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Illinois schools grapple moment-of-silence law
By Michael Tarm
Associated Press
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CHICAGO — Opponents say it’s an end run around the Constitution and amounts to school prayer. Supporters insist it’s simply what the law says it is: A moment of silence.

Whatever the case, hundreds of public schools in Illinois are grappling with the practicalities of new legislation that requires a brief period of silence in every classroom at the start of every school day.

Some school administrators complain the law — which went into effect immediately after lawmakers approved it this month — is too ill-defined and puts many teachers and some students in an awkward position.

“There’s a lot of room for interpretation,’’ said Jill Kingsfield, an assistant principal at Bensenville’s Fenton High School, which this week began observing 15 to 20 seconds of silence each day. “How it’ll all end up is a mystery. ... And how are they going to monitor this? Are there going to be the moment of silence police checking on us?’’

Others say the requirement cuts into precious minutes in an already limited teaching day.

“I just can’t see the sense of replacing a moment of teaching with a moment of silence,’’ said Mary Erickson, board president of Evanston/Skokie School District 65. “You want to have every moment you can to teach.’’

The Illinois law originally passed during the spring legislative session, but Gov. Rod Blagojevich vetoed it, saying he had doubts about its constitutionality. The Senate overrode his veto early this month, and the House did the same last week.

An Illinois law called the Silent Reflection and Student Prayer Act already allowed schools to observe a moment of silence if they wanted. The new bill changed just a single word: “may’’ observe became “shall’’ observe.

Several other states also have a mandated moment of silence, including Indiana and Texas. Lawyers say courts have shown a willingness to let such laws stand as long as the intent of lawmakers isn’t to mandate prayers.

The American Civil Liberties Union has challenged similar laws in the past, but it declined to comment Tuesday on whether it might challenge the Illinois law.

Meanwhile, it’s not clear how many schools in the state are complying.

Erickson said her suburban Chicago district intends to follow the law. But she said instructions from state officials on just how to do that haven’t been forthcoming.

Among the details administrators would have liked: Whether a moment of silence is a matter of seconds or minutes. Texas, for instance, mandates one minute of silence.

Fenton High School officials discussed it among themselves and arrived at the 15-20 second period, observed after the 8 a.m. school bell. If they choose, teachers can take attendance through the moment of silence, Kingsfield said.

“It’s all completely arbitrary,’’ Kingsfield said.

In lieu of other details, Fenton High School also ended up reading the 16-line law to students on Monday.

The Illinois State Board of Education sent out a note reminding schools the law was in effect and encouraged them to comply, but it offered no specific guidance, including how much time to take for the period of silence.

“What is a brief moment to a kindergartner may not be a brief moment to a 12th-grader,’’ state board spokesman Matt Vanover said. “Implementation is going to have to be decided on a local basis.’’

The law includes no enforcement provisions and no penalties for schools that don’t comply, Vanover said.

Even so, some administrators say they hope they can find a legal way of opting out.

Erickson said it wasn’t clear if districts or schools can ask for an exemption from the law. But if they could, her district would consider asking for one.

“I see it as the state getting its foot into our teaching day,’’ she said. “They shouldn’t do that any more than they’ve already done.’’

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Reader comments on this story - 66 total

Note: All views and opinions expressed in reader comments are solely those of the individual submitting the comment, and not those of the Pantagraph or its staff.

church and state wrote on Oct 23, 2007 5:19 PM:

" ok its obvious that the attempt was to get prayer in public schools, but considering that prayer cant be inflicted upon public schooling, thinking if they can put a moment of silence in place of prayer is as close as they could get. church and state are supposed to be separate, and its a pity how much church/religion works its way into state affairs. "

What kind of state is this !? wrote on Oct 19, 2007 8:43 PM:

" what a silly law to pass. Shouldnt the government be working on other thngs instead of a moment of silence !? I mean im in school and we have a study hall we can just "prey" and "reflect" or do homework there.. its about 45 min. long to do whatever you want but talk. i thnk its silly. "

To: pagan laughing wrote on Oct 19, 2007 12:13 PM:

" I agree 100% one of the few on here that make any sense at all! "

The Useful Gray Zone Spotter wrote on Oct 19, 2007 6:25 AM:

" “May’’ observe became “shall’’ observe, there is no time limit/requirement, and no enforcement spelled out? So if a kid wants that moment to be, oh, twenty minutes, the teacher cannot interfere … ? Because, oh come on people, what's the claim the student could make? "

