Khayla+Odom



McLure, David. "Moment of Silence Home Page." //Moment of Silence Home Page//. The Gathering of Divine, n.d. Web. 06 Dec. 2012. .



"Random Thoughts of a Western Buddhist." //Bodhi Tree Swaying//. Bodhipaksa, 9 Dec. 2011. Web. 6 Dec. 2010. .

**A "Generation of Silence" ** By: Khayla Odom

Do schools have the right to make students participate in the moment of silence?

This topic discusses a student's right to participate in the moment of silence during school. It talks about how this act might offend some students who would not want to partake in something that is looked upon as a religious gesture. It tells of previous times where people have fought for their right not to participate in the moment of silence because it can be somewhat offensive.


 * Viewpoints In Favor of the Moment of Silence || Viewpoints Against the Moment of Silence ||
 * * It gives students opportunity for a silent prayer
 * Allows students a silent reflection on the anticipated activities of the day
 * A great way to begin the school day
 * A way to quiet down unruly teenagers
 * It adds value to a child's educational experience || * It conducts a religious exercise during school hours
 * Requires a teacher to stop teaching during instructional time so that the Christian kids can pray
 * The law in unfair for secular students
 * It is a waste of useful time
 * Its an insult to those who support the separation of church and state ||


 * Court Case ||  Resolved Issue  ||  Court Ruling  ||
 * Wallace v. Jaffree (1985) || A man argued that his son was forced to participate in the moment of silence at school.He said the school subjected his son to various acts of religious indoctrination.Does a state law authorizing a moment of silence for “voluntary prayer” violate the constitutional prohibition against the establishment of religion? || A statute enacted primarily to endorse and promote religion with no secular purpose in mind violates the established, constitutional principle that government must pursue a course of complete neutrality toward the establishment of religion. ||
 * Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972) || Members Amish Religion refused to send their children to school after the eighth grade.They believed it “endangered their own salvation and that of their children”.May a state impose a compulsory attendance law if it interferes with the beliefs and practices of a religious group? || The enforcement of a state’s requirement of compulsory formal education after the eighth grade denies the free exercise of religious beliefs because the requirement would gravely endanger or destroy a group’s religious way of life.” ||
 * School District of Abington Township v. Schempp (1963) || Public schools allowed the reading of the Bible and the recitation of the Lord’s Prayer.This religious act offended a lot of people throughout the community.Do public school opening exercises that include Bible reading and recitation of prayers violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment? || The public schools’ inclusion of these exercise in their daily opening sessions violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. ||

I learned that just the simplest gestures in life could be something that violates any one of the many rights that we as Americans have. We owe it to ourselves and others to find out those rights. The problems can range from things such as religion, banning books, speech, protesting out in public, saying the pledge, a prayer at graduation, or even a moment of silence at the beginning of a school day.

Works Cited Blanford, Andrea. “Should Students Have a Moment of Silence.” 9On Your Side. WNCT- On Your Side, 3 Feb. 2011. Web. 28 Nov. 2012. “Case Overviews Casebriefs.” Casebriefs. N.p.4, n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2012 “Case Overviews Casebriefs.” Casebriefs. N.p.,9 n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2012 “Case Overviews Casebriefs.” Casebriefs. N.p.,13n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2012 Lafferty, Susan D. “Schools Reinstate Moment of Silence.” Schools-reinstate- moment-of-silence. Sun- Times Media, 18 Jan. 2011. Web. 28 Nov. 2012. "Supreme Court Decisions - Prayer in Schools." Supreme Court Decisions – Prayer jljkj in Schools. The Witches Voice Inc., 2012. Web. 11 Dec. 2012. Work, Ann. “Students Reflect on Moment of Silence.” Times Record News. Scripps kkk Interactive Newspapers Group, 2011. Web. 28 Nov. 2012