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The media reported that "The school day may start a bit different in Florida public schools" after the Florida Senate and House passed a bill that will require every classroom to observe a one to two minute time of silence---every morning before class---"if Governor DeSantis signs the bill when it comes to his desk."
It came to his desk Monday. He signed it because he was a cheerleader for the bill from the beginning.
The bill, which is now law, very clearly blocks the teachers from making any comments before or during the period of silence, so there can be no influencing factors on what the child thinks about or prays about during the silent time.
Will other states have the courage to follow this model, or will they continue to abandon their children to the noise of the culture in the classroom?
Be informed, not misled.
The media says, "If signed into law, school principals would be required to direct first period teachers to allow for between one to two minutes for a moment of silence at the beginning of the school day."
The Governor has signed it. Let the silent moments begin.
The new law blocks teachers from making any suggestions as to what the student should think about in his or her silent time.
Senate sponsor Dennis Baxley---a Republican---said that part of the measure---HB 529--- should remove concerns that teachers might influence the student's silent time.
"It remains very clear in the wording of this bill"---now a law, "that parents and guardians are the ones responsible for a discussion with their child about what's appropriate content of that time. We don't want that responsibility on the teacher," Baxley said.
He's right. There will be no interference from staff. The bill reads: "A teacher may not make suggestions as to the nature of any reflection that a student may engage in during the moment of silence."
The law further states, "Each first period classroom teacher shall encourage parents or guardians to discuss the moment of silence with their children and to make suggestions as to the best use of their time."
What a novel idea---an opportunity for personal prayer without the student being suspended, and recognition of the importance of parental influence and authority.
The silent time is required to be at least one minute, but not more than two minutes. The teacher apparently makes that decision.
Gov. DeSantis said at the signing of the bill, "We think it's something that's important to be able to provide each student the ability, every day, to be able to reflect and to be able to pray as they see fit."
The noise of opposition.
At the signing, Gov. DeSantis called to America's Founding Fathers. He said,
"The idea that you can just push God out of every institution and be successful, I'm sorry, our Founding Fathers did not believe that. We have an opportunity here to really protect the religious freedom of everybody who's going to school K-12 in the state of Florida."
WPTV News reported that a protestor disrupted the press conference shouting, "You're playing games with our freedom of speech! You're playing political games!"
Oh, the wisdom of the left. How does a moment of silence impact a student's freedom of speech?
And oh, the irony. In these days of "compelled speech" in our classrooms, this protestor is upset about "compelled silence?"
Florida Senate Minority Leader Gary Farmer (D) said, "It would be a good thing if we could all take a moment of silence every day and reflect and meditate a little bit on things that are important to us."
"However." There's always the "however"---"The framers of our of our Constitution were very careful to separate church and state," Mr. Farmer said.
That's what they always say. But it's simply not true. Farmer has grossly overstated both the letter and the spirit of the framers who lived in a much more "Christian" world (especially when it came to children's education).
Mr. Farmer seems to be ignoring the obvious as well. During the moment of silence, these kids are not being forced to "pray" even though they are force-fed far-left social doctrines on everything from human sexuality to abortion to anti-American sentiment. Nobody is forcing anybody to pray. I think he knows that.
Even Wikipedia notes that in "The 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries, it was common practice for public schools to open with an oral prayer or Bible reading."
Kids who don't pray, will probably sit and think about video games, who to ask on a date, or they'll wonder how long a moment of silence really is. In any case, Mr. Farmer, they'll get through it. They'll survive.
David Barton has written a great deal about this.
The concept of "separation of church and state" is a made-up idea. It's not found in the Constitution.
Nor is it found in Thomas Jefferson's letter to the Danbury Baptists---which has in great part, given birth to the "separation" movement.
In a letter to fellow signer of the Declaration of Independence Benjamin Rush, Jefferson said:
"[The] clause of the Constitution which, while it secured the freedom of the press, covered also the freedom of religion, had given to the clergy a very favorite hope of obtaining an establishment of a particular form of Christianity through the United States; and as every sect believes its own form the true one, every one perhaps hoped for his own , but especially the Episcopalians and Congregationalists. The returning of good sense of our country threatens abortion to their hopes and they believe that any portion of power confided to me will be exerted in opposition to their schemes. And they believe rightly."
Barton says, "Jefferson had committed himself as president to pursuing the purpose of the First Amendment: preventing the establishment of a particular form of Christianity, by the Episcopalians, Congregationalists, or any other denomination."
Democrat Senator Lori Berman raised a concern about children who aren't religious potentially being made to feel uncomfortable by other students who choose to pray during the moment of silence.
She said, "I understand that this is a moment of silence, but I also want us to all think about what could happen in a moment of silence. Could children take out rosaries and start doing the sign of the cross and (make) other children feel uncomfortable? Could a child take out a prayer rug and start using a prayer rug?"
While Lori's "concerns" drip with compassion for the non-religious kids and how they might feel if Christians pray or Muslims get out their rug, I find her very disingenuous.
Where is the concern from her and her party when kids are daily subjected to the indoctrination of gender dysphoria, same-sex attractions, two-mommies or two daddies, abortion as birth control (and we won't tell your parents), anti-Christian influences, anti-Americanism, and on and on and on?
It will be interesting to see if the left can actually survive this "tsunami of silence" moment.
God bless Gov. DeSantis.
Be Informed. Be Discerning. Be Vigilant. Be Prayerful.