Essay on Is America Really the Home of the Free?

Religion is one of the most controversial issues in society today. The concern of allowing prayer in schools is an on-going debate and has resulted in numerous lawsuits. Religious school clubs, after school activities, curriculums, and moments of silence during school are just a few of the court cases that judges have administered. People in favor of prayer in schools believe that their children can only learn certain values through religious practice. On the other hand, an individual against religious practice in schools views this issue as an infringement on his or her children’s rights as Americans.

Since the founding of America, there has been concern with the church manipulating government. The separation of Church and State was to make sure the church did not become more powerful than government. In spite of wanting a separation of church and state, The United States of America became one nation under God. The earliest test of the separation of church and state with respect to education is McCollum versus Board of Education. This was a landmark case the United States Supreme Court in 1948 ended the power of a state to use its tax-supported public school system in aid of religious instruction. “The court case which prohibited the state from sponsoring specific prayers in public schools was Engel v. Vitale, decided in 1962 by an 8-1 vote.” (Cline p) It is unconstitutional to compose a school prayer and make students repeat it daily. Although these cases protect our religious freedoms, there is some fear that expelling God from public school has adverse effects. God can still be present; teachers can lead by example and teach behaviors and ethics that

As the United States matured, it noticed the growing problems and loopholes of this freedom as its citizens took too much advantage it. The solution? Limit their rights and freedoms. So now our rights are still available to an extent, and our freedoms fenced in to a degree which it is still bearable. But is it still free? Kind of, but not quite. America has manipulated and shaved off parts of our freedom and rights.

School prayer is a very controversial issue in today’s society. The issue of school prayer is about whether the public school systems should let the students pray, at the start of the school day, as a class. The issue of school prayer began in the late sixteenth century when people in England did not approve of the way one religion was forced upon them, so the Puritans, known as the Pilgrims decided to come to the colonies. Even in the colonies the Pilgrims had problems with religion they had to sometimes resort to highly creative strategies in order to pray. When people were caught having a secret service they would have to face the consequences that the law enforced, whether it was going

In recent years racial and socioeconomic differences have grown more prevalent in our society, and many wonder why. Growing up in Ethiopia, the concept of race was never popular or significant, as there was little to no racial diversity. Coming from a country where I did not even look at the color of my skin to a place where the only thing people saw was my color, astonished me. Living in the United States and learning about slavery in middle school, I thought of it as something that was long gone, something I would never have to worry about, but as I grew older I began to see the lingering shadows that remained. A petrified twelve-year-old me once asked my mother why we were moving to America and to that question she replied “America is the land of the free; the land of opportunities”. America did feel like an embodiment of her statement my first few years here but as time passed I began to see some clear differences in how society viewed me. I wondered, if this really was the so called “land of the free”, why are minorities incarcerated at a higher rate? And why are there such significant socioeconomic and educational gaps?

For centuries, the debate has existed whether or not to allow prayer in public schools. Many Americans feel it is not right of the schools to teach religion. With all the diversity associated with the United States, public schools cannot select one standard religion to practice, due to the cultural and religious differences in the country. Not only are schools the storm center of controversy involving religious differences, they are the principal institution charged with transmitting the identity and mission of the United States from one generation to the next. If we fail in our school policies and classrooms to model and to teach how to live with differences, we endanger our experiment in religious liberty and our

Everyone knows the tune of the Star Spangled Banner, “Land of the free, home of the brave” but when this song was created in 1814, was America really free? In the time of the Colonial period, 1600 through late 1860s, many people were still in the hands of greedy plantation owners, trying their best to deserve to see another day. Others are watching their own men perish on the battlefield with continus wars. Finally, there are women sitting in their homes wondering waiting for court because they wanted to become a doctor. This was America, and this America was definitely not the “land of the free.”

