10 Commandments In Schools Essay, Research Paper

P.S. 233-03 Ed Mashek

Dr. Hicks

02/08/01

Assignment #1

The 1st Amendment in Schools

Right now in Kentucky, there is a somewhat heated debate going on about whether or not the 10 Commandments should be posted in public schools. The people, schools, and our state and federal governments all seem to have their own opinion, but which one is the right one? That is, which one follows the guidelines set in the Bill of Rights? Legally speaking, schools in Kentucky were required to display the Ten Commandments, until the Supreme Court declared that law unconstitutional. Some Kentucky residents support this action, while others are outraged by it. In the Courier-Journal?s Readers? Forum: Posting the Ten Commandments in our Schools which ran on November 22, 1999, there are a few examples of each.

Robert D. Grubbs believes that the Ten Commandments are ?symbols, not substance,? and that substance is what is needed in our schools. He feels that the only way to change behavior in our young people is to get involved in their lives, not just hang something up and expect them to follow it. Patty Hadley couldn?t disagree with him more. It is her belief that, without the Ten Commandments being posted in our schools, America will become a Godless country, and that money should also, then, be outlawed since it carries the phrase ?In God we trust.? Edward L. Smith Jr. supports the side of Ms. Hadley, stating that ACLU has no right to tell anyone how or where they can practice their religion, and that schools should fight back and sue the ACLU. Jo Ann Sturgeon is also on their side. She feels that posting the Ten Commandments in our schools may in itself stop such tragedies as the Columbine incident. She concludes by saying that this paper, which doesn?t advocate the hanging of the Ten Commandments, should keep its opinions to itself and let the legal system handle the situation. Someone should inform Ms. Sturgeon that the legal system has handled this situation, appropriately, by making it illegal for schools to hang the Ten Commandments.