Schools: fantasy v. reality

Some of my Christian conservative friends ride me because I read Harry Potter; after all, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry teaches "magic."

But it just dawned on me:

Hogwarts may teach magic, but it's more important what Hogwarts doesn't teach.

Hogwarts doesn't teach sex education, diversity, multiculturalism, social studies, gender studies, feminist studies, earth studies, Heather Has Two Mommies, gay rights, animal rights, veganism, anti-war screeds, Bush hatred, peace studies, activism, the evils of dead white males, or any of the other crap we teach in our public schools today.

What's more, Hogwarts teaches "Defense Against the Dark Arts," which, if anything, is like a fantasy-world equivalent to having the N.R.A. come to your school to teach your kids how to lawfully defend themselves against criminals and terrorists!

If I had kids, I would rather send them off to Hogwarts than sentence them to public school in Oregon.

Comments

[Horrabin]

Amen.
(Ooops.. can I say that in America today?)
I was warped enough in school by merely being part of the 60's hippie drill. Took a few years to grow some awareness of the real world and ditch that crap.
I can't imagine what kind of tortured brain a current student will leave high school with these days, assuming he/she can graduate. After all, those grading curves are tough to meet without studying real subjects, like "math", "AMERICAN HISTORY" for crissakes, "English" (for everyone), and so on.
Geez.
Getting your education from the likes of Ward Churchill.
"Fantasy 101". The World According To Crap.
Viewing the 'world as it is' via Hollywood and the MSM. Not to mention what passes for music these days. No wonder the rap "artists" are killing each other off, and the kids think that's cool; they're imitating it enthusiastically in every big city. We had musicians like CSNY and Country Joe who sucked politically in my (later life) opinion, but at least they made real music doing it, and damn good music too.
Screw public education these days. I'd rather go to Hogwarts myself if I was still a kid. At least I might learn something to zap today's "teachers" with.

[Brian B]

Actually, if you'll read what some of us have been saying:

http://mementomoron.blogspot.com/2004/12/between-heaven-and-mordor.html
http://songstress7.typepad.com/beyond/2005/07/musings_on_fant_1.html

(comments as well as Blog Entries)

We have less of a problem with the "magic" and more of a problem with some of the ethics he espouses: Lying and cheating are ok means to acheiving an end.

[Jerry the Geek]

I find it both interesting and gratifying that you chose to discuss this subject.

My fiction genre of choice is SF, and as far as I'm concerned Harry Potter is just another subgenre ... fantasy.

I don't know why so many conservatives find fictional magic so threatening. Here's a bap from the clue-bat: magic is fiction, it does NOT exist!

Okay, I understand that the gothic sub-culture includes a lot of people who believe in this crap and commit egrigious offenses against civilization in the name of Satan.

But Harry Potter as a threat to civilization? No way am I buying into that!

There are people out there who find evil in the most inoccuous of themes, and Potter must assuradly rate in that category. Actually, I feel sorry for people whose lives are so constricted that they can't discern the differnce between light fiction and evil.

It's a STORY, folks!

[Brian B]

It's obvious Jerry read neither of the linked Blog entries.

[Suzi]

I read Harry Potter. My husband reads Harry Potter. My kids read Harry Potter.

I have no problem with the magic. This is fantasy after all.

But I do have trouble with the lying and cheating and lack of consequences for those. We've had lots of discussions about that with the boys.

I am a conservative Christian in a conservative mainline denomination.

[Nightgaunt]

I am also a conservative Christian. I have read the Harry Potter books, as well as many other fantasy books. I don't know why those folks get their knickers in such a twist over it.

But then I also used to play D&D. I still would, if I could find anyone to play with (and could find the time to play).

[Gullyborg]

If you have the time, come to Eugene. We need new players.

[Liberal Larry]

I was always partial to Maclean Stevenson.

[melior]

Poor kid, you musta been traumatized at birth by lesbians to be so afraid of them at such a young age.

No fear, if you get to college you just might discover there's more to life than they let on in Bible school. And it's not nearly as bad as you're afraid of, hon.

[Gullyborg]

WTF?

OK, first, to whom are you typing? Because I don't see anyone mentioning lesbians here.

Second, for the record, I happen to LIKE lesbians.