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Thursday • September 1, 1994
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The Battalion • Page 15
Moment of silence prays for attention
New Georgia law violates Constitutional separation of church, state
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FRANK
STANFORD
Columnist
T o pray or not to pray is supposed to
be a safe, personal choice, free from
the religious convictions of anyone or
any body of people. However, a Georgia
schoolteacher was recently suspended
from work, and a hearing this week may
get him fired. He refused to obey the state
law providing a moment of silence in class.
Although this “moment” lasts just one
minute or less, the teacher purposely
disregarded it and commenced his lecture
for the day. Although the Georgia law requires this “moment”
be recognized, some say it’s in conflict with our Constitution.
The Bill of Rights allows all American citizens to
practice whatever religion they choose without government
intervention. Of course, there are legal restrictions for
church services that might include drugs, mutilating
squirrels or disturbing the peace in some other way, but for
the most part, the state has no interest in the way
Americans worship. Except in Georgia.
The irony of this situation lies in the apparent insignificance
of one single minute of silence leading to the dismissal of a
popular teacher and causing a huge media ruckus. Just one
little minute, what difference does it make?
The state government tries to skirt this prayer issue
completely by officially
, ^ r | |
The Constitution is clear regarding
the separation of church and state.
Public school is the "state" and prayer
time is the "church". It's that simple.
calling the “moment” a
time to “reflect on
activities.” Well, we all
know how much
elementary through high
school students need their
“reflection time.”
The “moment” is clearly
for prayer. So, good grief, let ’em pray, it’s not going to kill
anyone. But dissenters still protest. This may seem ridiculous
until you consider the uproar there would be over a moment to
“embrace Satanism,” which, albeit bizarre, is equally
inappropriate in school.
There are several aspects of the prayer issue to consider:
How it affects students scholastically, emotionally - for those
who believe in it and for those who don’t - and the legal
interpretation of it all.
As far as academics are concerned, 60 seconds of silence at
the beginning of first period class is hardly destructive to a
learning environment. On the other hand, taxpayers are paying
for their children to attend class for so many minutes a day.
They expect for the teacher to start class promptly on the hour
and for all class activities to be lawful.
Although a minute is fairly
insignificant, there is a principle
involved for parents who disagree with
this “silence” as a time for prayer.
Furthermore, they are opposed to the
school system supporting “the moment of
silence,” when school is for academics,
not prayer. Not even two seconds' worth.
Like many non-believers, I recognize
and support religious freedom - including
schoolchildren. If kids want to pray at
school they should be free to do so. At lunch, during recess,
between classes and after or on the way to school. There’s
plenty of time; far more than one minute, and when done on a
child’s own initiative, it does not affect anyone else.
It may seem strange to view quiet prayer time as “affecting”
someone else. And it probably won’t, if they’re praying also.
However, a child sitting in a class with other praying kids
might feel left out, think something’s wrong with him or even
feel ostracized. Especially if he’s the only one abstaining. No
student should ever be made to feel this way, particularly in a
classroom environment.
The framers of the Constitution thought of this type of
problem and stated in the First Amendment, ’’Congress shall
make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or
prohibiting the free exercise thereof ...”
Those who promote prayer in school
dwell on the second half of this tenetO,
and those who oppose it focus on the
first part. On the surface, they seem to
contradict each other regarding the
prayer issue. It appears that NOT
having a moment of silence is
“prohibiting free exercise thereof”, but
NOT having an organized time slot for prayer is hardly
prohibitive.
Government employees are not prohibited from praying on
their own while they are at work, but there is no law forcing
government employees to observe a moment of silence at the
beginning of the workday. By enforcing this “one minute”
prayer period in public schools - regardless of its new name -
the government is truly “respecting an establishment of
religion” because minors MUST attend school.
Everyone reserves the right to believe what they want,
or agree with the law or not, but the Constitution is clear
regarding the separation of church and state. Public school
is the “state” and prayer time is “church”. It’s that simple.
Frank Stanford is a philosophy graduate student
<g>iwme
The Battalion
Editorial Board
Belinda Blancarte, Editor in chief
Mark Evans, Managing editor
Jay Robbins, Opinion editor
Jenny Magee, Assistant opinion editor
Editorials appearing in The Battalion
reflect the views of the editorial board. They
do not necessarily reflect the opinions of
other Battalion staff members, the Texas
A&M student body, regents, administration,
faculty or staff.
