Brittany Longhetano | The Montclarion
J.K. Rowling, the genius author of the Harry Potter books, is known for sharing her opinions regarding United States politics. Anyone who has been following her throughout the election would know that she is definitely not a Trump supporter. She has openly expressed her disapproval of him and his policies on Twitter.
Yet, some of her followers still seemed surprised and offended by her opinions. A few weeks ago, one Twitter user, who had supposedly been a fan for 17 years, said he “will now burn all of her books and movies” because of her comments on Trump’s actions.
Of course, the writer crafted the perfect response: “Well, the fumes from the DVDs might be toxic and I’ve still got your money, so by all means borrow my lighter.”
Her fans were quick to jump in and support her, even though she obviously didn’t need any help. She has also come up with other witty comebacks, like, “Guess it’s true what they say: you can lead a girl to books about the rise and fall of an autocrat, but you still can’t make her think.” In this tweet, she was comparing the rise and fall of Lord Voldemort to that of Trump.
Rowling stands up for what she believes in, and for that, I view her as a strong and inspiring woman. Reading her books as a kid was the only thing that gave me hope, and I know that I’m not the only one who felt that way.
Genuine Harry Potter fans would understand why she is against Trump’s discriminatory beliefs. She believes that all people should have the same rights and respect. Think about all of the times the word “Mudblood” was used throughout the series. The witches and wizards who referred to themselves as Pure-bloods did so because they believed they were superior to those who were Muggle-born. They were the bad guys who tried to take over and ruin the wizarding world.
Although this is just an example from a fictional series, it can be compared to the racism and sexism that people all over the world face today.
Readers hated Voldemort, Malfoy and the Death Eaters because these characters were pure evil. But for some reason, those Twitter users no longer view hate as such a bad thing. They claim to have been fans for nearly two decades, but they support the White House’s crazy schemes and a fool’s rise to power.
Another Twitter user told Rowling that she should stay out of politics because she is a writer. The fact that anyone is allowed to talk about politics made it the worst argument for why someone should stay away from the topic. She responded back by saying, “In – Free – Countries – Anyone – Can – Talk – About – Politics. Try sounding out the syllables aloud, or ask a fluent reader to help.”
I believe that criticizing Rowling’s support for human rights and equality is completely insane. She wants what is best for the United States, even though she doesn’t live here. She understands that relationships with foreign countries are at stake. In fact, her tweets about her political views make me admire her even more.
Burning the Harry Potter books for political reasons proves exactly how crazy some people are. How can you claim to have been a Harry Potter fan if you don’t even agree with some of the broadest, most universal concepts throughout the series: love, unity, friendship and the battle between good and evil?
