From the Desk of Terry Lynch

DATE:  Aug. 11, 1998 

FROM: Terry Lynch
      POB 241035
      Montgomery, AL 36124-1035

E-mail: TerryLynch@aol.com

Internet site: The Pyrotechnic Pen



Letter to the Editor 
 

SUBJECT:  Moment of Silence Violates First Amendment 

A moment of silence mandated by law to begin each school day 
constitutes state sponsored religion.  There should simply be no 
law regarding the establishment or practice of any religious 
activities in public school.

By making a law to say students must observe a moment of 
silence, the state is sponsoring religion and a set time to pray.  
It is also taking away, momentarily, freedom of speech.  It is 
simply unconstitutional to tell people by law they can not speak 
and must be silent.

Speech and prayer should be completely voluntary.  This includes 
the time to speak and to pray.  I do not want the State of 
Alabama telling my children or anyone's children that they should 
begin the day by being silent.  Silence to me symbolizes an empty 
mind and is not golden.  It also symbolizes submission to 
government control of free speech.

State mandated silence also represents prayer, because that 
is what the majority of people take a moment of silence to 
mean.  It represents reverence to God as a supreme being, 
endorsed by the government unto which we take a moment to pray.  
As such a moment of silence is just a moment to pray to God and 
should not be mandated by law.

Should a student not wish to remain silent, should they start 
chanting Hari Krishna, the Lord's Prayer or reciting poetry, are 
they then guilty of breaking the law?  Are they going to be 
punished or shunned for being different, for being trouble 
makers?

Our state legislators should stop trying to force prayer down our 
student's throats.  A moment of silence makes criminals out of any 
student that does not wish to go along with the crowd and who 
stands up for his rights to speak freely.  Parents concerned 
about their student's constitutional rights should tell their 
children not to obey any law requiring a moment of silence.

Unfortunately civil disobedience is the only way to challenge an 
unconstitutional law of this nature.  I predict the day will come 
when that challenge is made and when this moment of silence law 
will be declared unconstitutional, not just because it 
establishes a time to pray, but because it violates, momentarily, 
freedom of speech!

Sincerely, Terry Lynch 
Montgomery, AL 
 



Copyright 1998 by Terry Lynch.  Permission is granted any newspaper, magazine or online publication to reprint this letter one time only as a letter to the editor.  All other rights are
reserved.  Please do not print any defamatory remarks, opinions or other statements against
the author in reply or response to this letter when it is published.  Thank you.