Two Florida school officials won't go to jail for praying

[--Pete]

Hi,

It seems to me that in this community religious expression is normal.

So what? I'm sure there are a lot of 'normal' activities of that community which they do not perform in public.

One objection I have is the one size fits all community standard which tries to force the same ethic that is applied in the Bronx NY to that in East Podunk, Florida. This is why laws should be local.

For spitting on the sidewalk, I agree with you. For spitting on religious freedom, I think it's good we've got it in the Bill of Rights. Follow your logic and Jim Crow would be alive and well throughout the South.

The government unfortunately dominates the education arena, and when it comes to schools, we mostly only have public options. If Pace High School had the option of going private and being able to survive, I'd bet they jump at the chance to be free from the kind of outside interference they've attracted.

The government did not always dominate the educational arena. But, because the free market failed, communities decided to share the cost and the benefits of a public education. Pace, Florida, could abolish property taxes and school levies and charge the families of the students directly for their education. Of course, many people could not afford it, others would rather spend the money on pizza and beer. And those of the 'wrong' type would probably not be allowed -- but that's OK, they're inferior pagans anyway.

Hmm. Pace, Florida. 1861. Forget, hell. Why leave the union when you can just ignore it?

However, who needs to be protected and from what?

I do, from the Spanish Inquisition.

Fear of those who venerate a peace loving guy who was killed by his own people with Roman assistance?

And in whose name Spain was purged of a culture, thousands of 'infidels' were killed in the Middle East, whole populations were massacred in South and Central America, the Auto da Fe was invented, six million (give or take) Jews were sent up the chimney? Scared? I'm petrified.

I believe we are guaranteed the freedom to say what we want, even (and especially) if that is religious expression.

If that were the case here, I'd agree with you. But this wasn't a private conversation (like we're having here). It wasn't an individual saying grace, to himself (silently or aloud), in accordance with his beliefs. It wasn't a call for a 'moment of reflection' in which everyone could offer whatever prayer they wanted to (although, as an atheist, I find those to be an imposition -- I'll damned well reflect when I want to and not when some pious jerk says to). It was A PUBLIC PRAYER, PROPOSED BY ONE GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL AND INTONED BY ANOTHER AT A GOVERNMENT SPONSORED PUBLIC NON-SECTERIAN FUNCTION. Excuse me for yelling, but this point has been made repeatedly and you seem to be incapable of hearing it.

I think it is arbitrary to even say that a President, or a governor, or a Senator, or a teacher, or school administrator, or dog catcher cannot at any time express themselves religiously. I agree that requiring course work, or classes, or compulsory prayer is crossing the line. Having to witness someone else doing it is not crossing the line, no matter how annoying it is, it is a part of allowing people to be free.

They didn't just 'have to witness someone else doing it'. THEY HAD TO PARTICIPATE OR BE OSTRACIZED. That is the problem. That religious expression was, in effect, forcing the religious beliefs of those two administrators on all present.

--Pete