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The vast majority of cases regarding book banning have all declared censorship unconstitutional. In the groundbreaking case of Tinker v. Des Moines Independent School District (1969), minors were proved to have the same First Amendment Rights as adults, and those rights can only be abridged if their actions disrupted normal school procedures (Huffman 434). The case specifically dealt with students wearing black armbands to protest the Vietnam War, but that case has been since applied to several school censorship cases.

In the case of Pico v. Island Trees School District (1979) a district court in New York stated that a school did not violate students' First Amendment Rights by removing certain library books found to be "'irrelevant, vulgar, immoral and in bad taste'" (Huffman 435). On appeal however, it was determined the school did in fact violate students First Amendment rights on two main counts. On the first count, the court suspected that the board decision to remove the books was "'based on defendant's moral or political beliefs'" (Huffman 435). This in and of itself has been proven legally to be a justifiable motivation (see Zykam v. Warsaw Community Corporation (1980)). However, the court found evidence that the
'political views and personal tastes [were] being asserted not
in the interest of the children's well being, but rather for the purpose
of establishing those views as the correct and orthodox ones for all
purposes in the particular community.' (Huffman 435)

The second count on which this case was deemed illegal was that the procedures used by the school to remove the books was "'erratic, arbitrary and free-wheeling manner'" (Huffman 435). The school had never asked for parental or teacher opinion and the board never articulated its criteria for removing the books.

The anti-censorship movement often highlights the erratic rationale used to justify book banning. Schools around the world have banned books for some very odd and ill-thought-out reasons. Here are just five examples in the endless sea of irrationality.

1. It might cause Buddhism to erupt. In 1987, the Plymouth-Canton school system in Michigan banned E.T. Suzuki's book Zen Buddhism because "this book details the teachings of Buddhism in such a way that the reader could very likely embrace its teachings and choose this as his religion."

2. It's not about Texas. In 1996 Lindale, TX schools banned Herman Melville's Moby Dick because it "conflicts with the values of the community."

3. It encourages children to think independently. In 1995 Gross Pointe Michigan school districts banned Robert Cormier's The Chocolate War because it deals with "gangs, peer pressure, and learning to make your own decisions."

4. It has talking animals. In 1931 China banned Lewis Carrol's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland because "animals should not use human language, and that it was disastrous to put animals and human beings on the same level."

5. It has smoking animals. In 1986 Lambertville, NJ schools banned Williem Steig's The Amazing Bone because of "the use of tobacco by the animals." ("New Silly Reasons…" 26)

These are just a few examples of reasons schools have banned books in recent years. Undoubtedly the parents and school boards felt they were acting in the best interests of the children, but the authors of banned books are very outspoken about the rationale used by book banners.

Robert Cormier, whose book The Chocolate War has been repeatedly banned (see #3 above), is has clear views on censorship of his work. He says of censors,
The most frightening thing about censors is their complete
sense of righteousness. The remind me of a terrorist…like a
terrorist, they are so convinced of the righteousness of their
cause that they don't even think about what they are doing to
other people. They sincerely think they are doing the right thing
when they try to ban a book. It doesn't even occur to them that
other people might not feel the same way about the book. (West 74).

Many authors and parents agree with Cormier's statement about censorship. This is very true of the controversy over Harry Potter.

There is an overwhelming support of the Harry Potter books due in large part to its popularity across all age groups. The reaction to Carol Rookwood's banning of Potter at the St. Mary's Island Church of England Primary School in England has been very intense. The Church of England's spokesman said of Harry Potter
"We love the little devil. We are not in the business of censoring books. However, schools set their own policies and we never interfere" (Urquhart "Home News").Keith Porteous Wood, the general secretary of the National Secular Society in England commented on the controversy observing "children's imaginations have been nourished for centuries with stories of wizards, witches, and fairies" (Vallely 7). J.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter books, echoes the same observation saying, "if you ban all books with witchcraft and the supernatural, you'll ban three-quarters of children's literature" (Booth 7).

Former Professor of Divinity at Oxford and the current Archbishop of Wales, Rowan Williams, perhaps make the most interesting commentary on the issue of Harry Potter. He says that "childhood is a period when children explore the world in safety, without being committed to their actions" (Vallely 7). They discover the consequences of their actions by adopting fictional identities, like Harry Potter, which they can then abandon. The key thing in children's literature is not the setting or the characters. What is important is moral lesson and insight learned by reading the story. Williams says "the salient question is how we are returned to our own setting and how, in the interim, we have learned to read it" (Vallely 7).

The Harry Potter books are ultimately about facing problems and over coming limitations. Harry comes from and abusive adopted family and he has enemies in every book. Yet Harry learns about loyalty and friendship and grows in many ways as the series progresses. As Harry ages in the books, J.K. Rowling intensifies the trails Harry must endure and overcome, just as children's problems intensify as the age. The books grow with the readers and it is one reason why it is popular with children and adults alike. The messages are universal. They are not obscene.

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