THE NEW STAR – At Ram Stadium on Friday night, 242 graduates received their diplomas amid slight controversy.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana urged Stacey Pullen, principal of Bastrop High School, to respect the First Amendment and ensure Friday night’s graduation did not include a prayer as originally proposed.
Senior Damon Fowler had reportedly objected to the planned prayer and informed the Morehouse Parish School Board about his objection, saying it violated his right to a ceremony free of government-endorsed religion. After he complained to school authorities — and said he would contact the ACLU if necessary — school officials reportedly removed the prayer from the
program.
However, during the event, fellow senior Laci Rae Mattice called for a moment of silence but expressed her opinion first.
“I want to ask for the Lord’s blessings upon us,” Mattice said, followed by cheers and applause from the audience. She then led the audience in the Lord’s Prayer, “if they wanted to.”
Pullen said Mattice was instructed not to mention anything about religion and only observe the moment of silence. She said she was unsure if the ACLU or Fowler would seek legal action against the school.
Morehouse Parish Superintendent Tom Thrower, who attended the event, had little to say on the matter.
“It speaks for itself,” Thrower said.
In amending the program, school officials suggested that Fowler, and other students who object to school-sponsored prayer, should respect the majority of their classmates, according to a statement from the ACLU.
“The First Amendment prohibition on government endorsement of religion exists to protect the minority from the majority,” said Marjorie R. Esman, ACLU of Louisiana executive director. “Freedom of religion belongs to everyone, not just those whose views may be more popular than others.”
Let me remind you of what the First Amendment actually says:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
The left will not stop its intellectually bankrupt relentless attack on Christianity in America. The Constitution clearly restricts the making of laws in order to establish religion or to prohibit the free exercise of religion. A prayer said by a senior, listed on a graduation event program is nothing short of the free exercise of religion and has nothing to do with the creation of any law. End of story.
You should go read the comments on the YouTube video. Nothing more than a bunch of useful idiots that couldn’t fight their way out of a wet paper bag who think that a prayer said by a teenage girl at a school ceremony is government endorsed religion. What a bunch of morons.
In any event, I am very proud of Laci Rae Mattice for standing up for her right to exercise her religion by praying the Lord’s Prayer. I hope she continues to plant her feet and stand, just as Allen West has encouraged us to do.
And I love the cheers of the crowd. Makes me love my country even more.
Here’s the video of the prayer:
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