Prayer in schools - a right has been taken away. Society today says that this offends students and invades their personal morals and beliefs as humans. While this is a reasonable point of view, what about the rights of those who do believe in a brief silence before their morning class begins? Is this showing respect for them? Furthermore, is this showing the children how to respect individuals? This is an essential moral that children, as well as many adults, today need to have instilled in them for the rest of their life.
A public school student has the right to read the Bible, pray before a meal, say the rosary, as long as it is done so outside of the educational process. Denying this right is unconstitutional. However, public schools are not to have sanctioned prayer even if it is nondenominational. It's such a gray area.
Let's look at this from both standpoints of the matter. For decades, a one or two minute moment of silence was been held before the first class in public schools. Note: this is not before every class period and they do not mention God or religion when asking for this moment of silence. Just a minute or two for students and teachers to pray, reflect or what have you in the morning time. From the first moment students (and teachers) open their eyes in the morning, its rush, rush, rush and off to school. Once they get to school, it's time for lessons, non-stop interaction with others, class work, etc .When everyone gets home, it's homework, extracurricular, parents, and so on. The minds of the pupils and faculty never stop rolling. Who has a moment to themselves with so many ruckuses? So, tell me, what is so criminal about pausing for a couple of minutes in the morning to pray, clear their minds whatever they wish to do in that moment of silence.
Secondly, what ever happened to the good old first amendment? What about their rights? Have they even been considered? Just because one mother feels it is unjust for her child, whom she has raised without beliefs in a higher power, to participate in this-the ones who do believe in this are penalized.