April 16th, A Day of Silence, But Not For What You Think!

Radio Commentary, WMVV 90.7 New Life FM, April 9, 2010
By Sue Ella Deadwyler

Good morning, Jim. Several years ago a law passed to allow students a minute of silence to contemplate the day. It is not a minute to pray. It’s a minute to meditate. But there’s a gross violation of that 60 seconds of silence and it happens every year. In 1996 it was first observed in the University of Virginia and went nationwide in 1997. In 2001 the Gay, Lesbian Straight Education Network became the sponsor and by 2008 boasted that 7,500 K – 12 schools had been registered as participants in the national day of silence.

GLSEN says, “The National Day of Silence brings attention to anti-LGBT [lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender] name-calling, bullying and harassment in schools.”

In 2002 Georgia’s participation included 15 high schools and 5 colleges and by 2008, that number had grown to 28. But I must clarify something. Students and educators register schools as participants, without asking permission or informing the principal that they intend to remain silent in their classes April 16th, which is the day scheduled for this year.

So, this is what I think should be done about it. Schools should announce BEFORE April 16th that students and teachers must abide by the minute-of-silence law. If they want to be silent longer than that, they should meet before or after school, just as the “meet me at the pole” students have to do if they want to pray at school. That’s the legal way and the only fair way.

Parents, please warn your local school principal that the day of silence promotes homosexuality and that students and teachers may register their schools as participants without asking permission. Then, ask your principal to announce before April 16th that Georgia law allows only a minute of silence for each school day and the law will be enforced on April 16th. If students who want to pray must “meet at the pole” before or after school, students who want to observe a day of silence, instead of a minute of silence, should meet before or after school to do so. That’s the only fair thing to do. To do otherwise is against Georgia law and discriminates against students who don’t want to observe a day to promote homosexuality. For Georgia Insight I’m Sue Ella Deadwyler, your Capitol correspondent.