The Pendragon's Hall

The Pendragon supposes I really should comment on two big news items that people will be expecting me to comment on. The first is somewhat old, and I was hoping to simply ignore it, but it will not be ignored. Former vice president Al Gore has won the Nobel Peace Prize. For what is highly uncertain--using scare tactics and phony science to scare a population into thinking his way does not seem to promote peace--but we all know the prizes are given out for anti-America activities these days. There should be no debate over that, and in that light, and only that light, Gore's prize makes sense. The interesting thing to the Pendragon is that the same people who scream that Bush is making a mountain out of a mole hill, exaggerating the threat of Islamic terrorism to get people to go along with him, think Gore is a hero. Islamic terrorists have attacked us in the past and continue to do so. How many global tidal waves have swept away our civilization recently? Gore has said that the end will come within ten years. If it doesn't, of course he can say that it was because he warned us, but this sounds suspiciously like using scare tactics and apocalyptic rhetoric to get people to support a platform you endorse. And Gore is doing it on less factual basis than Bush.

The second item came out just today: J.K. Rowling told a crowd in New York City that one of my favorite characters in her series, Albus Dumbledore is gay. He was in love with his childhood friend, Gellert Grindelwald, who eventually became a dark wizard that Dumbledore defeated in battle. It would be a lie to say I am not disappointed. The only people who are going to win with this are the Christians who want to say, "I told you so." Rowling said that the whole series was a plea for toleration. But before the secularists and the fundamentalists get all hyped up and start laughing at the poor, deluded Christians who've been defending Rowling all these years, let me say this. First of all, there is no suggestion in the entire 7-book series that Dumbledore is gay. Rowling's decision in this regard is entirely divorced from the actual books. So reading them will not expose your child to any hints of homosexual activity. I am disgusted because I know the gay community will now adopt Dumbledore as an icon to ram their lifestyle down the throats of the rest of us. This is a very un-Dumbledore thing to do, by the way. He championed toleration for everyone to quietly live their lives as they saw best. I can agree with this. The problem I have with gay marriage, besides my personal belief that it violates the created order of things, is that those who push the institution are determined to force it on everyone else. I think we need the marriage amendment in order to establish an accepted order of things. Deviate from it if you want, but you will not force your agenda on the rest of the country. And finally, who cares? Gay activists will make great headway with this, as will the witch hunters from our side of the aisle, and this fuels my great disappointment with Rowling, but Dumbledore being gay does not change my opinion of the books or of homosexuality. Robin Hood was a thief--I don't dislike reading those stories nor do I approve of stealing. In the end, however, I must confess: while my opinion of the Harry Potter books does not change, my opinion of its author does sink. The books read much better without all this information into the sexual orientation of the characters, or how many partners or whatnot. This has been what separates the books from the stupid fan fiction circulating the internet. The line has been blurred and the stories themselves will suffer from it.