Laura Mallory appears to be at it again – claiming “Harry Potter” books promote evil
Back in August of 2005, Laura Mallory, a mother of four children in Georgia, attempted to get the Harry Potter book series banned from her son’s elementary school by appealing to the Gwinnett County Board of Education. According to a new article, she appears to be at it again.
Mallory stated that Rowling’s “overuse of vicious attacks between characters, crude language, and the death of many characters can be scarring for young children. They’re not educationally suitable and have been shown to be harmful to some kids. The books promote evil. They help foster the kind of culture where school shootings happen.”
Victoria Sweeney, an attorney that represents the same Gwinnett County Board of Education defends the series and argues that they absolutely belong on the school shelves. She stated, “If schools were to remove all books containing references to witches, they would have to ban mainstays like Macbeth and Cinderella. The Potter books do nothing to promote evil or sin like [Mallory] states. They’re a good tool to stimulate children’s imagination and encourage them to read. ‘Harry Potter’ presents a universal theme of friendship and overcoming adversity.”
Of course, the Harry Potter books have been under attack since they first came out with protestors claiming the book series promotes witchcraft.
Educators of all levels has argued that the series has the highest levels of classical literary traits to the same degree as Chaucer, Shakespeare, and even the Bible. MuggleNet recently discussed the series’ literary values with author John Granger regarding the Ring Composition Theory (which you can listen to as well as read right here) used in the series and the brilliance with which J.K. Rowling writes the Potter series.
How do you feel about Laura Mallory’s claims regarding the Harry Potter books? Let us know in the comments below.
