In the wake (though some might say, under the cover) of the wave of patriotism that followed the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the Texas Legislature passed a law that requires schoolchildren to begin each school day with pledges of allegiance to the United States and Texas flags, followed by a minute of silence to "reflect, pray [or] meditate" before class.
Almost as soon as the Senate Bill 83 hit the books, Plano residents David Wallace Croft and Shannon Kristine Croft immediately challenged the law. They felt it was a "cover for reinstituting organized prayer in schools" and unnecessarily emphasized and required time for prayer during what had previously been an optional "moment" of silence.
In January, to the consternation of school prayer's opponents, District Judge Barbara Lynn upheld the law. By Lynn's own admission, however, the case was "a difficult question," and the fact that proponents of the bill (including the law's author, Sen. Jeff Wentworth of San Antonio) in the Texas Congress displayed their usual grandstanding meant there was little doubt this case would be taken on appeal to a higher court.
On Monday, The Houston Chronicle reported that the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals will likely begin oral arguments this fall. At issue is whether the specific designation of the mandatory minute of silence for "prayer" violates the Constitution's prohibition against endorsing religion in public and private life. Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott argues that "by providing a patriotic and contemplative context for the minute of silence, [the law] plainly serves secular rather than religious purposes." Yet neither of these arguments address the larger issue: whether the minute of silence has a place in public education in the first place.
Modern schoolchildren must face a constant bombardment of information. Anytime they are not sitting in the classroom, more than likely they are in front of the TV, tuned to the radio or surfing the Internet. Winsome childhood hours spent whiling away the day next to a babbling brook or traipsing through the whispering woods are almost gone for good - if they even existed in the first place.
The modern school day is anything but relaxed for the 21st-century student. From 8 a.m. until whenever they fitfully nod off in front of Conan O'Brien, our children are besieged by the often-contradictory messages of teachers, coaches and parents, not to mention the inane lifestyle advice from their role models on E! and MTV. To process their thoughts and come to terms with the world around them, kids need a break besides the obligatory 30 minutes in the prison-yard cafeteria.
According to a recent article in The New Yorker, scientists are convinced that "the relaxation phase" of our thought process is "crucial" to achieving insight and discovery into the nature of ourselves and the world around us. Indeed, that's "why so much insight comes to us in the middle of a warm shower," said Dr. Mark Jung-Beeman, a neuroscientist, in the article.
To be most beneficial, a reflective diversion needs to be both mandatory and enforced - and devoid of any of the religious connotations suggested by Wentworth and company. Students should be encouraged to make good use of the increasingly rare gift of downtime on their own terms, whether that includes introspection and self-searching, visualization of academic, athletic or social success, or even the silent admiration of an attractive classmate sitting three seats away. Experts agree that doing these things in silence improves both our performance and our mental well-being in all aspects of life. In our schizophrenic age, the least we can do is provide our children with a chance to sift through the madness.
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