Of course it's wrong to coerce students in a public school to participate in prayer. The FFRF is right to make its complaint, and the school district, which is now reviewing the complaint, should stop the practice or risk further legal action. I'm guessing that the district is strapped for cash, just like most public school systems in the country right now, and they shouldn't waste their limited money defending a clearly illegal practice. (See Lee vs. Weisman 1992 and Santa Fe Independent School Dist vs. Doe 2000 for relevant legal precedent).
But what inspired me to write about it today were some of the comments by readers of the article posted about this in the NY Daily News, such as:
these players and fans who dont like prayer in these events, then dont pray. its the minority trying to dictate to the majority. and that *** me off....and
liberals....not happy unless everyone else is miserable.
What strange, misguided views. You're not happy unless your religion is being forced down everyone's throats, and you complain because a minority dare to point out that the practice is illegal and should stop? The first commenter has it exactly backwards: if the players and fans want to pray, they can pray, anywhere and at any time they want. What they can't do is compel student participation by leading the prayer (which is what happens when they broadcast it over the loudspeakers). The whole point to the bill of rights is that certain rights cannot be subject to majority vote; the majority will vote to take rights away from the minority every time.
These aren't complicated concepts, but unfortunately it takes a level of intelligence and integrity to understand that are sadly lacking among the NY Daily News readers. And no, I'm not surprised.
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