Cartoon

Analysis/
Court Case
Faith Ezelle
EDU 210

What is first assumed?

When

you first take a look at this

cartoon we see a school board meeting
regarding "the driver's ed teacher
requesting an exemption from the ban
on prayer during school sponsored
activities." The drivers ed teacher looks
absolutely terrified (for a good reason I
assume). Even the school board
attendees look a bit petrified as well.
YIKES.

Has prayer always been

outlawed in school?

Through out the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries all public schools
opened with an oral prayer or a Bible reading. Catholics would
occasionally object to this, but besides that no one took too much
offense to it. Then the legal climate for school prayer suddenly
changed in 1955 and when the New York Board of Regents developed
a prayer recommended (but not required) in schools. This prayer was
thought to "combat juvenile delinquency and counter the spread of
Communism.
This was all fine and well until a Jewish man named Steven Engel
found his son with his hands clasped and head bowed in prayer one
day when he came home. Engel brought action to this by arguing that
this "Regent's Prayer" constituted the state supported establishment
of religion a violation of students and all citizens. This eventually
would be brought to the New York State Court and followed up by the
eventual petition Engel had to the US Supreme Court.

Since then. Court cases

Since

Engel V. Vitale there have been

multiple court cases regarding prayer and
practiced religion in school. Such as:
- Abington School District v. Schempp
(1963)
-Lemon v. Kurtzman (1971)
-Lee V. Weisman (1992)
- Santa Fe Independent School Dist. v. Doe
(2000)

My opinion and response

In

this cartoon I think the drivers education

teacher isn't looking for an exemption for prayer
during school activities because they want to
push a religion on kids or anything regarding
that, but instead pray for safety for the driver
and the instructor as well. Which I think is
completely normal! You have to think this
instructor is putting their life at risk to teach
teenagers how to be safe drivers on the road. I
personally believe the outcome is greater than
the small exemption of saying a simple prayer.

Conclusion
I

completely understand why prayer is

not allowed in schools, but what about
students and instructors/coaches in
school sponsored activities being able to
say prayers? I think that if the students
and parents are okay with it and it isn't
offensive to any one, it should be
allowed but that may be my personal
opinion!