America tries really hard to protect its children. The country as a whole, made up of parents, adults and educators, attempts to keep any harm away from today’s youth. You might even be one of these child protectors. Or maybe you want to protect children in the future.

But not me.

I’m not saying children should be physically or mentally abused. They should be given happy and healthy lives. But the abuse today’s children are hit with is not in the form of a stick or knife. It comes from the adults who are trying to protect them.

It’s the abuse of censorship. The ability of parents and guardians to tell children “you shouldn’t be reading that. It’s bad for you.”

The abuse of working so hard to protect the child that the parent forgets to allow the child to experience life. Or worse yet, to experience their very own childhood.

Part of being a child is exercising your brain through make-believe. During a child’s play time, they can act out situations such as playing house, war games or doctor.

These are seen as normal situations for America’s children.

But the protectors of kids get a little nervous when children start playing with wands, jumping on broomsticks and casting spells. This is when the abuse of censorship steps in.

The latest case of this abuse was in Missouri, where the “Harry Potter” book series was banned from Springfield Public Schools libraries in March. The decision to remove the books from all 54 Springfield schools came after a grandmother wrote a letter of concern to the school district.

The woman, who had grandchildren in the school district, filed a complaint against Harry and his hocus-pocus because the book contains references to witchcraft.

“A specially appointed 11-member committee unanimously voted Friday to return the hugely popular children’s books to library shelves. The committee determined the books don’t violate any board policies or guidelines for school libraries,” said Associate Superintendent Emmett Sawyer in a Kansas City Star article.

So “Harry Potter” was back on bookshelves Monday.

But why did the book have to be removed at all?

What’s wrong with “Harry Potter”? Nothing.

The “Harry Potter” series are wholesome, well-written books intended to take children into a world of fantasy. Sure, this world contains a child who is learning to be a wizard and cast spells.

But that’s just part of the fun. It’s just pretend. It’s only make-believe.

Unfortunately, the child protectors are the ones that can’t remember that.

People against Potter claim that if children read books about witchcraft, then they will start to worship the devil and denounce Christianity. They worry that the huge popularity of “Harry Potter” books will start a cult of witches and wizards led by author J.K. Rowling.

In reality, the only real outcome will be millions of dollars for Rowling, a short-lived popularity for “Harry Potter” gear, and hundreds of children who are excited about reading.

Who here is losing a sense of reality? Who is going too far? Who needs to be stopped?

No matter how well their intentions are, book-banning parents need to step back and examine the reality. And the reality is that books don’t mold children and their actions.

The truth of this statement can be found every day. Children don’t read Dr. Seuss books and then ask for green eggs and ham for lunch. Children don’t worry that they will fall down a hole like in “Alice in Wonderland.” So of course, children don’t read “Harry Potter” and start making frogs brew.

Even Rowling has said that she has no evidence of her books turning children into wizards.

“I have met thousands of children now, and not even one time has a child come up to me and said, `Ms. Rowling, I’m so glad I’ve read these books because now I want to be a witch,'” she said.

Children realize books are entertaining and imaginative.

Now their parents just need to realize it, too.

Michelle Kann is a senior in journalism and mass communication from Garnavillo. She is newsroom managing editor of the Daily.