Let's be careful here, and make sure that the right thing is being argued.
Sounds to me from the story that the problem is that they're blocking traffic in a high-traffic area. If that's all this is, they should be more reasonable.
the article said they were blocking traffic....
"Let's be careful here, and make sure that the right thing is being argued"
...I would usually agree with your statement. However, the fact remains that there is and has been a double standard in regard to Christians vs Muslims. Several have already commented on what the treatment would be if these were Muslims chanting and praying. If so, this would be a non story. Instead, it's a group of Christians, and as we all know, it's easy to bash and push around a group of Christians. It's the "progressive" thing to do. I encourage all freepers to e-mail the principal with their thoughts.
But going off half-cocked is so much more fun!
An assistant superintendent at the school said the students were given suspensions for refusing to obey a faculty directive not to block traffic in the public area."No one gets suspended because they pray. This is a story of some kids who chose to defy a legitimate request by administrators to not disrupt other students," Bill Bentley said. Administrators had offered a classroom for the students' use, to ensure other students were not offended and the group did not obstruct traffic.
Indeed. What's wrong with a closed room? We don't want the diaperheads to gain the right to shout "Allahu Akbar" in every high school cafeteria in the nation.
I agree with you.
I don't like the way Christians are singled out any more than anyone else, but they cannot form a prayer group in the hallway of a public school. They just can't do it. They were not asked to stop. They were asked to take it to a designated area and to clear the hallway.
The 'commons' area from another report was the school cafeteria. Bottom line is that the school had no right to prohibit this activity or denying the requested organization and meeting of a prayer club during non-school times. This has been well established through court proceedings over the past several years.
Everyone using that entrance walks by them and observes them and there is no traffic flow disruption or issues of praying inside the school.
These Vancouver kids surely are not less wimpy about bad weather than Connecticut kids, are they?
>>Raper's suit has no mentions of medical problems involving her now 2-year-old daughter.<<
Absolutely! They should not be "looking for a fight" The problem is not what they were doing, the problem is they were blocking traffic when they were doing it.
Of course, that is assuming the blocking traffic thing is true.
after continuing to meet for morning prayer in the commons area of the school,
Commons area is not a hallway, it's a lunchroom type enviroment.
Your caution is well taken. Reasonable restrictions on time place and manner are permissible.
The only question here is whether other groups have been allowed to "block traffic" by holding meetings in the commons area. If other groups can do ot, so can the prayer group; if other groups are also required to meet in other rooms, then the prayer group should be required to do the same.
We don't have much info about the layout of the room and surrounding areas, nor about the size of the group, but unless it's a very large group in a very small space, or the group is deliberately planting itself in the middle of the main path through the room (seems unikely), then the "blocking traffic" explanation seems a bit contrived. I wonder if it IS a very large group, and has only been offered alternative rooms that are not large enough for the group and/or would be so crowded as to discourage any additional students from joining.
Make no mistake, the battle is about Christianity vs Hedionism.
Do we have a clue here as to how hard it is for loyal Patriotic, Christians to work in the public schools? Yet most here want to allow these administrators to fire incompetent teachers. Care to guess who those incompetent teachers would be?
I agree. I think you would have to know how disruptive they are.