On a Rumor that George Bush Found J. K. Rowling too Witchy for Medal
Author Matt Latimer allegedly writes in his new book Speechless: Tales of a White House Survivor that President George W. Bush decided not to give J. K. Rowling a Presidential Medal of Freedom because her connection to "witchcraft" was too controversial for his conservative followers.
From Think Progress:
Page 201
"This was the same sort of narrow thinking that led people in the White House to actually object to giving the author J.K. Rowling a presidential medal because the Harry Potter books encouraged withcraft."
Lucky for us, Fans have a lot to say about this ~ Enjoy!
Comments from Guardian UK
I'm surprised Rowling did not turn Bush into a toad.
~ Outradgie
I'm only suprised she wasn't taken to Guantánamo Bay to extract a confession!
~ CBR1100XX
The scary thing here is that Europe, and really only northern Europe, is the exception here. We laugh at America, but religion and superstition plays a huge part in politics in virtually the whole of the rest of the world.
Beware. People the world over who believe in sky fairies are getting access to increasingly powerful buttons...
~ mcewan7
I blame the Puritans - they still seem to have a hold on the US. When she next visits the States I'd advise Rolwing to avoid Salem, Mass. just in case...
~ SandyBar
This...coming from a country that uses the pentagram-yes,an occult/witchcraft symbol as its air force emblem. Also the Pentagon is the shape of a center of a pentagram.Its all there in plain site if you take a look
~ wook3012
No, dont laugh. The Oval Office under Bush WAS afraid of witchcraft. After all, it were witchcraft what put those explosives inside the twin towers and brought them down, aint that royt Lord Bushellmort? Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha!! (sound of broom departing for the same far away lands where all fiction comes from)
~ sourpus
Please don't speak the Dark Lord's name.
~ opinionsforpeace
Dubya didn't need any witches in his administration. That would been way too competition with evil fecal demon known as Dick Cheney.
~ hisbigal
Look on the bright side, perhaps it just saved her from having to turn it down. Being honoured by the Bush administration isn't something that would ever have been high on my list of ambitions.
~ Lord Summerisle
Welcome my friends to the show that never ends. Welcome to the AGE OF STUPID! Harry, Ron and Hermione forever!
~ Anaximander
Sweet zombie Jesus. The outrage here is that people believe that the "highest civilian honor" should go to J.K. Rowling in the first place. I mean, come on, the books might be entertaining, but does such a work actually deserve the highest possible honor? That's just ridiculous and demeans the medal itself.
~ Benito36
From Sci Fi Wire
Too bad for them the last HP book had more obvious Christian themes than The Chronicles of Narnia.
~ a different tim
Well, Rowlings' Potter series is fairly well written and entertaining fluff, I cannot fathom why, witchcraft or no, why anyone would seriously consider awarding the Presidential Medal of Freedom to a fiction writer. Surely there were more worthy candidates. Surely somebody that year made a "real" difference in the world! And...I agree with "antodav" this article is sheer claptrap.
~ kobayashimaru
Wouldn't the medal be better spent given to, you know, AN AMERICAN? I hear tell the Brits got their own awards, something about knights and hood and such. Plus, Harry Potter blows, and should be rejected on that simple premise. What's next, medals to the Twilight girl?
~ jackbauer
My only problem with Rowling receiving any kind of freedom award, is she depicted the average wizard and witch as little more than ignorant Sheeple (Sheep people); not very indicative of a march towards freedom. That The Bush administration was afraid of a fictional setting of what they encouraged speaks highly of their own ignorance. And the new wanting to reward her notes that they have not or do not recognize the undertones that exist there some of which include: fangirls get their guy, smart women settle for idiots, and the greater ignorance a society possesses, the easier it is to terrorize and conquer it, and everything is explained away as a magical plotholes and bad characterization.
~ Des_Shinta
If it weren't for the published word, no one would have ammunition for their pompous notions. So, whom really has credibility for what they publish? The human condition is too complex and depraved to be absolutely trusted.
~ lokee
Found on Jonathan Turley.com Muggle Rebellion
Past recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom include Carol Burnett, Johnny Carson, Paul Harvey. Aretha Franklin and others. However, they never sought to expand the use of the black arts. We are talking about real witches and wizards and the need to hold the line against the force of “He Who Must Not Be Named” (which became ‘They Who Must Not Be Named with the arrival of Cheney). Witches are a real concern for the GOP it appears. After all, Sarah Palin’s favorite minister cut his teeth as a witch hunter and gave Palin protection against witches before her national campaign... here
~ Jonathan Turley
What is particularly strange is that Bush seemed to live within a fantasy world of his own, albeit a biblically inspired fantasy. He reportedly told French President Chirac how the Iraq war was the foretold final struggle between Gog and Magog... here.
