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Opinion
londay, December 3, 2001 M THE BATTALION
Page 11
People should leave Harry alone ...
respite the black magic, books and movie are no threat to children
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mid the excitement surrounding the debut of the movie Harry
Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone, there are a few unhappy individu
als lurking in the dark and dusty corners of fictional witchcraft
with the audience that made the
books an international phenomenon.
A religious group is indirectly
promoting its own Harry Potter
movie and breed of lunacy. The
group’s video is titled, Harry
Potter: Witchcraft Repackaged —
Making Evil Look Innocent, and
claims that the Harry Potter movie
and books are filled with evil and
will drive children to the occult. This farfetched
idea, held by book police who have attacked clas
sics like John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men and
J.D. Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye, robs children of
their imaginations and the pure enjoyment of great
literature.
The video, created by a Merritt Island, Fla.,
church pastor, says the book series, hailed by educa
tors and parents for enticing children to read, is also
luring children to witchcraft. The video has been
shown to hundreds of parents in the Brevard County area,
and the creators intend to eventually reach a broader audi
ence. According to the Orlando Sentinel, the video says that
“children as young as kindergarten are being introduced to
human sacrifice, the sucking of blood from dead animals and
possession by spirit beings.”
These complaints are not the first targeted at J.K. Rowling’s
Harry Potter books. In fact, since 1998 when the first of the four
books was published, the fictional orphan and wizard-in-training
have been persecuted by nemesis other than the evil Lord Voldermort,
who killed Harry’s parents in the book and left him with a light
ening bolt scar. According to the American Library Association,
the books have topped the best
seller lists and the list of books
most challenged. In one year, there were 26 challenges to remove the
Harry Potter books from bookshelves in 16 different states.
Unlike other books before Harry Potter that have traveled the well-
trodden path to censorship, Harry Potter books are not being challenged
for sexual content, racism or violence. Instead they are being challenged
for their topic of wizardry, witches and warlocks ?— a theme of fantasy
that has pervaded children’s literature for years. According to the
Orlando Sentinel, the fear-all book fascists have managed to interpret the
lightening bolt on Harry’s forehead as part of the Nazi swastika and claim
that “broomsticks and pointed hats are phallic symbols in Wicca, a pagan
religion that worships nature.” However, Roger Coleman, a Wiccan minis
ter of the Church of Iron Oak in Palm Bay, Fla., said there is “very little
similarity between his religion and the witchcraft in the series.”
There is no doubt that J.K Rowling’s beloved book series and new
movie do possess a magic all their own, but luring children to the occult is
not part of it. Instead, Rowling has achieved a great feat in entertainment
There is no justification for a few select individuals to
decide what should and should not be read by
America’s children. That is a decision that should be
left solely to the parents.
history. The magic of Harry Potter books, published in 42 languages, has
captivated an enormous amount of a predominantly technology-driven
youth audience. On college campuses, between organic chemistry and
political science books, students tote Harry Potter books and parents
read their children’s books to join the fun.
Also, despite the dissenting opinions of a few, the first Harry Potter
movie has been a great success. According to CNN, the movie has had
the best three-day debut ever, grossing $90.3 million domestically and is
sure to break more box office records soon.
More importantly, children all over the world are choosing Harry
Potter books over Microsoft’s new XBox and other high-tech entertain
ment, which leave little room for the imagination. There is no justifica
tion for a few select individuals to decide what should and should not be
read by America’s children. That is a decision that should be left solely
to the parents. As stated in the First Amendment, “Congress shall make
no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free
exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or the press.”
Americans should always respect the right of others to choose for them
selves what they and their families wish to read.
Jennifer Lozano is a junior
English major.
MAIL CALL
■■
ADRIAN CALCANEO • THE BATTALION
Students ignore the education of
iberal arts at their own loss
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CHRI.S'IY
RUTH
t Texas A&M, most degree plans for technical
sciences such as engineering and computer
science allow little room for curriculum diver
sity. In fact, students who test out of
freshman-level classes may never
take an English, political science or
history class in their college career.
Some educators may view this
system as an efficient process
that benefits students. Others
claim this system exploits stu
dents by cheating them out of a
balanced education. As far back
is the 19th century, intellectuals amid the
ndustrial Revolution feared for the future of the
icholar and the university. They worried that uni
versities would become nothing more than institu-
ions of technical learning, and that students would
graduate with little understanding of anything out-
ide of their specialized field.
This concern continues to grow in the academic
immunity as science becomes more advanced.
From cloning to artificial intelligence, conflict
abounds betv/een groups that champion all causes
tithe name tof scientific advancement and groups
hat fear the social impact of the relentless pur
suit of scientific advancement.
The concern in the academic community is
substantial enough that some universities, such as
he University of Texas-Dallas, require engineers
and computer scientists to take “Ethics in
Technology and Medicine” courses. Even the
American Association for Higher Education con
ducts online discussion forums wherein partici
pants debate the consequences of entrusting the
future to scientists who have little historical or
philosophical knowledge.
