Re: “Put prayer back” (letter, Dec. 19).
Praying in school does not make people conscientious. Parenting does.
Last century, when I attended grade school, junior high and senior high school, we did not have spoken-aloud prayer in our schools. I lived in an integrated neighborhood and there were children of other faiths who attended my schools. Every morning we recited the Pledge of Allegiance — which did not include the words “under God” until Flag Day, June 14, 1954, when President Eisenhower signed the bill into law.
Our parents were fully involved in our lives. We did not have shootings in our schools. Occasionally the boys had a fistfight, but not very often because of the threat of suspension, and of course everything went on our “permanent record.” And the only “prayer” we had was a minute of silence at the beginning of each day, during which we could either pray to our God or not.
Church is for praying. Temple is for praying. Mosques are for praying. Schools are for learning how to think for ourselves.
— TRISH ROWE
Valparaiso