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I'm not sure that the Grapes of Wrath, Of Mice And Men, and To Kill a Mockingbird are books that can be accurately compared to any of the Harry Potter books.
The former are fictional novels based in fact which addressed difficult social issues and are important stories of our collective national past.
The latter? well, not so much!
Since making this post I googled Medal of Freedom and reviewed the list of recipients in Literature. As you noted the Harry Potter books wouldn't match the criteria that I assume is used. Rowling could be said to have stimulated literacy or something along those lines since the books were an international success.
I noticed that in some years there are no awards in specific categories. I assume the president can award one Medal of Freedom or 25?
i find it strange that jk rowling would be up for the presidential medal of freedom, and i don't care that she didn't get it, but the fact that there were enough national-level politicians who sincerely think her books promote witchcraft to block her getting it is pretty scary.
Since making this post I googled Medal of Freedom and reviewed the list of recipients in Literature. As you noted the Harry Potter books wouldn't match the criteria that I assume is used. Rowling could be said to have stimulated literacy or something along those lines since the books were an international success.
I noticed that in some years there are no awards in specific categories. I assume the president can award one Medal of Freedom or 25?
Agreed. BTW, I don't have a problem with her receiving this honor.
They chose not to award Teddy Kennedy an MoF, though, and George Bush believed that “Gog and Magog are at work in the Middle East…. The biblical prophecies are being fulfilled…. This confrontation is willed by God, who wants to use this conflict to erase his people’s enemies before a New Age begins.â€
Besides one writer shilling his book (and a million blogs), do you have any proof GWB turn down Kennedy for the MoF? Any links? Bush liked Kennedy. Bush Among Ted Kennedy Well Wishers - CBS News
And the Gog and Magog, that's Jacques Chirac's claim, if GWB concurs then I'll believe it.
IMO this is the BBC's way of twitting Obama into giving Rowling a medal.
When have these religious conservatives ever actually been right? These were the same people saying the devil was coming through the radio when it was first invented and outraged at rock.
Society advances without them, but I read an interesting book by a strong Christian arguing that Harry Potter actually descends from a long line of Christian literature. Pretty convincing argument once you get past all the broomsticks and other superficial toys that distract critics (this is applicable to their interpretation of Christ's message in general - caught up in the superficial)
Agreed. BTW, I don't have a problem with her receiving this honor.
Actually, I might if I understood what the criteria for selection is.
They were/are good fiction books but compared to other winners in Literature I'm not certain how they measure up.
If I had been George Bush at the time the Harry Potter series was popular I might have felt that selecting an author from 'across the pond' to be disloyal to the US but I don't share all of his religious beliefs or really know his thought process. lol.
I was alawya under the impression that the MoF was a civilian equivalent of the MoH. For heroic action, above and beyond, forsaking personal safety for the sake of others etc. Writing a wildly sucessful series of entertaining books, regardless of whether it encourages kids to read or not, is hardly a heroic act. Entertainers are getting far to much credit, IMHO.As for the 'promoting witchcraft' thing, pleaaaase. The books are fantasies. No different than , say, the Lord of the Rings series. They are hardly a handbook for satanic rituals etc. They are just plain fun.
That is pitiful. Really truly utterly pitiful. Her books have brought great joy to millions of readers. It has inspired generations to pick up a book and read. Oh well.
True, but picking up a book and READING scares the extreme fundamentalists to death; how dare we teach kids to read, which might lead them to read other books that might talk about evolution, real factual history, or birth control. What a horror that kids might learn how to THINK for themselves!
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