JK Rowling denied top US honour

[Kajt]

Wow. Promoting witchcraft? I though we got over this a long time ago.

 

[Senrab]

Why exactly does she deserve this award?

 

[GeekFury]

Not giving her the award due to promoting Witchraft, would make you believe the US Goverment are fanatical christians with Inquisition like zeal... Oh wait...

Not like I think she should have got it for her books anyway, but serious thats the most piss poor reason I've heard of.





NO ONE EXPECTS THE SPANISH INQUISITION! ( Could'nt help myself. )

 

[Velocirapture07]

Its America its run by retards what do you expect.

And you wonder why we don't give a shit about Europe.... Unlike you I will not generalize, however, for I know there are many Europeans who understand what America has done for the world at large and continues to do. Your ilk makes me sick though.

Rev Erebus' twitter postings which appear on his profile page here include the words "death to America". What a wonderful sentiment. I would respond in kind, but then that would be stooping to your level which I will not do.

 

[Velocirapture07]

Its America its run by retards what do you expect.

And you wonder why we don't give a shit about Europe.... Unlike you I will not generalize, however, for I know there are many Europeans who understand what America has done for the world at large and continues to do. Your ilk makes me sick though.

Rev Erebus' twitter postings which appear on his profile page here include the words "death to America". What a wonderful sentiment. I would respond in kind, but then that would be stooping to your level which I will not do.

This is Escapist i would like for you to not post my Twitters here please.

It's on your escapist profile sir, very much public domain.

 

[George Palmer]

"JK Rowling denied top US honor"

She was denied membership into the National Sausage Makers Guild?

What assholes!

 

[Kilo24]

Meh. I'm much too cynical to look at these awards as much more than currying favor for the current administration from J.K. Rowling's readers.

It's the same deal with Stephen Colbert's honorary degree or Terry Pratchett's knighthood, though I will admit that they I don't fully know the details of all of these.

 

[Deleted]

The whole idea of US honor is pretty dumb and useless but to refuse it on something like Witchcraft is equally as stupid.

 

[Perticular Elk]

I think they denied JK Rowling not because they think it was inappropiate but because they think their constituents might object. I still think that JK Rowling does not deserve the medal. I mean, her books are cool and all, but the "Presidential Medal of Freedom", I don't think so.

 

[TheMatt]

No. They had no right to refuse her the honour because they thought she encouraged witchcraft.

but honestly dude, what did you expect? You're in America, home of the violently and willfully crazy christian population.

I forget who but somebody posted about a letter some crazy lady sent to his school about students playing video games.

This is in NO way an exact quote except the last bit. "I go to pick up my son and I see the students playing the evil mind altering games. My son will never play them as I make sure he concentrates on what is important The love of Jesus"

You're all crazy. hooray Canada.

G Bush has been quoted as saying God told him to become president...

I mean, JESUS CHRIST! That's nuts!

 

[BaldursBananaSoap]

Awwww poor JK, she'll have to go home and cry with her millions.

 

[Supreme Unleaded]

Is it bad of me that I laughed out loud when I read that?

Fuckin' idiotic people, though. It's a friggin' BOOK!

i know seriosly, i'ts not like its the new Bible or something, although there are people who pracice Jedism so i guess more people are being idiots AGAIN!

 

[Kaboose the Moose]

Or you know, you all can continue discussing the fact that she was not worthy of the award in the first place.

Well I think that was the obvious point of debate!

After all which is more unusual?

1) Bush administration pandering to the moronic right wing fuck bags from the bible belt and his own 'born again' Christianity.

~or~

2) A British author of twee childrens' books being given the highest order that the US President is able to bestow.

Really?. I could have sworn been accused of withcraft to be more of an "obvious point of debate" here rather than the merits of an author.

As far as her having her award "taken away", did she really? She didn't meet the criteria for the award anyway. You listed a description of the qualifications for the award, and she doesn't meet a single one of them.

Well she was denied the honour. The specifics entailed in that statement is never mentioned in the source so we can only speculate what "taken away" means here.

You do raise a valid point though, just because it was reported by the media does not make it the truth. Somehow though, there is this lingering suspicion in my mind about the what if....what if it is true?.

Can someone be preposterous enough to claim witchcraft?. I wouldn't put it past anyone I met on the street let alone a politician.

I think there's an important distinction between "was denied" and "did not receive". The second phrase is undeniable, but as for the first...

Based on the criteria for the award that you snipped, she should not have been considered for the award in the first place. She fails to meet a single stipulation for candidacy. If the stated reasons for her removal from consideration are true, then this is a story. Otherwise, this is comparable to someone not receiving a Nobel Prize for science based on their work feeding the needy on the West Bank. Sure, what they did was admirable, but the award is completely unrelated to their endeavors.

While the claim that our former president gave creedence to charges of condoning witchcraft is certainly disturbing, it feels remarkably like piling on an administration that has enough legitimate and demonstrable criticisms that could be levied against it as it is. Unless hard evidence is put forward that this is true, I'll continue to view this as an attempt to profit from otherwise well-earned intense anti-Bush sentiment.

Well, as much as I would love to argue conjecture here I would rather use some simple logic.

The distinctions between "was denied" and "did not receive" honestly does not matter here, the source says: "As a result, she was never presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Why?

"He wrote that "narrow thinking" led White House officials to object to giving Rowling the civilian honour.

If she actually never met any of the criteria for the award then why was her name put up their in the first place?. This is after all one of the highest awards for a civilian, not a lottery. So surely if someone is going to be considered for it there would have to be a committee or someone who would be responsible for making sure that all the names on the short list have met at least some of the criteria for the award. After all, it's a bit insulting to add someones name to a competition if you know they have no remote chance of winning, right?

Even if her name was dropped in by pure accident or negligence, then at least telling the person the truth, i.e- "you do not meet the criteria to be eligible for this award" would have been sufficient.

Saying the person "encouraged witchcraft" however is lame, regardless if she deserved the award or not.

 

[Anarchemitis]

It would make sense to me, she's just a writer.
How come Preachers or Missionaries who risk their lives aren't honoured?

 

[Kaboose the Moose]

"JK Rowling denied top US honor"

She was denied membership into the National Sausage Makers Guild?

What assholes!

No that Germany's top honor!. Jeez, get it right!

 

[KnowYourOnion]

Does she weigh the same as a duck?

She turned me into a newt!!