In God we trust or not? A barrage of violence has taken over the Chicago city streets and schools. Innocent children are being killed everyday. The shadow of hate haunts the children of Chicago as they duck and dodge bullets, on their way to school, during recess, and on their way home from school. The question that many are asking is, "Does anybody see what's going on?" Without surprise to many who have witnessed such, gun shoots pop in the inner city of Chicago streets in the broad day light, without regard for the "innocent bystander" everyday. Yes everyone is watching!
As many concerned parents and students speak up about the violence, it seems only as if matters are getting worst. Kids are being sold saudoff shotguns--ammunition that is being used in war. A child's funeral arrangements are being made almost everyday, with many being innocent bystanders. With education being the main ingredient in keeping our youth focused, one could only wonder how and why many of the crimes, and deaths take place right on school grounds or not too to far from one?
While education may be one of the main ingredients many parents and concerned people of Chicago ponder their thoughts as they understand that something is missing. Dr. Leela Miller former Chicago high school teacher, professor at Harold Washington college and current professor at the University of Northern Texas at Dallas where she teaches potential principles, superintendents, and teachers on the subject of "A Diverse Population" says "the nation's school systems are in dire need of prayer --in school." Dr. Miller understands the significance of an administrators position with the responsibility of a child's life/education being placed in their hands and feels that each administrator should be taught and fully equipped to deal with the diversities and situations that many youth bring forward. Dr. Miller states that "prayer/a moment of silence may be the one thing that the school administrators and students need in order to solve the hate issues of the youth and get them focused on their education." Currently Dr. Leela is working on her own project called "The Negro Spiritual" based on the lost art of the enslaved African's and correlates this with the message in the music of today and how it has a catastrophic effect on the youth especially as it pertains to gangsta rap. The Negro Spiritual project confronts the force of slavery which has so eagerly pushed God out, and called hate in. Dr. Leela feels that this very force may be the major problem that our society deals with today especially when it comes to re-connecting with our youth. But the bigger question arises. Would bringing prayer back in school be against the law?
Although the first amendment has not comepletely banished prayer out of school, legislation has somewhat dominished the outlook of prayer in unity in the nations school systems. In an rticle written by Annie Laurie Gaylor posted on the freedom from religion website Anne specifies the dangers of mixing church with state and as well prayer entering the school system. She specifies leaving many religious and non-religious groups of children out due to the many different belief systems.
Anne's article titled What Happens When Worship Enters Public Schools? states:
When religion has invaded our public school system, it has singled out the lone Jewish student, the class Unitarian or agnostic, the children in the minority. Families who protest state/ church violations in our public schools invariably experience persecution. It was commonplace prior to the court decision against school prayer to put non-religious or nonorthodox children in places of detention during bible-reading or prayer recitation. The children of Supreme Court plaintiffs against religion in schools, such as Vashti McCollum, Ed Schempp and Ishmael Jaffree, were beaten up on the way to and from school, their families subjected to community harassment and death threats for speaking out in defense of a constitutional principle. We know from history how harmful and destructive religion is in our public schools. In those school districts that do not abide by the law, school children continue to be persecuted today. Read the full story at
http://ffrf.org/nontracts/schoolprayer.php But what could be more horrifying then keeping prayer in unity out of school and having children murder each other in school, and outside of school everyday ? How could we be one nation under God, and separate church from state? How do we say in God we trust if our children don't receive the guidance that they need to go about their day? And how could we spend the money that says "In God We Trust" if we don't make the right investment in our youth? As a prayer/a moment of silence doesn't cost anything but the cooperation of the people, keeping prayer/a moment of silence out of the school systems could cost the life of a child.
Not long after the 1963 decision made in the Abington Township School District v. Schempp case where Edward Schempp a Unitarian pursued litigation to purge a 1949 Pennsylvania state law providing for mandatory devotional Bible reading in public schools statewide did the crime rate amongst our teens rise, teen pregnancy well exceeds marriage in the inner cities of our nation, and devastatingly innocent children are being killed by each other in cold blood on the streets and in their schools everyday which has become a trend. While the District Court was in favor of Schempp, Abbington Township School District appealed to the Supreme Court and the rise of the consolidation of Schemmp and world known atheist Madalyn Murray-Ohair case held precedence and "kicked prayer out of school." From the Columbine shootings, to Virginia Tech's mass murder shooting, North Carolina State's Tailgate shooting and Illinois own Northern college campus shooting the scene of anger raged senseless murders have overshadowed our youth. And let's not forget about the 40 plus children that have been murdered on the streets of Chicago this year. Never in the history of American, have the youth gone so wrong. The hate that fills the heart of the youth is visible, even the elders outlive the youth, and something needs to been done quick.
In a phone interview with Monique Bond communication officer for Chicago Public Schools, Monique advises that if any child is looking for direction and a safe haven in the storm of violence that so abruptly has taken over the mind set of many youth, that child or child's parent should log on to CPS's website to find out more information about the new youth anti-violence program. As Monique did indicated that prayer hasn't been talked about as a resolution to the violence upheaval, CPS is working closely with counselors and social workers to resolve the problem. But many concerned Chicagoans are still trying to figure out what will help our youth get rid of the spirit of hate that dwells among them, as counselors and social workers have been around interacting with our youth for many years and still we have problems, major problems like never before. So how will we solve the problems with the old methods, the same methods that are already put in place? New solutions are are very well needed. Could prayer be the answer?
In President Obama's address to children on Sept. 8, 2009, many words were expressed and questions were asked in order to inspire our youth to focus more on education. In the words of President Obama: "So today, I want to ask all of you, what's your contribution going to be? What problems are you going to solve? What discoveries will you make? What will a President who comes here in 20 or 50 or 100 years say about what all of you did for this country?" As these questions begin to get harder to answer as our youth are killing each other everyday, what will be America's next investment in the lives of our children, as many are needed? As said by the unknown poet "The best things in life are free." Will getting prayer/ a moment of silence as a unit back into our school systems help our youth put down the guns and succeed academically? The world awaits a response.
For more information on CPS's new anti-violence program call 773-535-2600 or log on to
www.cps.edu For more information about Dr. Leelah's Negro Spiritual Project email Dr. Leela Miller at thensp@yahoo.com
See
http://www.whitehouse.gov for remarks by the President in the National address to America's school children.
Posted By: Talibah Bakhit
Tuesday, February 23rd 2010 at 5:38PM
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