The Lost Files – If Prayer Is Good For Bush, It’s Good For Kids
The Lost Files were weekly columns written back around 2001-2003 while I was running a newspaper in the Midwest. They seem to have disappeared from the Internet, probably after some redesign of the newspaper’s web site. So, from time to time, I’ll repost some of my favorites from saved hard copies (that’s paper to you new media types).
Time for a little food for thought.
Would someone please explain to me why Vice President Al Gore and President-elect George W. Bush aren’t in prison?
I clearly head the vice president of the United States mention God at least SIX times during his recent concession speech. And not a single time was God’s name tied to any profanity. Minutes later, Bush, in one long paragraph, actually asked the nation to PRAY! In fact, he asked us to pray for Gore, America and everything in between.
Haven’t these people heard of the U.S. Constitution? Don’t they know we don’t allow prayer in public schools? How can these two, who represent the highest offices in our land, actually mention God and prayer in a positive way? Aren’t they asking us to do something illegal?
Obviously, these two need a quick civics lesson. I mean, just look at the First Amendment to the Constitution. It clearly states: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”
Now, just wait a second. I know there’s something in those 16 words about not mentioning God and about forbidding prayer. Better reread that. Nope, still nothing. I guess there’s nothing there. In fact, God isn’t mentioned at all, and neither is prayer.
So I may not be the smartest kid on the block, but maybe the amendment says and means just what it says. And that’s that the federal government can’t set up a national religion. Furthermore, the federal government can’t prohibit people from expressing their own religious views. That’s all.
Well, now I just totally confused. Tell me again how it is that we use this amendment to keep kids from praying public schools. How is it we use this amendment to keep local communities from putting up nativity scenes or anything remotely resembling the Christian religion? Or is it that we’ve taken this whole concept of separation of church and state too far in an effort to be everything to everybody?
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The argument is that we can’t use public money to promote one religion over another, so let’s just keep them completely separate. So why is it that the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives both have chaplains? Aren’t they publicly funded? And do we even need to bring up the fact that all our currency says, “In God We Trust”?
If the vice president can talk about God, and the president-elect can ask people to pray, and do it in front of the entire nation, why can’t kids pray in public schools? Aren’t these guys on the public payroll? So why aren’t the Thought Police and PC hit squads rushing in to stop these men who represent our government from such blasphemy? Yet why is it we have no problem telling some poor school district what they can and can’t do about God?
I love that bumper sticker that states, “As long as there are tests, there will be prayer in schools.” Isn’t that the truth. And maybe it’s the truth that prayer never hurt anyone and if some kid wants to do what the future of the free world suggests, so what?
Wouldn’t it be ironic if someday some teacher asks little Johnny why he has his head bowed. “I’m praying,” Johnny would reply. “But you can’t,” the teacher would answer. “I know, teacher, but the president told me to,” the little boy would answer.
Now, wouldn’t this be the greatest defense of all time? The federal government has determined prayer in public schools is illegal. Yet the president, the very representative of the federal government, encourages prayer.
What’s the court to do? If the kid is guilty, isn’t the president also guilty for inciting such rebellion? You gotta love the irony.
Just a little food for thought.
Until next time.
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