Posted on 11/23/2005 10:30:31 AM PST by AZRepublican
In May of this year, a Jonesboro student gave a prayer during a high school graduation ceremony at the Arkansas State University Convocation Center. During the prayer, which lasted four minutes, she gave an “altar call” to the community, asking those in the audience to come forward to accept Jesus Christ.
“In the closing moments of this service, if you would like to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, here's your chance,” said senior Jessica Reed in a May 20, 2005 taped video of JHS graduation ceremonies.
“We were contacted sometime after that by the American Civil Liberties Union that they felt like there had been a violation of the First Amendment, separation of church and state with regard to a prayer,” said Jonesboro Public Schools Attorney Donn Mixon.
And now the ACLU is looking for a plaintiff in a case against Jonesboro High School. In a letter written by the Arkansas ACLU executive director Rita Sklar, the event is described as a “blatant display of contempt for the First Amendment.”
(Excerpt) Read more at kait8.com ...
see post 140 for further understanding.
I agree ! An "altar call" at a graduation ? That goes beyond the beyond !
I was going to respond but you said it better than I was going to.
Do you support the Muslim girl's First Amendment right to make a call for Shahadah?
If not, please explain to be why the First Amendment would not apply to the rights of a minority.
Either a student has the "right" to advocate her personal beliefs at a commencement, or not.
Sure, that's at the core of the bill of rights, majority rules! /sarcasm
See post 140
Not a violation of the Constitution, but crass, rude & way out of line. The school shouldn't be held responsible for anything, but the girl should be ostracized by decent people.
You know very about me so please leave your misconceptions elsewhere.
Moral Absolutes Ping.
Sooner or later TPTB are going to have to really figure out what the First Amendment means. (Insert statement about the importance of appointing non-psychotic, non-God hating, non-socialist SCOTUS justices here.) Until that time, we'll have this kind of stuff. Imagine - the ACLU trolls for plaintiffs. Wouldn't it be a happy day if no one comes forward?
Freepmail me if you want on/off this pinglist.
Do you support the Muslim girl's First Amendment right to make a call for Shahadah?
If not, please explain to be why the First Amendment would not apply to the rights of a minority.
Either a student has the "right" to advocate her personal beliefs at a commencement, or not.
Try answering the question how does a schoolboard limit discussion on evolution? What about the minority opinion? Arent they equal? Your argument starts to fall apart if we see all opinions equal. The community should decide.
"Inappropriate" and "unconstitutional" are not synomymous.
I agree. However, filing a lawsuit over what amounts to boorish behavior is over kill.
If a Muslim student gave the convocation and then asked members of the audience to "join the jihad" FReepers would be jamming the ACLU hotline.
I don't think Freepers would want anything to do with the American Communist Lawyers Union.
I can agree with that. Again, I am not defending the ACLU. I am defending against those who defend such boorish behavior because they are the majority and they have no regard for minority opinion and no conception of what is appropriate public activity and what is not.
SD
Your post does nothing except further your display of your lack of understanding of the difference between a republican gov't with the protection of the rights of all, including minorities, and an absolute democracy.
The only problem with living in a democracy as you envision is that as soon as you lose the numbers, you lose everything. If you can't be bothered to think about minority rights now, you will be a hypocrite to demand consideration under different circumstances.
SD
Seeing as this event was organized by the school, an arm of the government, the school has a right as a matter of policy to control the content. Freedom of speech does not mean the government is obligated to pay for my microphone. Just as I would be forcibly removed -- and properly so -- if I barged up on stage at a public university to interrupt a speech by Ann Coulter, so could this girl be violently removed by the school. As it happens, it was probably quicker & easier just to let her get her crap overwith, rather than cause further disruption.
"no conception of what is appropriate public activity and what is not"
Who? by you? The community decides what is appropriate not you, not the ACLU, not some unelected judge. Are you starting to see the light or are you going to continue to see the will of the minority equal to the status of the majority.
See my post 151 and answer that question if you dare.
That's a very socialist way of thinking.
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