~ Jonathan Turley
Sure there’s witchcraft involved. The kind that made kids devour books 800 pages long. Too bad the spell doesn’t work on everyone…
~ M
Professor Turley,
This is a most appropriate topic for Banned Books Week. Having worked as a school librarian and instructor of a children’s literature course, I’ve done a lot of reading about the censorship and banning of children’s books. There are certain fundamentalist religious groups that are intent upon having certain books-and types of books-banned from school libraries and classrooms… and excised from reading lists. Books about Halloween, witches/witchcraft, magic, gay issues…I could go on and on. One picture book that caused a brouhaha was “And Tango Makes Three,” a true story about a pair of male penguins in New York’s Central Park Zoo who care for an orphaned egg.
~ Elaine M.
As a teenager, I learned one “witchcraft” spell. Create an image of the individual you wish to banish from your life. Wrap the image in a plastic bag and put it in the back of your freezer. As long as it is in the freezer, the person can do you no harm. Does it work? I don’t know ‘cause I never tried it but if the 8 year presidency of George Bush is any indicator … probably not.
~ Blouise
From a discussion on Perez Hilton
She's a Limy for christs sake!!!
~ Prairie Dog
Why again would JK Rowling, a British citizen, receive the Presidential Medal of Honor?? Pretty sure there are many more deserving men and women serving this country overseas. Latimer is clearly just trying to be outrageous in order to sell his book. Come on Perez, you know a little something about that!
~ Missy1982
Don't know why you are surprised. Here in the Southern 'Bible Belt' theaters showing Harry Potter movies were picketed for the same reason. They finally stopped after the 3rd or 4th………I think their arms got tired of holding up the signs.
~ gritz
Wow. J.K. is brilliant, as are the books, and if anyone is stupid enough to turn to witchcraft because of a NOVEL, then they aren't worth anything anyway.
~ JerryYelton
what a f-ing douche!! I hate "Christians" that are against Harry Potter for "promoting witch craft" when they clearly NEVER EVEN READ THE BOOKS >:-/
~ Alisa-Chan
LMAO, and you clearly NEVER EVEN PRACTICED OR KNOW WHAT CHRISTIANITY IS REALLY ABOUT >:-/
~ perezito_is_an_asshole
From the Leaky Cauldron News Post
Has anyone ever thought that Bush and Voldemort were one and the same?
~ Thorgrim Greipr
See this what happens when you let muggles in to power
~ GinnyRose2004
This is so stupid. It does not encourage witchcraft. It’s a story - not a guidebook. Witchcraft existed long before Harry Potter and if anything; Harry Potter has taught us to love!
~ MiliMalfoy (FTC!)
I would like to see the sources before everyone jumps on the hate Bush wagon. I would think HP fans would be more objective of information that is being soled (sp) for a buck. Rita Skeeter anyone?
~ Microtoxin
my dad was the same way ohh about 6 years ago then my mom told him to shut up and let me see the movies and he really liked them
~ lilmisssnape
Talk about being confunded!
~ wandmastercalum
Read the books!! There is nothing in them to encourage anything dark or evil!
~ Nicci Weasley
This is a lie. President Bush and the first lady were FANS of Harry Potter. I remember that during one of the White House Christmas parties the President and First Lady had cakes made of Famous scenes from Books and one of the cakes were of Harry Potter and Hedwig.
~ faubert
oh yeah guys, and did you hear? uncle tom’s cabin encourages us to be racist, lord of the flies encourages us to act like lunatics, the transformation encourages us to turn into giant cockroaches, and romeo and juliet encourage us to kill ourselves. lol! i hope mrs. rowling doesn’t mind them, she does have more support than criticism. she’s got my vote any day!
~ DoVe_PaTrOnUs
That would be our ex president for you. You’d think it was Death Eaters & not pretzels that attacked him.
~ Superman82
Hey guys, rumor is actually in the title - it’s not posted as a fact. :) The person who wrote it did work in the nucleus of the white house, so whether he’s being truthful or not it’s not a totally un-credible source. Worthy of being reported as a rumor.
Thanks for remaining civil or at least trying to - you’ll notice we went to pains to point out that the Bush administration praised HP in the past.
~ Melissa Anelli