I have been reading about a series of banned books that school districts, etc. have been removing to avoid making parents uncomfortable. Some of these books contain not only hours of entertainment and thought provoking conflicts, but also the hints and allegations of life lessons which the sheltered youth of today might, otherwise, not encounter. One of the books (series, really) I was surprised to find on the list was Harry Potter. I can't think of a single thing that, as a work of fiction, anyone could find objectionable about the series. Though, having noted where the majority of these bannings have taken place, I have come up with a solution. I have already dispatched a missive to J.K. Rowling with the suggested title for a revisitation of the Harry Potter series entitled, "Harry Potter and the Perils of Blind Fundamentalism." On page one, Harry is burned at the stake for practicing witchcraft and the rest of the book is simply transcripts of televangelist sermons and excerpts from Jersey Shore and The Real Housewives of (paste inane location here). I am eagerly awaiting her response.

Closed minds are not becoming, people, nor is hypocrisy. I remember reading somewhere, in a book that has also not always been well received, that people were granted free will to make of their lives what they would and that the key to prosperity was being true to who you are. I'm paraphrasing, of course, but if I am to be judged, and I think I can speak for authors and other creatives quite well, I would prefer for it to be by a power higher than someone who is offended by my choice of wording or subject matter.