Did Rowling Get Dissed By White House?

By PopEater Staff Posted Sep 30th 2009 12:30PM

JK Rowling, author of the 'Harry Potter' book series, was denied a top US honor because politicians believed her books promoted sorcery, BBC News is reporting.

Some US politicians believed the Potter books "encouraged witchcraft," claims Matt Latimer, a former speech writer for President George W. Bush. Latimer alleges that this belief caused her to lose out on a Presidential Medal of Freedom.

This claim and others are spelled out in 'Speechless: Tales of a White House Survivor,' Latimer's new book.

The Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian award in the US. It celebrates contributions to American national interests, security, cultural endeavors and world peace. T.S. Eliot, Harper Lee and John Steinbeck are past literary recipients. The recently deceased Senator Edward Kennedy was also denied the medal during the Bush administration.

JK Rowling, 44, is one of the world's most popular authors. She wrote the Harry Potter series while a single mother living on welfare. The books sold more than 400 million copies. She has an estimated worth of $798 million.

Tags: harrypotter, jkrowling

Comments

(25)

Wednesday 30 September

By rann948

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Give me a break. Rowling made a billion dollars. She's NOT an American. How about giving a posthumous medal to Dr. Seuss?
Writers should get literary awards or publishing awards, not government medals.

By Gutsy

This is another example of the desperate Bush-bashing that seems to know no end. Rowling is not a US citizen...do our authors get British decorations? As for Kennedy...what the heck did he do to deserve a Medal of Freesom...other than be a Kennedy and an eloqunt lout?

By Marc

Kennedy was given the Medal of Freedom just for having the Kennedy name and being tied to his honorable brothers. Nothing more. Theordore was a mouth and a coward. And yet lived a blessed life having the Kennedy name.

By JIm Willeford

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Sounds typical of Bush and his faux christian allies.

What a bunch of petty schemers they are. They would be humorous if they weren't so serious about the inane

By PUNKBOOKKEEPER

Just another example of the ridiculousness of the Bush administration. "Encourage witchcraft", indeed. Rowling wrote a timeless story that encourages nothing but reading in children that might otherwise have never picked up a book.
Hopefully President Obama, who mentioned Harry Potter in his recent school speech, will correct this unnecessary oversight.

By stephanzo2004

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You obviously don't have a clue if you think her books are innocent. Sorcery is never innocent. She made millions but at what cost to her soul? And she doesn't deserve an American medal!

By falling

This idiot is comparing authors such as T.S. Eliot, Harper Lee and John Steinbeck to Rowling? And believes she is as qualified to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom as these great authors? Is he insane...or simply illiterate? I enjoyed Rowlings books, but her work is NOT comparable to Eliot, Harper Lee or Steinbeck!

By divabrighton

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Let me see if I got this correct...You can accept a book/written word that encourages Christianity, but not witchcraft. They are both religions. So much for Freedom of Religious Choice in America. Thanks, Republicans. You're pretty cool. Keep on oppressing those that don't fit into your little picture. One day...one sweet sweet day, it's going to bite you right in the ass.

By mroneoftheguys

To get passed over is to be Dissed???.....What 12 yr old wrote this tripe...Many feel that the books are not proper reading for the young because of the violence and the witchcraft that goes on in them....Medal of Freedom to an English author may in itself not be proper...As for Edward Kennedy being brought up....Really...A man responsible for the untimely death of a young women...A man who promoted for years the killing of unwanted, unborn babies...should get the medal of freedom???....a silly boy-child who couldn't ever keep his pants zipped up....a well-known drunkard...a left-wing nut fool...Now laid to rest with the hero's who died in battle in behalf of our country....Enough to make every American sick............

By Raven

Wait, wait, wait. Promoted sorcery???? Damn, I remember going to sleep last night in the twenty-first century. When did we all warp back to the medieval times?

By MFM008

Hmmm, if the Bush bunch believe reading Harry Potter will turn you to witch craft, maybe reading a cook book will turn you into a casserole.

By riverdew149

Unbelievable. It's called FICTION - a fairy tale. It has the same theme as Star Wars - Good verses Evil. I love her books - I'm a Christian - and she had children all over the world READING. That's right - no computer games - READING. Next they will be conducting a witch hunt for Stephanie Meyer for her vampire FICTION. How dare those young mothers write successful books and become rich and famous.

By vjm1961

Ms. Rowlings should have waived her magic sorceror's wand and made the Bush Administration disappear...that would have deserved any Medal of Honor!!

By Tracy James

Well, it's pretty much a done deal for J.K. Rowling, if G. Bush didn't give her an award, Barack and Hollywood will be kissing her backside any minute. There must be some award they can give her!!! Cause God knows, that with Obama floundering around this is of MAJOR IMPORTANCE!!!

By arfito

I am absolutely fed up with how people try to push their religious views on the world. Absolutely a bunch of fanatics, separation of church and state somewhere in the Constitution.

I hope someone puts a nasty hex on Cougarchats . Where's Potter when you need him?

By trmnatr2

hey if it gets the kids to read and away from the t.v. and computer than it works for me.anyone who really believes in sorcery is an idiot.its fiction like any other fiction.

Saturday 03 October

By rikstik71664

Bush is white and Rowling is white, whats with DISS??? Thata an black ghetto screet term. ROFLMFAO!!!

By naotachannel

Books that encourage witchcraft are allowed in public schools - but books that encourage Christianity are banned.

No wonder so many people are brainwashed into hating God. They're robots who have been told what to think and how to think by the government run, public "education" system.

By allo!saurus

It's absolutely ridiculous that so many people actually think Harry Potter promotes "witchcraft."

There is no such thing as "witchcraft," people! There just isn't! There's Paganism, yes, but that's a religion - no more or less evil than Christianity.

The sheer close-minded ignorance prevalent in this world, and this country, absolutely astounds me.

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