Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Morning News: Harry Potter and President Bush
Deliver Us From Evil
The October surprise turned out to be the fallout from Foley scandal. The House Republicans up for reelection are scrambling like chickens with heads cut off. So the president went on the warpath to hype the "Democrats are soft against terrorists" card. It worked for him in the past. Peter Baker writes in the Post: "With his party in serious trouble five weeks before Election Day, Bush shifted into full campaign mode this week, kicking off a month of frenetic barnstorming aimed at drawing disgruntled Republicans back into the fold. As part of the effort, he has escalated the intensity of his attacks with each passing day, culminating with what aides called a "very aggressive" series of speeches Tuesday."
Then there is Laura Mallory who wants Harry Potter books to be banned in Gwinnett County,GA, because "..........the popular fiction series is an "evil" attempt to indoctrinate children in the Wicca religion." Seen any witches flying around in your neighborhood ? Newsday.com published the story in "Entertainment" Section. Appropriate.
Bush's tough talk Tuesday came after he suggested at a Monday night fundraiser in Nevada that Democrats were content to sit back until terrorists strike again. "It sounds like they think the best way to protect the American people is wait until we're attacked again," he said. Newsday.com (Associated Press) Laura Mallory, a mother of four, told a hearing officer for the Gwinnett County Board of Education on Tuesday that the popular fiction series is an "evil" attempt to indoctrinate children in the Wicca religion. Board of Education attorney Victoria Sweeny said that if schools were to remove all books containing reference to witches, they would have to ban "Macbeth" and "Cinderella." "There's a mountain of evidence for keeping Harry Potter," she said, adding that the books don't support any particular religion but present instead universal themes of friendship and overcoming adversity. In June, the county's library board eliminated the $3,000 that had been set aside to buy Spanish-language fiction in the coming fiscal year. One board member said the move came after some residents objected to using taxpayer dollars to entertain readers who might be illegal immigrants. Days later, the board reversed its decision amid accusations that the move was anti-Hispanic. |
