Horrible Silence: Thoughts on the "Moment of Silence"

As I read an article in my local paper about the newest controversy over the infamous moment of silence, my first reaction is "Who cares?" Well, apparently enough people to keep the same argument alive for over 30 years. Since 1976, there has been a raging dispute in America about these little enforced bits of silence at the start of our children's school day. The issue has become such an inflamed topic over the years that there's even a Wikipedia site dedicated to the "moment." This is a constantly emerging battle between religious interest groups and secular parties about religious freedom and freedom of speech, two ideals that tend to create very emotional responses on both sides. It looks like the American Constitution set us up for this never-ending Catch-22, which has pitted American against American for decades.

Let's be honest with ourselves; the ultimate outcome of these arguments will ultimately end with one side victorious and the other with a huge grudge. There's really no middle ground when it comes to finding a solution. This makes me wonder why people even continue to bring this issue into our schools and judicial system. I understand why both sides are so adamant in their stance one way or the other, but I'm having a hard time justifying all of the time and effort put into these arguments. Issues such as these divert much needed time away from teachers, school administrators, and school board members that could be used for developing better standards in our school systems. No wonder our educational system is lagging so badly; we're clogging up the system with complex issues that have nothing to do with our children's educations! There has to be an alternative platform for this argument of separation of church and state that will not take away from our efforts to improve education in America.

Let's put the issue into perspective. I was reading student responses to questions regarding the moment issue in an Illinois high school. Upon reading some students' responses to why they felt their school should ban the moment of silence it enforces, they say they don't want the government to be able to tell them what to do, so they feel the moment of silence should not be enforced. This reasoning sounds a bit immature from my point of view, and to be honest, I really can't find a better argument from lawyers or others opposing the current enforcement policy. I suggest these students look up "China" and "censorship" as keywords in Google before they start making claims about unfair government regulation of freedom. To me, the whole issue is a waste of time, energy, and money when you look at the big picture. Again, the end result is either to keep it or toss it. All the winner really gets is a sense of smug satisfaction.

I can't help but think that there are more pressing issues in our school systems than this. I can only imagine the endless hours that students, parents, administrators, lawyers, and judges have spent poring over this issue throughout the decades. Time could be much better spent on ensuring that our children can read at their own grade level. How about using all of this time and energy to develop plans to reach out to our inner city and secluded rural schools that need assistance in providing a better education? Or, we could be developing much needed security measures in our schools. If you really step back and look at it, we are wasting years of much needed time and energy over a 60 second pause. Is it really worth it?