As the first university to conduct a successful
animal-cloning experiment, A&M finds itself
entangled in these conflicts. Because of rigid
degree requirements, most students majoring in
fields of technical science find themselves with
very few opportunities to take classes unrelated to
their majors. Perhaps what is more disheartening is
that many of these students have no interest in using
their electives to diversify their studies.
History has shown, however, that governments
and individuals with questionable motives have
employed socially apathetic scientists to reach
unethical ends. One of the reasons history is consid
ered important enough to teach is because it exposes
mistakes of the past. Students must understand how
and why socially destructive things happened in
order to avoid repeating them.
For example, American anthropologists have pil
laged Indian burial grounds in the name of science,
never considering what the effects would be on the
Indian people who consider these grounds to be
sacred. Ray Hernandez, a council member for the
Tap Pilam-Coahuiltecan Nation, has spoken to an
anthropology class at A&M and denounced these
acts as disrespectful and unnecessary. The U.S. gov
ernment recently has made it illegal for scientists to
obtain bones and artifacts from Indian burial sites.
Still, many students do not consider history, phi
losophy or government classes important. “I am not
in college for liberal arts. I am here to learn construc
tion science,” said Brad Smith, a senior construction
science major. When asked to name the current U.S.
attorney general, an engineering student was clueless.
Other students who do not see value in art, litera
ture and philosophy simply dismiss all liberal arts
degrees as “illegitimate.”
Division of labor makes it such that not everyone
needs to know higher mathematics and advanced sci
ence. Principles of government and knowledge of
historical events, however, are necessary in a gen
uine democracy. Apathy and ignorance profoundly
cripple the democratic process, especially when uni
versity graduates decide that the state of society is
unimportant.
Somehow, the core requirement of political sci
ence and history fails to communicate to many stu
dents the importance of being informed in a demo
cratic society, and art and philosophy are also ren
dered irrelevant along the way. For a university that
strives to adhere to high standards, A&M must ask
itself if this is acceptable.
Christy Ruth is a sophomore
journalism major.
Athletes cannot
be heroes
In response to Melissa
Bedsole’s Dec. 3 column:
Mark McGwire may be a
great athlete; he could be the
greatest ever. But there is
nothing noble about swinging
a bat or throwing a ball. It is
fun to watch. Baseball is
sometimes majestic, but it is
not what should be praised as
a role model. Save your com
mendation for a sports col
umn. McGwire may be differ
ent from other athletes. He
may be noble in his family life
or respected by his col
leagues for knowing when to
throw in the towel so that
someone more able can win it
for the team, but this does not
make "an American icon."
And no one deserves honor
able mention just because
they can prioritize their family
life before a ballgame, you are
supposed to do that.
I find it quite offensive that
people would still classify fire
fighters, EMTs, police, relief-
volunteers and overseas sol
diers with the same word
we've erroneously been using
to describe celebrities and ath
letes. That word is hero.
Every once in a while,
Americans are put to the test
to show its true colors and
reveal the amount of bravery
that its people have within
them. The night before the
attack on America, the sports
section of the news raved that
Michael Jordan was making
another comeback to basket
ball. Before I lamented for
that week about another
celebrity's attempt to defy
his mid-life crisis and get
more attention, I actually
found myself chuckling after
the terrorist attack because
Jordan actually believed he
was coming back to be
someone's hero again.
I know some are already
sick and tired of hearing
about tragedy and terrorism
with our fallen heroes get
ting recognized for their self
lessness. But we truly need
to articulate the worth of a
celebrity from that of a true
hero. How many more chal
lenges should America
endure before its values are
recognized? I thought by
now everyone knew what
"true hero" meant.
Alan Pontious
Class of 2000
Admissions are not
based on race
In response to a Dec. 3
mail call:
In Matt Maddox's letter of
response to the A&M law
school legal fight, he suggests
that the top 25 percent
admission idea somehow
conflicts with the Hopwood
decision that disallowed race-
based admissions.
He seems to think that this
top -25-percent admission pol
icy would involve "quotas"
and "double standards." I dis
agree with this idea conceptu
ally because the top-25-
admission program is not
designed to give people
advantages based on their
race.
It gives school officials the
right to target certain areas
with a socio-economic disad
vantage for top 25 percent
automatic admission. This
provides enhanced opportu
nity to those who have shown
a desire to achieve despite
being from more disadvan
taged areas. It is a boost
based on merit.
I cannot understand the
vehement opposition to this
policy I have seen in some
people, because is not a
legal handout based on
race. It is not even an under
handed approach at a racial
handout.
Instead, I think it is a gen
uine, well-intentioned effort
to increase the availability of
education beyond the middle
and upper classes. This is
certainly in the best interest
of the state of Texas, so our
school officials should not
have their hands tied in try
ing to widen educational
opportunity.
If there is any uncertainty
about what the law allows,
then look for Texas Senate
Bill HB 588, which was the
legislative response to
Hopwood. It allows schools
to automatically accept stu
dents on a top-25-percent
basis as well as a variety of
factors, and none of those
factors are based on the
color of the student's skin.
Matt Criswell
Class of 2000
CARTOON OF THE DAY
TUe