This confirms me in my belief that the US has a terminal mental illness. They are happy with their gun laws, but would like to ban an escapist children’s book. What is it they are afraid of? These Books are about Good triumphing over Evil. Ban the Bible there is far more to concern the thinking man there. I’m sorry; I forgot this is the land of the Bible thumping – brain in neutral society

PLEASE don't lump us all together here in the south. We are unfortunately in what is called the bible belt. That is a group of people who are so against everything, and they are always harping on their views of the bibles meanings.

I love the movies of Harry Potter and own the dvds. In fact I can hardly wait for the next one to come out. What these fanatics (yes, fanatics) don't realize is that the kids have something to really get into and read. It's a proven fact here in the USA, the kids are scoring much higher in their reading. There is so much more I could write but I do not want to bore you. May I please say that I am an avid reader and a senior citizen. The one book that I re-read constantly is "Winter Solstice" by your own Rosemund Pilcher.

These kids need to read something that keeps their interest and sparks their imagination.

I live int he US and like Maggie said not all of us are like that.I love the HP movies and especially the books. So do my four daughters 3,6,11,13. My children read books far beyond their years.

I am a very big Potter fan! Well like Jo said on her website look at all the other famous authors that are on that list. "I always take great inclusion on the list with great honour"

I take offense to anyone dissing my country saying we are all alike that is like saying all UK have bad teeth and are snobs!
I don't believe that at all! Neither should you!

This is just a small group of people who are like this and this is their way of getting attention!

3000 people out of how many million living in the USA, that isn't even enough fleas to make the Dogs butt itch!

Ladies you have Fundamentalist Christians in charge – Bush and Rumfeld. That is why The US is at war. Remove religion from the Whitehouse and from your politics – as required by your constitution and maybe we’ll get somewhere.

I think the attentions of the 3000+ would be better focussed on breaking the spell that has been cast by the current White House incumbent and his followers. Less than half the votes for all the power and none of the glory. If this grinning creature turned up on your doorstep trying to sell brushes or knives you'd close the door in his face, yet you give him and his little helpers carte blanche to police the world. Wake up and smell the coffee..........please

good grief! We were speaking of children reading books, not politics. Why is it that people who have no comprehension of the story always turns it to their favorite dislike. Please- the White House does not push their religion on people.

Wait a minute! dont they allow modern witches in the army and navy in America now, ie Wiccans? Even teenage Wiccans and Pagans have won the right to wear the pentacle to school, so whats the problem? Ahhhhhh.....I see, its that old chestnut, ignorance. Witchcraft is not about satanism, Wiccans do not recognise Satan. They do not sacrifice babies nor do they drink blood. The pentacle is actually an old sign to ward off evil, and witches! Forget Hollywood, forget Hammer House of Horror and read 'Harry Potter' for what it is, a ripping yarn......gawd ye dont hauf get some numpties!

My youngest caught on to reading through the Harry Potter Books, he was the same age as the hero in the book....so like many American Mothers, I'd send her a huge thank you for helping with getting him involved with Literature.

The number of Americans who would actually like to see the books banned is less than one percent. The other 95% either love the books or haven't read them and therefore don't judge. The Harry Potter series is about good verses evil, love, courage, and friendship. The books do not "promote" anything. They do not teach kids to do witchcraft or worship evil. I personally do not see a link between witchcraft and satanism, so even if the books were "promoting" witchcraft- so what? Witchcraft is not a crime. Witchcraft doesn't hurt anybody. I don't believe anyone could read the book and claim they could lead to harm.
Even if the books did promote satanism, which they in no way do, there would still be no reason to ban them- in the United States there is something called the first amendment, which some Americans should review before attempting to ban anythng.
If the books ever became illegal in any area near my home, I would fight all the way, or move. Nothing will stop me from reading the series.

If Harry Potter is evil- what does that make voldemort?

oops, I put 95% instead of 99%- that just shows how upset I am that so many people in my country are so closed-minded.