Pagan and Laughing wrote on Oct 18, 2007 8:56 AM:

" ...about this whole debate. I don't foresee kids being forced to pray. "Moment of silence" does NOT equal "moment of religious devotion." To the atheists: read a basic psych textbook; understand the value calm moment for cognitive function. To the other nonchristians like myself: you can pray or not as you please, to whatever deity you please. If you think this time is so ill spent, then give your child some way to make use of that time should they so choose. Hmm. A book....what a concept. A sheet of paper to draw on. What a concept. It wouldn't surprise me if there is a religious motive in the legislation, but are we all such sheep that we're incapable of using it to suit our own purposes? I see a wide variety of voices here, enough that I don't see a slippery slope into religious indoctrination. In the event that the schools did try, are you really incapable of teaching your children basic critical thinking skills? If so, we're in a sorry state indeed. "

if you want your children to pray at school wrote on Oct 18, 2007 8:07 AM:

" send them to a private religous school. "

To plad braisley wrote on Oct 18, 2007 5:24 AM:

" You're wrong to make the leap that this momement of silence is equivalent to causing one to be "required to attend or support any ministry or place of worship against his consent." There is no ministry or worship going on here. "

plaid braisley wrote on Oct 18, 2007 12:01 AM:

" to"funny"the federal constitution leaves these matters up to the individual states. illinois bill of rights section 3 says "no person shall be required to attend or support any ministry or place of worship against his consent".since school attendance and taxpayer support are mandatory, if this moment of silence is religion in disguise (seems pretty clear to me that it is) it is clearly prohibited by illinois constitution. to"dan" i'm convinced any movement towards hell is much more closely linked to double income families where both parents are overworked and distracted to the point of not taking proper diligence about their children's health,education,and supervision than it is to doing away with rituals forced on children that their parent's may or may not agree with. "

To: Just wondering... wrote on Oct 17, 2007 10:45 PM:

" There is no study showing moments of silence improves well being or quality of education. There is no practical reason to have a moment of silence when kids have their own time to have one should they choose to. Not to mention that prior to the mandate, schools already had the option of having a moment of silence. Religion has been attempting for years and years to get prayers in schools. Religion lobbied for a mandated moment of silence before, but also wanted students to be allowed to gather and pray during it. Only someone choosing to be blind can ignore the obvious that the same groups removed prayer, and consider this a partial victory. "

ES wrote on Oct 17, 2007 10:33 PM:

" Simple solution to all schools: follow the law when the state gives you your 51%. Otherwise, the state just is mouthing off. "

Gov IDIOTS wrote on Oct 17, 2007 9:37 PM:

" Doesn't the government have other pressing issues? Come on a moment of silence?! All these kids are thinking about is... When is this over!!! Monkeys could do a better job than these folks. "

Renee wrote on Oct 17, 2007 9:32 PM:

" I'm against this. "

Funny! wrote on Oct 17, 2007 7:51 PM:

" For those who are keep citing the First Amendment which says "Congress shall make no laws respecting an establishment of religion" are conveniently omitting the next part that says, "or probiting the free excercize thereof." As another has pointed out, the clause restricts Congress from legislating on this issue, but does not prohibit the state legislatures do legislate it. "

Just wondering... wrote on Oct 17, 2007 7:15 PM:

" Why are people blaming this on religion? Those attacking religious people for this required moment of silence need to stop and think. You need to realize that not all moments of silence are prayer times. When we have a moment of silence for soldiers who gave their lives for our country, it's showing respect for a fallen hero. Moments of silence can be used to show respect, to think, to calm down/relax, and, yes, even to pray. Non-religious people don't have to pray but I do feel it is your obligation to respect the fact that some people may choose to do so. Not all religions/people push their views on the world. That is a horrible stereotype. We may disagree but we should respect each other's differences...including religious/non-religious beliefs...without pushing our views on others. Too many Americans seem determined to make everyone believe what they believe. That's not how it should be. "

To: What's the big deal wrote on Oct 17, 2007 6:09 PM:

" Before this mandate, schools could CHOOSE to have a moment of silence of not. The schools choice would be influenced by parents CHOOSING to voice to the school they wanted it. Now choice has been removed. Schools are FORCED to have it, and parents are FORCED to deal with it. It is impossible for a mandate to grant choice. By its very definition, it removes choice. It is no wonder out children are falling behind scholastically when they are being taught that removing choice is actually granting it. It is also no wonder that our kids are being conditioned to be good little soldats. "

