OPINION: 'The Moment of Silence specifically does not require or suggest that the children think about anything in particular during that moment. Their teachers do not tell them what to think about. Instead, they can ask their parents or guardians…
In April, I had the honor of standing in the Arizona State Capitol as Gov. Doug Ducey signed legislation mandating a moment of quiet reflection at the start of each day at public and charter schools. Present were House Speaker Rusty Bowers, R-Mesa, and Rep. Alma Hernandez, D-Tucson, who sponsored House Bill 2707.
The results were dreadful, to say the least. Students who survived this experience suffer from ongoing trauma, as they were seriously abused and demeaned during their time of separation from their families. Some did not survive. The Moment of Silence law makes room for students to spend a minute or two in quiet thought. By its nature and design, it is nonsectarian — and has therefore weathered litigation and is permitted or mandated in some 36 states to date. As Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor wrote in 1986, “school-led moments of silence, unlike school-led prayers, are often permissible because they are not inherently religious and do not coerce participation in a religious act.