I am tired of the rest of the world clumping all Americans into one Bush loving, Happy Potter hating, wacko born again Christians with the mentaility of sheep.
I am American. I hate George Bush and his war and his religion which he spouts and pushes on anyone who can not think clearly,,,,which by the way is not all of us. Harry Potter is wonderful entertainment. I love Harry, support JK Rowling and think pretty much since anyone would make a better US head of state than George, let's see what she up to next year. She seems to understand who the bad guys really are......mmmmmm

Almost all of the world cherishes Harry Potter,but why doesn't America? I'm not against the country, but at the same time, I don't want all those great books, which lead the group of interesting,captivating,moral-teaching,etc., books. They are my favorite series too! So, I can only request you not to ban the series. I solemly say, that I do not mean to insult you or anything.
In the end I would say only one thing: "DRACO DORMIENS NUNQUAM TITTILANDUS"
- EXPECTO PATRONUM-

It would be muchly appreciated if the author of this article would not use the term "Americans" as all inclusive.

It's not all Americans.......it's only a handful of the ignorant few.

Also, it stated that 3,000 readers objected to the book. That is misleading. First of all, the same groups protested different books in the series at different times. Most of which, on self admission, never even read the books.

Regardless of the stereotyping of Americans, I do agree that those few who are giving us a "bad name" are plagued with tunnel vision. I have to wonder if it's not out of envy that more kids are taken with the boy wizard and his friends, more so than they are with Jesus and his disciples? Or are they worried that the book sales of HP threaten the record of bible sales?

I remember back when Judith.........oh what's her name....I can't remember......she used to play on Captain Kangaroo. Anyways, children were bored with her singing on the show and she couldn't hold their attention. She went on a rampage afterwards and claimed that the children must be thinking of things evil that they should be thinking of and is why they weren't paying attention to her (she just couldn't grasp that she was boring or was not that good) Soon afterwards, she started her campaign against homosexuals and blamed the Kinsey report for contaminating the minds of children. Her "logic" as to why children were not paying her any mind.

The few who choose to protest the Harry Potter series, although claim to have different reasons, fall under the same mindset.

Not all of us in the U.S. are like that. Many of us love HP. I believe the record of book, DVD and other HP contents sales in the U.S. is pretty much self explainatory.

what the hell!? I'm a teacher and i encourage my students to read harry potter because it is a good book, reports of saying it encourages the occult are just reaffirming the fact that everyone always take stuff too far, and take political correctness too far.

Hey to all of you...I am apart of the HP first generation.....I honestly would give my future children those books over the bible anyday....I myself was given about 13 bibles throughout my life and have yet to get past Genesis 1:16. The HP series has prompted more children to read than ever before....and as I myself was already an avid book reader...upon the fourth book that was hundreds of pages long and the subsequent fifth..they were the largest ones i and many others have ever read to this day...can't these protesters see that not only are the children reading but they're reading books that have challenging vocab and hundreds of pages...what other 600+ page book have they seen kids not only willing, but enthusiatic to read? I praise JK for luring us in with the first book and making them so dang good that no matter how long they are..the children just keep on reading...you go JK!!!!!!!

As a side-note....talk about witchcraft and evil...what do you make of the talking snake and frbidden fruit in the garden of eden..I mean come on now.

hey, i'm in the U.S. and i think Harry Potter's great... most of the resistance is from concentrated groups of Christians who have nothing but rumors to go on... and not all christians hate harry potter either, and not all love george bush... i am a christian, and, like i said, i love harry potter and a few of my friends do too. i also am having trouble figuring out how george bush got elected again in the first place... he's messing everything up. and the books don't promote anything... as just asbout everyone has said before me, they are about good versus evil, love and hate, and dealing with hard times. i myself think that those 3000+ people would do better actually reading the books, or at least talking to people who read them.

