Reflect on This!

The Illinois House and Senate have decided to mandate a period of "silent prayer" or "silent reflection on the anticipated activities of the day" for all public school students. Yes, this is an actual law that was passed just this week. We're one of eleven states with a similar law. Here's an idea, if you feel your children need a moment of silence, wake the little darlings up ten minutes earlier and let them reflect at home. Here's an even better idea, how about if people stop repackaging thinly veiled religious agendas and cramming them down our throats? No prayer in the school? Then lets try silent reflection. No creationism? OK, here's some intelligent design for you. Don't want them to teach about birth control? Appoint Susan Orr to oversee family planning for the Department of Health and Human Services. What you do in the privacy of your own home or on your own time is your business but the children go to school for one reason: to learn. If they aren't learning, we are wasting their time and our money. I'm sure whatever deity you worship will find it in their infinite wisdom to forgive the children for taking six hours a day to better their minds! After that, they can have all the silent reflection they need. Oh wait, that might cut into football practice or band, or any of a million other things that are less important than actual classroom work. I'm not saying religion has no place in our society, I am saying that it has no place in our public schools.