What's the big deal? wrote on Oct 17, 2007 5:24 PM:

" As a teacher, I do not mind the "moment of silence." Ours takes place during morning announcements, prior to the Pledge of Allegiance. Prayers can take place during that time but are not an obligation. Welcome to America...where you can choose for yourself! For me, it is a brief moment of quiet time that I get during my day. As a primary school teacher, that's the quietest point of my day. I really do not see why this requirement has become such an issue. I guess I just feel there are more important things in the world to worry about. Why stress over a brief moment of silence? "

Silence wrote on Oct 17, 2007 5:08 PM:

" I think the MaskedVigilante needs a 'moment of silence'. Several, in fact. "

Timing wrote on Oct 17, 2007 5:03 PM:

" This is an interesting debate, but the tiny amount of time used by some is absurd. Also the time of day. It does sound like this instance was a religiously motivated decision, though done a bit differently it could be very beneficial just to the learning process. A moment to pause and reflect, in order to best serve a person's learning ability, should come after learning some lesson, a moment of time to process new information. In terms of studying and doing homework, pausing for a few minutes is actually highly recommended simply to allow the brain time to process and organize information. Any psychologist or neurologist knows this. SO does any college student who is actually there to learn rather than drink and party. Yet schools are backwards in not putting it into practice. This though, given the time of day and the absurdly short time, is mostly useless. At best it might act as a transition time, but 15-20 seconds? That's....not a pause. "

JimKillian, Gibson City wrote on Oct 17, 2007 4:22 PM:

" This is just stupid. I went to Melvin-Sibley High School in the late 1980s, and we had a 45 minute moment of silence every single school day. We called it Study Hall. "

to to teacher wrote on Oct 17, 2007 8:42 AM: wrote on Oct 17, 2007 4:01 PM:

" I'm not worried about anyone taking over the world only upholding the constitution. Why does everyone have to believe what you believe? I am so tired of morality police. Keep your religion out of school. We don't teach scientific theory in your church. Although maybe teaching evolution and natural selection at sunday school might be interesting "

interesting wrote on Oct 17, 2007 3:59 PM:

" this is an Illinois law yet the the First Amendment of the United States Constitution, reads, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion..." This sounds completely unconstitutional. The fact that the law reads "shall" opens huge liability "

JD wrote on Oct 17, 2007 3:54 PM:

" Let us pretend for a moment religion was what held their country together. If all these 'religious' people lived religious lives, and taught their kids to be good 'religious' people, then removing prayer from school would not have any effect, right? Quit trying to justify prayer in schools by using unconnected 'facts'. Look at Europe in the 1400s if you want to see what religion mixing with government can cause, or look at Iran today. I have found that if you look far enough into any religious person, you can find a ton of skeletons. The difference is while others confront their skeletons, people of religion think praying for forgiveness makes them go away. "

I'll chime in wrote on Oct 17, 2007 3:52 PM:

" I like what MRS had to say. Dan, I'm not sure exactly when the country started going to hell, but I agree that it had to do with kicking God out. Why would he want to hang out where he's not wanted? It moment of silence isn't a bad thing, but surely the state legislators have more important things to worry about, like a balanced budget versus a law that will cause a bunch of arguing and accomplish nothing productive. "

No Dan wrote on Oct 17, 2007 3:15 PM:

" I'm not with you on that. "

to Dan from LeRoy wrote on Oct 17, 2007 3:12 PM:

" No. "

Proofreader wrote on Oct 17, 2007 2:59 PM:

" Dear LOL: If you are so thrilled with the new law, please take a personal moment of silence to reflect on the importance of proper spelling and grammar. "Silents" is spelled s-i-l-e-n-c-e, "ppl" is p-e-o-p-l-e, "meditaion" is m-e-d-i-t-a-t-i-o-n. I don't have the space to correct the grammatical errors. This is a perfect example of why a school's priority should be on teaching, not enforcing state-mandated silence. "

Know Your Enemy wrote on Oct 17, 2007 2:37 PM:

" You are absolutely right Dan. Without my daily dose of prayer, I just HAVE to do something naughty. "

MaskedVigilante wrote on Oct 17, 2007 2:36 PM:

" No, Dan. I'm not with you on that. "