Please don't lump me as mush-headed, like the few who want Harry Potter banned. First of all most of the 3,000 or so who want the books banned most likely haven't read them. There is such a well defined less on of good vs evil in the books that they give a clear choice for the good.
Then there is the very practical consideration that kids and adults are reading more and more. This is a result of the Harry Potter books. How can this be a bad thing, unless you are a book burning nazi?
Censorship is always a two edged sword and the wish to ban books one doesn't understand or like could someday be applied to those books you like. The best solution is don't read what you don't like, but never seek to ban a book. A poorly written or unpopular book will ban itself, won't it?
Thanks,
Bob

The US has a population just a hair short of 300 million. It would be amazing if we DIDN'T have idiots such as those that fear these books. I love the UK but folks, I read your papers weekly and let me tell ya, you're matching us pound for pound in idiocy! Unfortunately the planet is full of them. We see such types here, who are sure God's ready to validate their parking. We have them in the Mid-East, where God's got a beavy of virginal beauties behind door #2. There everywhere.

Perhaps instead of joining the ever popular game of dog-piling on America you could find ways to mitagate the disease of religious fanaticism everywhere... I'm sure those train bombers weren't big HP fans either...

I absolutely love Harry Potter and applaud J.K. Rowling. She is single-handedly responsible for getting children to love reading again. Well, not only children, but adults as well. I'm 100% American and I am appalled at the thought of banning these books. I'm not a person who likes to read a lot, but have read all 6 books at least three times each, and I LOVE them. I own all of the DVD's currently available and will be purchasing the other 3 when they are out.
All of my nieces and nephews love the story of HP and they go to church. Their parents aren't bible beaters who bash literature just because they don't like the subject. Get a grip. It's a FICTIONAL story about a FICTIONAL boy wizard in a FICTIONAL school with FICTIONAL magical friends.
They are very well written and do not, in any way, shape or form, promote witchcraft. If these bible beaters would actually read the books, they would know that.
J.R.R. Tolkein got bashed when The Lord of the Rings became popular again and when the movies were made because of the magical people and world of that story. Hello! It's a fictional tale, people.
I don't have 1 single friend who has not read these wonderful books. You sure won't see them outside their children's' schools protesting and demanding that the books be banned!
Jo, you are a wonderful writer! I can not wait to see how this fantastic story ends. Long live Harry Potter!!!

I am an American, and a Bible Church Christian, from Texas, 56 years old and a Bush conservative, which means I can be so-called liberal (whatever that means) on some issues. All of my sons read Potter, as do I because I love my sons, and the books are okay. None of my son's have developed an interest in witchcraft from Potter. It's really not about witchcraft and it's really not about good versus evil. It's really about good adventure story telling from a good writer. Notice, I have not used the word "great" for the stories or the writing. She is certainly not Tolkien in her quality, nor Lewis, as far as that goes. But she writes really good bubblegum for the mind.

Now, for the guy who complained about religion in the White House, read the Constitution and the Federalist papers. You have to read the Constitution in its historical setting to understand it. It's just poor scholarship to do otherwise and leads to wrong conclusions about their intent. Our founding documents do not prohibit religion in public office. They say the federal government cannot establish an official religion---read that as national church or mosque---nor can it prohibit the citizens individual choice of religion. I'm free to worship a flower pot on the town square if I so choose. The Constitution is about freedom of religion, not freedom from religion, although hardcord leftists regressives are trying to silence faith in the public square. They just can't handle the competition.

I am a native american. I have enjoyed all of the Harry Potter books. I do not indorse banning any book. 3000 people out of the entire population of this nation is not representitive of national will.
My religous beliefs are not threatened by this series of books, whereas the current political leadership threatens anyone who is different. Even they have not made any public statement against Harry Potter.

I would happily remove Harry Potter from Library shelfs, After that we would of course have to remove the Christian Bible, the Quaran and for that matter any religious book. Even though HP isn't religous but hey what do I know I am just a dumb Witch apperrently. But I can tell the difference between Real and Fake, and if a book can promote a Kid to pick up a 5-7 hundred page book then I say that is extrodinairly Awesome!