frickin' doomed. When I was a tyke my Grandmother used to read me the story of the "The Three Bears," and "Chicken Little." More animal heresy. My parents and I watched "The Wizard of Oz." In school we celebrated Halloween, and once I wore horns and carried a pitchfork. Damn that Santa Claus...he flies by what must be supernatural means. He consorts with elves.
Oh dear lord. I watched the old movie "Billy Jack" a couple weeks back. The theme song, "One Tin Soldier," was recorded by a group called "Coven." Redemption will never be mine.
To the folks in Fargo and elsewhere, remain forever vigilant and beware the dark side.
Oh sorry...you can't watch that movie either.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
I have never read one of these harry Potter books, but to see all these anti-Potter threads, well the silliness is getting too much.
Well, for the record, as fond as I am of the books and the movie, I wouldn't necessarily be too fond of kids going to any movie for sheer entertainment. And there's no other way to explain this.
Beyond separation of church and state, this is separation of school and education, which I know is redundant when we're talking about the majority of public schools.
I've been involved with Wicca for 10 years this coming January.
It's very difficult to define absoulutely logically what makes it interesting for me; but a lot of it is to do with the country in which I live (England), its landscape, its heart and its traditions. There is also a sense of the female side of the Divine in Wicca, which I found was almost entirely missing from Christianity. I'm male (and straight, before you ask!!), but it's still important IMHO, to acknowledge Goddess as well as God.
I became involved with it via a few talks I attended in January 1992, in London, given by Vivianne Crowley whio has written many books on Wicca (no relation to Alistair Crowley, BTW). I was interested in what I heard and ended up being initiated in October 1992.
Hope this answers your questions!
113 posted on 11/29/01 12:53 PM Pacific by Da_Shrimp
Da _Shrimp...phanthom lord-jr!
I don't know which frightens me more, the thought of getting involved in another thread about art & society, or thinking about movies from the 70s! Arrrrggghhhh!
First of all, I've always hated "Billy Jack" anyway, and movies of that genre -- i.e., some tough guy gets pushed and pushed and pushed but doesn't fight. Then some innocent girl gets raped and then the tough guy gets tough. Yech. I see those movies as just _excuses_ to show a girl getting raped. If the jackass "tough" guy had fought back promptly, the villians might never have had the opportunity to rape the innocent girl... (And that kind of stuff seemed to happen all the time in 70s movies.) So, since I thought those movies were exploitative to begin with, it wouldn't surprise me that some group who thinks "coven" is a cool name would have done the music. [shrugs] I don't imagine they're evil, just kinda dumb and short-sighted.
Secondly, which is worse 1) the people who think that letting kids watch Harry Potter will harm them, or 2) the people who think that DEPRIVING kids of Harry Potter will forever stunt their human potential?! I mean, really, who gives a rat's @ss if kids can't read Harry Potter books? There's always the Redwall Saga by Brian Jacques. That has all the fun -- or more -- and none of the black magic.
Mark W.
What then do you suggest that children see movies for? Education? HA! Boy, there is a lot of those out there.
What? Who?
Let's take this apart and look at it very carefully, shall we?
The author of this article presumes that the people who stopped the school from having a field trip to see "Harry Potter" were religious. They probably were, but I can't remember a specific proof. Anyway, they have a religious tradition and a religious belief. Part of their religious tradition and belief is that witchcraft can only be accomplished with the aid of Satan (whose name means "Adversary"). Therefore, they believe that to make witchcraft seem nice is the same as making Satan seem nice. This idea bothers them and they stop a field trip. What they've done, then, is presume they know more than the school district about the dangers of Harry Potter and tell the school district they shouldn't allow the kids to go. What they've done, then, is share their belief that sending school children to the movie, "Harry Potter", is wrong.
The idea that one person dare to tell another person that he is doing something wrong is so offensive to this author that he spends an entire article telling the first person that he is wrong.
Huh?
Why is it wrong for the Potter opponents to express their views but not wrong for the author to express his? Why is it wrong to claim that Potter is wrong, but not wrong to claim that challenging Potter is wrong? Why are some wrongs matters to be kept to oneself and other wrongs matters to be proclaimed from the rooftops? Who made the decision which intolerances were intolerable and which ones weren't?
Actually, I don't care who goes to see "Harry Potter." It's up to you. And if the school wants to waste school hours and money taking kids to the film it's up to the board. But the parents weren't wrong to raise their concern and declare Potter 'evil.' That was their right. If this author has a beef, it's with the school board who listened, not to the parents who spoke.
After all, if I think this article is a pile of garbage I have a responsibility to avoid reading it. I may even have the responsibility to attempt to discuss it with the author. I don't have the responsibility to tell the author he is wrong for telling me I am wrong. And I certainly don't have the right to declare the author a moron for disagreeing with me.
Doesn't it strike anyone other than me as ironic when person A tells person B, "You're totally wrong to ever tell anyone they're wrong." ???
Shalom.
What is it with English guys and there love of being "effeminate."
So first I avoid reading the article, then I discuss the article with the author, but in my discussions with the author about the article I didn't read, I make sure not to tell the author he is wrong for telling me that I'm wrong for thinking the way I do about the subject of the article, and I avoid at all costs calling the author a moron for saying what he did in the article, mainly because I don't know what he wrote since I didn't read it.
I need a cocktail. It's been a long day.
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