Mandatory 1 minute free think vetoed in Illinois

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Reported Wednesday, August 28, 2007 in The State Journal Register, Illinois.

Illinois' governor Blagojevich vetoed SB1463 mandating one minute of silence before class starts in public schools. SB 1463 passed the Senate, 58-1 and the House, 86-26. Those votes indicate a veto could be overridden.

The House sponsor Rep. Will Davis, D-Homewood, had argued it was not a religious exercise, but a chance for pupils to settle down and reflect on the coming day.

Yeah, right.

He noted that both the Illinois House and Senate begin each legislative day with prayers led by members of the clergy.

Let there be light!

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This should have preceeded the former post. First time I've screwed up but I could be wrong. I posted it at the local atheist meetup board a while back.

At the governors desk. Illinois.

SB1463 (http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?GAID=9&SessionID=51&GA=95&DocTypeID=SB&DocNum=1463&LegID=29553&SpecSess=&Session=)

Did any testify at hearings for/against this? It slipped by me. I confess, I do not pay attention to the thugs, but am perceiving the need.

32 years ago, I hung around the local John Birch Society group. These guys were vigilant. Members would testify at all kinds of hearings on proposed legislation. Their meetings were dominated by debates on various proposed legislation. being immature at this time I failed to glean the details of this vigilance. Not my finest hour. I knew personally the chapter leader. His Christmas day church painting on the cover of the Journal Register was a fine tradition in the '70s. I am unclear as to the total number of years he did this. In excess of 10 I believe.

Any attempts to bring the states together to draw up a new constitution would rally the Society in opposition. Though I have not seen any of them since Bill Owens tried to unseat Dick Durbin in his last term of the US house, my impression of the members at the local level is colored by impressions of character and integrity. They were highly religious and OWN vigilance.

The Birchers may have been pushing SB1463 for all I know. But I doubt it.

This I found by the founder, Robert Welch.

My Concept of Freedom (1964)

I want for our country enough laws to restrain me from injuring others, so that these laws will also restrain others from injuring me. I want enough government, with enough constitutional safeguards, so that this necessary minimum of laws will be applied equitably to everybody, and will be binding on the rulers as well as those ruled. Beyond that I want neither laws nor government to be imposed on our people as a means or with the excuse of protecting us from catching cold, or of seeing that we raise the right kind of crops, or of forcing us to live in the right kind of houses or neighborhoods, or of compelling us to save money or to spend it, or of telling us when or whether we can pray. I do not want government or laws designed for any other form of welfarism or paternalism, based on the premise that government knows best and can run our lives better than we can run them ourselves. And my concept of freedom, and of its overwhelming importance, is implicit in these aspirations and ideals.

I do not defend them, they are more than capable themselves. I disagree with certain of their agenda. But at the grassroots level they seemed to me a most formidable lobby.

Below I have not had time to read more than a few paragraphs about the issue at hand.

A Moment of Silence: The Trojan Horse of Our Age (http://candst.tripod.com/dawn1.htm)

Where's Paul Revere?

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Getting closer. Further news from the front lines. From the AP.

Senate overrides veto of school-silence bill

Last Updated 10/3/2007 1:26:35 PM
The Illinois Senate has bucked Gov. Rod Blagojevich and approved a required moment of silence in public schools.

Senators voted 42-9 to override Blagojevich's veto of legislation requiring students to reflect silently to start each day.

Blagojevich vetoed the measure, saying it violated the Constitution's ban on mixing religion with public institutions.

Current law allows teachers to ask pupils to pause. Critics say requiring silence would take time away from learning and possibly coerce prayer.

The measure moves to the House, where it passed 86-26 in May. If the House overrides the veto, it becomes law immediately.

-- Associated Press

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The State Journal Register editorialized today supporting the veto. I think Chris Britt's cartoon about covers their view.

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[SteelerMan]

Oh, what a great state I live in!! If I had kids, I'd pull them out of public school to keep them away from those religious nuts!

[phrog]

I've never let my school interfere with my education.
Mark Twain (http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/m/marktwain109621.html)

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Today it starts. The chickenshit House over rode Blago's veto. Hare Krishna.

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And this week the House passed a bill to rescind the word "mandatory" and put back in "may." Now it goes to the state Senate. And I thought Illinois' legislators didn't do anything. Come on concealed carry!