Columns, guest columns, cartoons and
letters express tne opinions of the authors.
Contact the opinion editor for information
on submitting guest columns.
trORIAt.
NwlHMNJ
Slip-Slidin’ Scores
Magazine ranking should cause concern
Money magazine’s upcoming
rankings of “best buys” will slant the
reputation of Texas A&M downward,
partly because of a clerical error.
From a special issue scheduled to
appear on newsstands Sept. 6, stu
dents and faculty will not be pleased
to learn that A&M will not be found
among the top 100 best buys of acad
emic institutions.
This mishap occurred when the
data on the number of faculty mem
bers was
transposed
from 1805 to
1085. Since
then, the cor
rect data has
been sent
and officials
are waiting
to see what
effect will re
sult in a few
weeks. How
ever, the
elimination from this year’s list
might have happened without any
“help” of a typing mistake.
A&M should now use this inad
vertent slight as a cause for analyz
ing its standing in comparison with
other state institutions. Whether or
not the exclusion occurred from the
mishap, A&M desperately needs to
be concerned about the direction of
its academic reputation. A&M has
slipped from a ranking of 14 in 1991
to 42 last year.
With the constant blows to this
institution, it appears evident that
the University can no longer pride
itself on prestige from tradition and
self-confidence alone. Concern
should arise when other state insti
tutions remain in the top 20, such as
the University of Texas, whose cur
rent ranking
is 13.
Since the
ranking is a
measure of
monetary val
ue rather
than educa
tional value,
A&M should
consider a
look into their
programs for
efficiency,
and direct its priorities toward fund
ing and support services. “Best edu
cation for the dollar” will only evolve
through a tight and well managed
system, which can be acquired
through restructuring. Without
such actions, A&M has the potential
to slip lower in rankings of state in
stitutions.
. vMHHHNHi
Gilbert should take hint
People like Mrs. Warren Gilbert
(“A&M Withholds Booster’s Tickets,”
Aug. 30) make me sick. It is not enough
that her husband got A&M into near
death penalty trouble with the NCAA;
no, this woman expects the 12th Man
Foundation to send her tickets in direct
violation of NCAA sanctions. She is “en
titled” to these preferred seating tickets,
she states, because of a $30,000 donation
made in 1978.
Has it ever occurred to this woman
that $30,000 is a drop in the bucket com
pared to the huge loss of revenue from
televised football games and bowl ap
pearances that her husband’s actions are
directly responsible for? I’d say A&M got
the short end of the stick. The Gilberts
have enjoyed 15 years of preferred seat
ing at the home games, while A&M came
close to losing its athletic program.
Mrs. Gilbert, why can’t you and your
oversize ego and your husband take a
massive hint and get out of our affairs?
It is patently obvious that you don’t care
a bit about Texas A&M or the sanctions
we now face. I’m sure that the Aggies
can find better “boosters.”
Ray Komhoff
Class of ’88
College Republicans
respond to charges
This letter is in response to a Mail
Call letter in the Aug. 31 Battalion
asking me to apologize on behalf of the
College Republicans because we were
selling “such items” that someone did
not like. Instead of trying to defend
Clinton’s record, Matt Murphy, a
member of Aggie Democrats, has de
cided it would be easier to censor and
intimidate those who criticize Presi
dent Clinton. Mr. Murphy, this coun
try was founded on dissent. If you feel
it is unpatriotic to criticize the Presi
dent I suggest you evaluate your club’s
track record. Remember when your
club had a shirt a few years ago that
read, “NO MORE BIIHSHit”? The Col
lege Republicans did not respond with
a whining diatribe to the Battalion. I
understand the frustration you have
due to the fact that your club has only
a fraction of the support that College
Republicans has, but the next time
you would like to attempt to criticize
us, please do it in a manner free from
the base alloy of hypocrisy.
Those who have sacrificed their
lives by serving in the Armed Forces
have done so to protect the First
Amendment so people like you, Mr.
Murphy, cannot dictate what can or
cannot be said.
Even though your club has said
some pretty outrageous things in the
past, we have not attempted to sus
pend your First Amendment rights
just because we disagree with you.
We just let the ignorance of such
statements speak for themselves.
