Caller Mary: Kids Are Bad Because We Don't #Pray In #Schools!

[thomhartmann]

Thom Hartmann talks to caller Mary, who says that the reason our public schools have declined is because we've done away with school prayer and dress codes.

[Downwinder]

1. Mary, just trust in God.

[muntrv]

2. Oh Mary! The Ku Klux Klan prays too! And has a dress code!

You think they are good people?

[sarge43]

3. We first wave Baby Boomers were the last generation who did school prayer

However, we produced, among others, George Bush and Donald Trump. I imagine Mary believes those two are the salt of the earth.

[phylny]

4. Thom, I heard this yesterday and was tempted to call in,

but figured I'd never get through! I grew up in the 60s, and we never prayed in school. Perhaps this is because I grew up on Long Island, with a mixture of Catholic, Protestant, and Jewish classmates, but there was no bowing of the head to pray. We did have a moment of silence by the time I was in high school, but we were never encouraged to pray to any deity.

[appalachiablue]

5. When she called, I thought I'd been transported to back to the 1950s

and the Lawrence Welk Show era. Freaked me out. In public schools in the 60s and 70s we didn't have prayer either, elementary through HS- Nada.

[bjobotts]

6. Prayer was never taken out of school. FORCED prayer was.

Students can pray whenever they want but if Mary thinks her beliefs should be forced on others she misses the point of freedom from religion. Quakers tried to force prayer on others and it was why they wee thrown out of England. Our second great principle is tolerance...and prayer and religious beliefs are tolerated but should never be forced on others. I went from a MO school where you were sent home if you wore a t-shirt under a sweater or didn't wear socks to Phoenix HS where they had beard growing contests for rodeo week and were wearing shorts and sandals. Suddenly I felt free and loved going to school. Sorry Mary but you need to stop living in the past...in Mayberry. Watch Michael Moores' new movie "Where to Invade Next" and look at what Finland did to become number 1 for best educated students out of HS. They used to be like us but decided to make a change to make it better for students. Fearful people pray...spiritual people live... in the now.

[MisterP]

7. nnnot Quakers