Those who are for prayer being allowed in public schools believe that it is illegal to prohibit students from doing so. Many will argue that it is a violation of student 's right to not allow them pray during school hours. For instance, “The new law requires public schools to develop policies that will allow students to pray

Many people agree against prayer in public schools, while others think that people should be able to express their religion in their own ways. In public schools, they are not allowed to hold prayers at all during the school day due to the mixed religion students that are attending the school. Over the past few years, this has become an extremely controversial issue in our nation. Many people find it proper to pray in school but many people also agree that it is extremely wrong and that if there is going to be pray in school, every religion should be addressed. The government cannot make a law about having a certain religion banned or allowed in a school setting. Children are allowed to pray on their own time as long as it does not

The question of the constitutionality of prayer in our public schools and public school system has been an ongoing controversy for the past three decades. There is only one way to end the controversy, and it is pertinent to the well being of our youth and our nation. We must keep church and state forever separate. Any form of prayer in the public school system is an explicit violation of the first amendment, is coercive, and harmful to not only our nations children, but to the nation itself. The question of prayer in school should never have even been a question, and the fact that it remains three decades later is nothing short of unfaithful to the constitution. One could even go so far as to call this issue unpatriotic, as we are

The United States was built on prayer. Prayer or religion is on our currency in the many halls of our justice and federal buildings so no matter where we go, we cannot escape prayer. Our founding fathers did not exclude the bible in building our nation and educating our future and there will be no expectation. No matter what there will be prayer no matter where you are. Some people just don’t believe in God that’s why some don’t want prayer in public school. Though each of the clauses are originally applied to the central US government, and the Fourteenth Amendment was extended to scope out the whole entire First Amendment to all levels of government, including state level. Though urging with force the states and the subject schools adopted an equally separate approach to religion in schools. This issue of the school prayer was seriously decision in the U.S. since the 1900’s. In the 18th, 19th, and the early 20th centuries, schools locates country usage opened with an oral prayer or Bible reading. Religious people would sometimes object to the distinct of noting of events were performed in schools. For example the Edgerton Bible Case. The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled in favor of Catholics who was objected to use the Original King James Bible in Wisconsin schools. The ruling is based on the state constitution to seek or ask in Wisconsin. Like the other challenges anywhere else in the country, provided preceding in time or rank for federal rulings to come later. Legal

Most individuals on the liberal spectrum tend to agree with the courts when it declared government sponsored prayers are unconstitutional. The less conservative individuals show a tendency to believe that any amendment that allows for voluntary prayer would contradict the first amendment guarantee against government establishment of religion. Most on the liberal spectrum or those that feel the government does not have enough power feel that any sort of Government action to allow voluntary prayer in schools could be at the cost of the civil rights of students. It is believed that any amendment or law consenting for voluntary prayer would diminish the very heart of the Bill of Rights; which protects the rights of people from the oppression from the majority. Those that do not allow or want to allow prayer in school think that any amendment affirming that prayer should be allowed in school would actually introduce assembled prayer or force persons into prayer. Those that clash with prayer in school fear that judgement against those that do not participate in school prayer. Those in the small percentage that do not want to participate would be obligated to follow to a belief or ritual that which they do not believe. This could cause the individual to suffer the humiliation or burden of submitting a day-to-day spiritual exercise continuously in order to avoid being singled out by mainstream colleagues and educators.

The issue of school prayer is not one of religious freedom, as it is already legal for children to pray in school, either individually or in groups. Since the Engel decision in 1962, religious advocates have been assailing the Supreme Court for "taking God out of the classroom." In an effort to reverse this trend, conservative religious groups have been fighting for the passage of a school prayer amendment to gain greater leeway for religious activities in schools.

Praying during school hours is perceived as a larger problem than it should be displayed as. Many people do not base their daily life on asking someone to stop praying, or contributing to what they have beliefs in. Questioning the ability for others to have their own opinions, beliefs, and thoughts is not what America has been brought up to be. Students and teachers should not be forced to change their daily life because of what others beliefs are.

The Supreme Court has just received Santa Fe v the people, in this case the students was banned from saying a prayer at a foot ball game . The constitution protects the right to free speech. Therefore, there is no reason for this case to have come up in the first place. If someone does not want to hear a prayer, they do not have to listen to it. If I were the judge I would rule that banning prayer at school events is unconstitutional.