Did JK Rowling Miss Out on a Presidential Medal Because 'Harry Potter' Encourages Witchcraft?

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JK Rowling has been recognized with tons of awards since releasing her mammoth Harry Potter series (including the Order of the British Empire!) but there's one that she was denied: the Presidential medal of Freedom. According to PopEater, a new book by former President George W. Bush's speech writer Matt Latimer claims she was dissed because the White House thought her books encouraged sorcery. Latimer's book Speechless: Tales of a White House Survivor accuses US politicians of "narrow thinking."

Rowling with the Harry Potter cast.
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian award in the US, awarded to people who enrich the country's culture and national interests. It's been given in the past to writers like John Steinbeck, TS Eliot and Harper Lee.

Rowling hasn't commented on the book's claims, but she's probably not sweating too much. After all, she's a "Dame" in the UK and worth around $798 million.

More pictures of JK Rowling (click any photo):

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