December 18, 2001

Dear Sir,

I have read with great interest the swarm of letters that have been written in response to the decision of the principal of CedarBridge Academy to ban the Harry Potter book from the school curriculum. As I read these responses I am reminded of how our society has over the centuries been plagued by racism, censorship, and bigotry.

As the 20th Century drew to a close and as we emerge into the new millennium we are ever more hasty to conjure up "quick-fix" solutions to correct these wrongs of our society's past. Two elements that come to mind that seem to now head the charge to "cleanse" society of our past misdeeds are tolerance and political correctness. The sad fact is that, ironically, in our quest to espouse these man-made qualities we often achieve the very opposite of what these elements are promoted as achieving. That is, we actually promote censorship, racism, and bigotry.

Ms. Kalmar Richards, the CedarBridge principal, made a decision, obviously based on her deeply held Christian convictions, that Harry Potter had no place in the school curriculum. In response to her decision I have read in your newspaper the most bigoted, sarcastic, condescending, and belittling letters attacking this lady for her decision. I have even read letters insulting and trivialising the Christian faith. We are in a time when the quality of education in our society is at a low point. Our crime rate amongst the youth of this country is at a high point. The amount of idleness and delinquency amongst the youth of this country is worrying, to say the least. The answer is not just in getting children to read, but in getting them to read the right material. The answer is having teachers and school principals that have the courage and integrity to foster a sense of solid values in the students. Whether you agree or disagree with Ms Richards' decision, what should be applauded is her sincere dedication to the moral and spiritual well-being of her student body.

For those of you who have branded her as "narrow-minded" to assume that young, impressionable minds may be unduly influenced by the contents of Harry Potter you obviously have short memories. May I remind you of the spate of teen suicides across the United States that occurred after they had read the Dungeons & Dragons novels. May I remind you of the witchcraft that was being practised freely in Bermuda in the late 1980s by students from both the public and private schools. It was serious enough for the Police to have to launch an investigation into the matter.

Ephesians 6:12 says: "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." To some readers, this may appear as a joke - the lyrics of some "fanatical, narrow-minded bigot". To others, this is the very doctrine by which one must live. The point is that we as a society must no longer be so naive as to think that evil only comes in the form of a devil with two horns and a pitch fork. It is more subtle than that. The decision of the principal of CedarBridge must be respected and upheld.

A CHRISTIAN

Hamilton Parish