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One Minute

Discussion in 'Chit Chat' started by Jonathan, Oct 23, 2007.

  1. Jonathan

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    Well, in Illinois a new law was passed and started earlier this week. It stated that at public schools, at the beginning of the day, classes MUST have one minute of silence so the students can "pray or reflect on things".

    Personally, I think it is just plain stupid. It is just an idiotic thing to make a law of. I mean, no one takes it seriously, we all just kind of sit there awkwardly for the minute. Do they honestly think that we don't have any free time during the day to "reflect" on things? All the teachers (at my school at least) are against it and don't like it. I just think that it is a very pointless thing. I want to know what others think about it.
     
  2. Corey

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    that is pretty messed up... who came up with that???
     
  3. Perrygay

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    My school down here in Georgia does that. I personally don't agree with it, but law is law and I abide by it.
     
  4. Levi

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    I would spend the minute reflecting over how bad that law is. It's a very silent demonstration. Very Zen.
     
  5. surfrboykai

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    brah, i'd be with you if you were forced to pray, but that isn't the case. it's only a minute. if they deemed it "prayer minute" or something else to that effect, then yes, i'd fight it. but a moment to reflect on things is nothin. you do it all throughout the day, only yer not fully aware that yer doin it.

    yes, it is a little much to create a law for it. i mean, you'd think that the illinois state government would have more important things to vote on and debate about, yah? ya know, those lobbyist can't ruin our country if the state government isn't payin intention for them, yah?

    but brah, it's only a minute out of yer day. but hey, if you feel strongly about this, protest it! write yer state government! ya know, it seems that like, hardly anyone protests nowadays, yah?

     
  6. Nerdtendo

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    I shouldnt say anything, since I would admit that, if even only a minute, it would be bliss to have every one in my classes just shut up for once in there lives...
     
  7. Jonathan

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    That's my point. If we do it all throughout the day, what is the purpose to have like a mandatory minute to do it?

    lol, yea, you would think that they have more important things then a minute of reflection.

    I don't feel too strongly about it, I just think it is pointless.
    If there is someone who feels strongly about it, it is my history teacher. He was trying to get us to rebel against it in a way lol.
     
  8. davo-man

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    Well, I wouldn't mind it, cos it's only a minute of the day, and people can take it however they want to, in that they could pray to their respective gods, or just take a minute to think about all the stuff they have to do that day, or just take a minute to think about the assignments that are due. Im not saying that there's much point to it, but I if that was instated into my school, I wouldnt really mind

    I think, though, that the government should have a lot more pressing things to make laws about/discuss, cos honestly, a minute at school is really not that important. My opinion is that it should be the school's decision if they wanted to do it
     
  9. CrimsonThunder

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    Its a good idea, geez if you want you can spend an extra minuite doing work. =/

    Kids just seem to want to be rebellious over something as small as one minuite of silence.
     
  10. Jim1454

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    Call me paranoid, but as soon as I read this I saw it as the 'religious right' in the US taking baby steps to get prayer back into the public school system. I'm not particularly religious, so I just don't get it!

    If you feel strongly about praying, then presumably you're doing it at home! In the morning, in the evening, before dinner, before bed, etc. You don't need to be given a minute of school time to do it, and it certainly doesn't need to be legislated!

    Baby steps... Watch out!
     
    #10 Jim1454, Oct 24, 2007
    Last edited: Oct 24, 2007
  11. joeyconnick

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    That's EXACTLY what it is, obviously. They have just been smart enough to call it a minute for "reflection." Well, "smart" by the standards of idiocy. The fact that it has been passed into law is crazy... it's like saying "intelligent design" (don't get me started) isn't just creationism in sheep's clothing.

    As for what you can do about it, yeah, writing your state legislator is a good idea. Or organising a writing campaign among fellow students--although you're not voting age yet, a big enough group of students protesting it, since you guys are the people it is being forced on, would be able to garner media attention.

    The problem with these types of "thin wedges" is that they sound so innocuous; they're basically designed to make people protesting them look like nutjobs. But a lot of people here have made good points and perhaps the most effective argument against it is the libertarian one: why on EARTH is the government butting into students' lives to FORCE them to reflect? And how valuable is reflection if one is forced into it?

    In the meantime, you can use the minute to plan your big essay on the separation of church and state and how that's become this big myth in America. :lol:
     
  12. Jerr

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    In yoga we start and end with meditation. Basically a time to relax and be silent and either relax our body getting prepared for what we are about to do or relax and cool down after what we did. It has no religious value although some claim it does. It is just a silent couple of minutes to just relax and think about nothing... if something comes into your head you just go on you don't let it "take you for a walk." Although we do that for a good 10 minutes. They can't set aside that much time without too much complaining or else I think they should. I would have loved a good amount of time to just be quiet and lay my head down and just have a few minutes of stress free or reflection time.

    A moment of silence is nice. Whether you like it because you like your fellow classmates to shut up every now and then or because you wish to pray or even because you were getting bored at having the same old thing to complain about.

    I'm not really sure why the teachers would disagree with it... honestly all my teachers would just be happy that we were silent without being threatened with detention.

    At my school we had a moment of silence before we said the Pledge. It was like 30 seconds long which is really pathetic but we still had it.


    This reminds me of a bumper sticker I saw...

    "As long as there are still tests, there will be prayer in school."

    It made me giggle.
     
  13. Jonathan

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    That's basically what my history teacher said to us when we were discussing it.
     
  14. Perrygay

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    I agree. The religious right is taking any ground that it can, and these "Silent Minute" laws that we're beginning to see in states like Georgia and Illinois are evidence of this.
     
  15. Perrygay

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    The problem with that philosophy is that it is a "prayer minute." Would anyone who is a social progressive introduce a "Silent Minute" at the beginning of the day? Absolutely fricken' not. They can call it whatever they want, but we all know what the intention was.
     
  16. Bryan

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    I am shocked and disappointed with Illinois. I thought that a blue state like that would do better. Anyway, it is just plain wrong. Schools are made to educate, not to help students "self-reflect" or pray. As said before, this is a scheme by the evangelical christian right to bring prayer back to public schools. And the day that happens, I am moving some where else.
     
  17. BlasttheCloset

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    For a while, my school district was doing that, but they had a ton of complaints and mad parents (including mine!), so they got rid of it. Shows you that people do listen if you say stuff loud enough, and actions speak louder than words.
     
  18. Leon481

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    It's not some scheme to get prayer back into schools. There are too many diverse religions in this country for the government to ever get away with that. This minute is just so that people who want to start their day with a prayer can do so uninterrupted. A normal school day doesn't really leave much time to stop and reflect or pray so this minute can be a real blessing for some people.
     
  19. joeyconnick

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    Start your day with a prayer AT HOME, where prayer and religion belongs. And seriously, as if there aren't PLENTY of opportunities at home, on the way to school/work, when you wake up in the morning, etc. to pray. This law is so unnecessary and stupid there aren't proper words.
     
  20. Leon481

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    It may not be necessary, but that doesn't mean it's not useful for some people. My sister for instance is so rushed in the morning that she barely has time to get everything done. Having a minute to stop and center herself is really helpful for her.