MaskedVigilante wrote on Oct 17, 2007 2:36 PM:

" To the person who yelled at me at 2:00: The Constitution of the State of Illinois, Article X, Section 3. PUBLIC FUNDS FOR SECTARIAN PURPOSES FORBIDDEN. Public school? Public funds. Moment of Silence? Sectarian purpose. Unfortunately, "moment of silence" is just vague enough for you to get away with it. But we all know what this is. "

Dan from LeRoy wrote on Oct 17, 2007 2:19 PM:

" I noticed this country literally started going to hell when prayer and god was removed from schools and public meetings! Anyone with me on this?? "

Know Your Enemy wrote on Oct 17, 2007 2:04 PM:

" MRS., I'm against any form of mandated religion or mandated religious practice. If that makes me against God then so be it. I've never been a fan, though I must say I prefer the hands off approach he's taken since the New Testament. He was a grump in those Old Testament days. In addition, don't worry about Satan, I think all of the "one true gods" still include him in their weekly Pinochle game. "

To: MaskedVigilante wrote on Oct 17, 2007 2:00 PM:

" Congress is not overriding anything in his law. This law DOES NOT deal with Congress. It is a STATE LAW. The GENERAL ASSEMBLY deals with state laws NOT CONGRESS. Check out the 10th amendment of the Federal Constitution which allows states to create such laws. They must have let you in the back door. You need to take the Naturalization Test!!! If you cannot tell the difference between a state law and a federal law and know the difference between the Congress and General Assembly maybe you should be shown the front door!!! Please do respond!! But remember your statement was WRONG concerning this law!! "

MaskedVigilante wrote on Oct 17, 2007 1:55 PM:

" MRS, I don't care which fairy tale you subscribe to. My issue is the same as the Constitution's. Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of RELIGION. But look at your words!! "We may lose a fight or two but the battle is already won. Satan is scared and it shows through you." I'm sorry, but you may be suffering from dilusions. Please seek help. "

Not just one minute wrote on Oct 17, 2007 1:35 PM:

" It's not the fact that the students will lose one minute each day - it's the aggregate of that "mere" minute over the course of the school year. One minute a day equals 174 - 176 minutes PER YEAR. That's close to three HOURS of instructional time lost. There are plenty of moments during the day when a child could pray, meditate, etc without it being mandated and coming out of instructional time. How about during lunch, during recess, etc? This is one of the most ridiculous bills I've seen in a long time. "

MaskedVigilante wrote on Oct 17, 2007 1:26 PM:

" Hey, Woodford Pundit. Thanks for proving my beliefs that religion is the cause of all war in history. You need to threaten people on a message board to feel like a real holy roller? Over a translation of some holy book? Get some help, sir. "

Garfield wrote on Oct 17, 2007 1:19 PM:

" I think that the Illinois legislature should declare at least a decade of silence in all political matters in Illinois "

Know Your Enemy wrote on Oct 17, 2007 1:01 PM:

" Happy to Wodford Pundut. Just tryin’ to stay within the 200 word limit, but I’ll indulge you a bit on Mathew 10. Jesus is giving his disciples the game plan. Casting out evil spirits, heal the sick etc, just like the usual holy men of the day. However, do not associate with or be like Gentiles and don’t even think about going to Samaritan towns (there must have been only one good Samaritan in the whole bunch). He then tells them not to take money, luggage, sandals, etc. When they get to town, ask who in the town is worthy, wait for takers, and ask to crash while visiting. If they get no takers, shake the dust off your feet (remember, no sandals), and be happy God will treat them worse than Sodom and Gomorrah. Then he warns them how hard it will be and they have to be like snakes and doves (our last episode), family members will start killing each other over Jesus, but be happy because Jesus saves the faithful and punishes those annoying nonbelievers. Then repeat. Hope that helps. BTW, I’m using NASB not KJV. "

to to JD wrote on Oct 17, 2007 12:40 PM:

" I'm pretty sure that no one can even prove that everything in the Bible is true, whereas evolution has been tested and is supported by many scientists.... but hey the bible was reprinted by the only people that could read at the time and those people were monks so, as far as you know they could've just put a bunch of fasle information or even could be a huge lie. something to think about "

MRS. wrote on Oct 17, 2007 12:35 PM:

" We had a moment of silence in school. I was not a Christian then and I did not pray, I was making plans for after school. Teacher, what will you do when a Muslim student requires prayer time? All across the country schools are allowing Muslim student that right. It isn't even called something that it is not. They must pray to ahallah(sp) several times a day and it is ceremonial. Christians can and do pray through the day. What will happen to the child that before eating, bows hi/her head, closes his/her eyes and is quiet for a short time? Schools are starting to celebrate Ramadan for a whole month and you people are upset about 30 seconds? It is very obvious you people are attacking Christians only. Thank you, once again proving God is right. What in the world are you afraid of? All of your crying and screaming will do no good. We may lose a fight or two but the battle is already won. Satan is scared and it shows through you. You are either for God or against him; there is no middle ground. "

Gov't opressed Mule wrote on Oct 17, 2007 11:41 AM:

" I am still shocked JD and myself disagree on something here. I would not be shocked to learn the majority of people screaming against this 20 seconds of silence are the same people that rooted for a more restrictive gov't with the smoking ban. I am a christian. I believe in a God and that Jesus was sent here to teach his/her message. That being said I am against organized religions as they turn everything said into what they want, NOT what it originally meant. So what is wrong with sitting still and quiet for 20 seconds? If they pray GREAT, if not GREAT, regardless of the activity involved 20 seconds of silence will be great to get the class calmed down (we usually wasted 5 minutes doing this EVERY class.) So rtelax people I believe that congress wasted time and effort on this law, but you are wasting more time and effort than it is worth. It is 20 seconds of silence, NOT a state led mandated prayer. "

Chicken Bone wrote on Oct 17, 2007 11:34 AM:

" You can see how ridiculous this is becoming when those objecting are complaining about the "lost precious minutes" from the school day. But take heart, I have a solution for you. All those "precious minutes" for the entire year can be made up at one time. Just make the little darlings go to school on Veteran's Day. Unless they are actually veterans of course. If they are, we have a much bigger problem than observing a moment of silence. "

MaskedVigilante wrote on Oct 17, 2007 11:11 AM:

" By the way, when you're talking about the House and the Senate overriding a veto, you ARE talking about "Congress". You might want to take another crack at that Citizenship test. "

to I don't understand wrote on Oct 17, 2007 11:07 AM:

" Peer pressure. They're hoping that all their little Christian minions will put pressure on my atheist children to pray and believe. Its a subtle evangalism. "

to To JD wrote on Oct 17, 2007 11:07 AM:

" LOL, not this argument again. Keep believing that scientists are disregarding evolutionary biology in favor of "God did it!" Hey, whatever makes you happy. Its a free country! "

Wodford Pundut wrote on Oct 17, 2007 10:43 AM:

" To 'Know Your Enemy' - gee, thanks for translating JESUS's words for us. Do you speak Aramaic or Greek or Latin? Would you like to put those KJV words into the context which they were spoken? You lookin' for enemies, my friend? That's just the kind of stuff that will find 'em for you. "

All This Over wrote on Oct 17, 2007 10:42 AM:

" 15 - 20 seconds. Give me a break. Let's work on some important laws and quit trying to catch the limelight over these imbecile things. A true Christian doesn't need a moment of silence to pray. Silence is nice, but not necessary. "

LOL wrote on Oct 17, 2007 10:07 AM:

" you ppl never stop shocking me!! this is GREAT news better then telling ppl where and when they can smoke, no one said they HAD to pray, and silents is a good thing, meditaion, focus is all good, get over it stop arguing and making EVERYTHING in to a freaking plot to take over the world. come one ppl really is there anything you wont' yell at each other over? "

I don't understand wrote on Oct 17, 2007 9:56 AM:

" What are the students that are only in first or second grade supposed to do? Do you think that they will actually pray during that time? Plus, schools already say the Pledge of Alligence in schools, what more could you ask for? School should be somewhere to learn, not to take a moment and pray. Why does this have to be done during the school day? "

GUY wrote on Oct 17, 2007 9:56 AM:

" It is just a moment of silence. "

To MaskedVigilante wrote on Oct 17, 2007 9:42 AM:

" Congress isn't involved here. You're defeating your own argument. "

Know Your Enemy wrote on Oct 17, 2007 9:37 AM:

" I think Matthew 10:16 says it all: "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves." Let's break this down. Verse: “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves” Translation: Christianity has not grown out of its persecution complex. Verse: “so be shrewd as serpents” Translation: Work around the separation of church and state with this law. Verse: “and innocent as doves” Translation: You don’t HAVE to pray… …yet. "

just plain stoopid wrote on Oct 17, 2007 9:21 AM:

" Being of sound mind and questionable body I will say that I am a believer in a higher being...but once a thing such as the Pledge of Allegiance and a moment of silence become common place as the reciting each day in school and taking a moment of silence each day it becomes meaningless....as an educator I believe that reciting the allegiance on the first day of the week and taking a moment of silence at the beginning of the week should cover all bases...I agree the General Assembly has better things to do...sometimes people over do things and they become meaningless "

I will pray~~ wrote on Oct 17, 2007 9:05 AM:

" anytime, anywhere I want to. NOBODY will stop me, and if those of you who don't wish too, don"t. "

MaskedVigilante wrote on Oct 17, 2007 8:54 AM:

" Quite frankly, I am a little worried that Christians are TRYING to take over the world. I don't think that's crazy since we have a president who actually says God told him to invade Iraq. A mandated and declared moment of silence serves no non-religious purpose. Please stop being naive. We all know what this means. "

Jennifer wrote on Oct 17, 2007 8:53 AM:

" Words cannot express how delighted I was to hear this wonderful news. "

They don't have to pray wrote on Oct 17, 2007 8:47 AM:

" they can read a book, work on homework, write a letter, etc. etc. You don't have to pray!! "

to teacher wrote on Oct 17, 2007 8:42 AM:

" Then teach your children to think about their lunch during this moment of silence. My goodness, do you people have nothing else to do but worry that the Christians are taking over the world? Frankly, this is good practice for the students because they should have long moments of silence when the teacher is teaching. I fail to see how a moment of silence starts the downfall of our planet. "

ex-teach wrote on Oct 17, 2007 8:41 AM:

" I'd say that students use that time to daydream much more than to pray. Thinking while keeping one's mouth shut is an excellent life skill to learn. "

MaskedVigilante wrote on Oct 17, 2007 8:38 AM:

" And now we have teachers trying to figure out how long a "moment" is. To anyone who says this isn't school prayer, tell me why it had to go from voluntary to mandated. From "may" to "shall". I don't believe there are any Buddhist organizations out there lobbying for mandatory meditation in public schools. Any non-Christian religion is too afraid at this point to try to push for this. ***Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion*** THIS BRAINWASHING MUST STOP. "

To: Christians: wrote on Oct 17, 2007 8:22 AM:

" Are you implying that most democrats are not Christians. Most democtrats that I know are. "

To JD wrote on Oct 17, 2007 7:58 AM:

" I do not believe that this was a "Christian" effort. One could pray to Christ, or a pagan god, or just do nothing. I believe the moment of silence will calm the kids down and get them focused on the days events. As far as the "intelligent" design comment, science has supported it. More and more evolution is being shown as a hoax, whereas nothing in the Bible has ever been proven incorrect, it has stood the test it time. "

teacher wrote on Oct 17, 2007 7:13 AM:

" Parents who want their children to take a moment of silence, should teach thier children that a moment of prayer can be taken any where, any time. This amounts to the state controlling when and where our children choose to take a medatative moment. I for one do not want anyone controlling my children's prayer life. "

Christians wrote on Oct 17, 2007 6:19 AM:

" Considering that many Christians are Republican and therefore supporters of dog-eat-dog capitalism, they should simply allow Christianity to compete in the marketplace of ideas. If a better idea comes along, like rational thought, they should just accept it! "

Edward G wrote on Oct 16, 2007 10:59 PM:

" All the problems in this state...and THIS is what our legislators are wasting time with? Seriously, there needs to be a law that says legislators will not get paid until a balanced budget is in place on time. Priorities, people...PRIORITIES! "

FYI wrote on Oct 16, 2007 10:28 PM:

" They can pass a stupid law like this, but not do their jobs by passing a budget...still! "

JD wrote on Oct 16, 2007 9:57 PM:

" Christianity is in a total panic because of dwindling numbers, and will try anything to reach young kids in an effort to brainwash them so they fill the churches coffers at a later date. First it was intelligent design, which fell flat on its face when confronted with science. Now it is prayer in schools. Granted, the Christians did manage to get it put in optionally, but was not enough. It still gave people a chance to NOT have it. So now they have gotten it mandated. Sure, the Christians will say that does not have to be used for prayer, but the connection between a 'moment of silence' has always been to pray. "
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