Sharon A pens: It's true that the Harry Potter books and the film, in and of themselves, are so popular and will be so enduring that book-burning fundies will not eliminate them. However, I agree with those who feel that these works need to be protected in a society that protects the right of free speech and expression.

I reply: I am only pointing out that the companies that own these books have fairly deep pockets, and they will be able to take on their opponents if such should prove necessary.

Sharon A also pens: But far more importantly, I feel that the minds of children need to be just as well protected from having hatred and fear and bigotry drummed into them. If for no other reason than to show the fundies' kids that it is possible – and acceptable – for them to think for themselves, practices such as book-burning and other forms of censorship should be denounced with as loud a voice as we can muster.

I reply: I hate to say this, but banning book burnings *is* a form of censorship. So long as they are not burning all the books of it's kind in existence, their burning some falls under their right to "free speech" here in the US.

As for what they do to their kids...I don't know about any of you, but I don't want anyone telling me how to raise my daughter, or what religion is acceptable for me to train her in. You may disagree with the way you were raised, but then I know a lot of people raised by non-fundies (myself included) with equally bad (or worse) childhood stories to tell. No one way of parenting is the "right" way, and I for one do not want the government in the business of child raising. Too much like Big Brother for my sensibilities.

When we legislate things like parenting, whose parenting will be "right" and whose will be "wrong"? Do any of us really want to find that it is *our* way that is deemed "wrong"? I think it better to lay down certain standards that no one can go beyond (beating your kids being the obvious one), and from there, things such as religion need to be at the conscience of the parents.

The government involved in parents raising their children in the religion of their choice *would* be an infraction of the seperation of church and state in this country, by the way.