'Silence' law joins pledges in school routine | Dallas Morning News

[Ediacara]

'Silence' law joins pledges in school routine
11:42 PM CDT on Monday, September 1, 2003

By EMILY RAMSHAW / The Dallas Morning News

Martha Dickason's first-graders are a rambunctious bunch first thing in the morning, laughing with friends and paging through colorful readers.

But when the morning announcements come on, they transform into perfect little citizens, reciting pledges to the American and Texas flags, then bowing their heads and folding their hands for a moment of respectful silence.

"It calms them all down," Ms. Dickason said. "It really gets them ready to start the day."

Cedar Hill's High Pointe Elementary, like some other schools in Texas, has gone through this routine or something similar for years. At High Pointe, it's been every day for more than 15 years.

But the minute of silence to "reflect, pray, meditate or engage in any other silent activities" is new to most schools, and it was one of the more divisive items that Gov. Rick Perry signed into law May 28. Many of the bills became law Monday.

More at the Dallas Morning News

[laconicsax]

1. Texas has its own flag salute?

.

[artr2]

2. Yes Amerika Uber Alles

nt

[LizW]

3. This is law in Alabama, too

My kids have always been forced to observe a "moment of silence" every morning in their public schools. And just in case anyone doesn't think it is coercive, my son was harrassed in second grade by a little fundie classmate for reading during the moment of silence instead of bowing his head and closing his eyes.:eyes:

To their credit, none of my kids' teachers have every tried to make it about prayer. In fact, I think some of them ignore it entirely. However, if you did happen to get a teacher who wanted to force children to pray, it would be easy for him/her to do so under the moment of silence law.

[Trek234]

4. Yup

I'm off to school in a few minutes from now. (Texas) Another fun day of the pledge.