Chad Walter
Class of ’94
President, College Republicans
Jim Staley
Class of’95
Ten rules will simplify fish life
The Battalion encour
ages tetters to the editor
and will print as many as
space allows, letters
must be 300 words or
less and indude the au
thor's name, dass, and
We reserve the right
to edit letters for length,
style, and accuracy.
Address letters to:
The Battalion - Mail Call
013 Reed McDonald
Texas A&M University
College Station, TX
77843-1111
Fax: (409) 845-2847
E-mail:
Batt@tamvm1 .tamu.edu
From bar scene to
poverty, freshmen
need reality check
M y sister is an incoming freshman
here at Texas A & M. As part of
her graduation present, I wrote a
letter that would hopefully make her
transition into college a little easier. I
have adapted it below to apply to most
new college students. Enjoy.
# 1. You are about to become very
poor. Notice all the money you’ve been
getting for graduation? This is the most
money you will see at one time for the
next four years. Cherish it. Save it. Do
not let it out of your sight. You do not
need that new stereo. You will need new
tires, clothes, a mailbox, books, frozen
yogurt, pizza, toilet paper,
party pics, everything
Super Wal-Mart sells and
a thousand other little
things you haven’t yet
thought of. Keep this in
mind: $75 a month for
phone bills is just not
worth it.
# 2. You may be under the
impression that the prospects in the
college dating pool are far superior
to those at your high school. In
actuality, the proportion of stellar
dates to pond scum is about the
same. Dating in college is like buying a
new TV, excitedly calling all of your
friends to tell them about it, and then
taking it home and discovering it only
has the Public Access channel. So you
have to take it back and get a new TV,
only it just has American Movie Classics.
You keep getting new TVs hoping
someday you’ll get cable.
# 3. Night clubs are not good
places to meet potential dates.
LYNN
BOOMER
Columnist
Besides the obvious obstacles of
darkness, loud music and general
drunkenness among the clientele
obscuring your judgment, people in clubs
generally lie about what they’re really
like. Guys without rings say they’re
seniors, women may have mysterious,
unseen boyfriends who prevent them
from dancing with you, and both sexes
are likely to ask for your phone number
with no intention of ever calling you.
Good places to meet people are in classes,
organizations, through your dorm and
You will need a thousand other little
things you haven't yet thought of.
Keep this in mind: $75 a month for
phone bills is just not worth it.
best of all, through friends.
# 4. Having class two hours a day
instead of the six grueling hours you
were accustomed to in high school
may make college appear easier at
first. This is an illusion. Don’t let your
friends convince you that going to IHOP
at four in the morning is a good idea, or
that skipping your 1:50 class to see a
matinee won’t matter to your professor.
You must go to class, and you must
study. You can’t get away with sweet-
talking your professors. Crying, begging
and bribes mean nothing to them. Learn
to read textbooks.
# 5. Get to know the people in
your dorm. They make your first
year much more bearable.
# 6. It’s not cool to shave a letter
into your hair or bang on other
peoples’ doors at five in the morning
so they’ll wake up for cut or do
pretty much anything else the
bonfire vampires claim is “red ass.”
Always replace the word “red” in these
phrases with “dumb.” If you’re really
intent on having a giant S on your head,
visualize yourself wearing a baseball cap
for the rest of the semester to get dates.
Is this really appealing?
# 7. Inform everyone you know
that Highway 6 doesn’t go to Austin.
# 8. It’s OK to go to Midnight Yell
Practice and football games
without a date. People will not shun
you. But don’t let that random guy next
to you convince you that one little kiss
would be the way to complete your
evening. He’s a creep.
# 9. Being really spirited is good.
It’s good to participate in cut, load
and stack for Bonfire. It is not good to
harass other people who may not feel
your spirit, nor is it good to skip class in
order to go to stack. Your first duty as an
Aggie is academics. The entire point of
being here is to get your degree. Don’t
lose sight of that.
# 10. If you’re worried about
whether or not people know you’re a
freshman, stop worrying. Everyone
knows. No matter how many questions
you ask upperclassmen before the first
day of class, you are still going to be
clueless. You’re part of the group that’s a
little too eager. You are the ones that get
up at 6:30 in the morning and are 10
minutes early to your 8 o’clock. Relax
and enjoy yourselves. Those people
making fun of you were once in your
place. Good luck to you, and have fun
laughing at all the freshmen next year.
Lynn Booher is a junior
English and psychology major