Show ONCE OVER I We Need P Prayers and Patriots By H H. H I. I Phillips Phillips- as was to be expected expected expected ex- ex A ALTHOUGH there are strangely enough some people who hit the roof root at the thought of opening public public pub pub- lic lie school sessions with a prayer and a salute to the flag the response response response re re- re- re of millions to the suggestion Is an amazed Why all the delay When we were a kid every session back home w VIS s begun with a prayer pray pray- er and My Country of Thee There was almost every race color color color col col- col- col or and creed in the neighborhood Mothers and fathers seemed wholly unafraid it would do the small fry try any harm to show devotion to a Supreme Being and to America And the need wasn't what hat it is in these days of corruption crime lax morals and ratty behavior S S S Imagine a a. fuss luss being made over letting God I Into n t o 0 tho the schools at a a. time when all au the agencies in modern life lite which glamorize loose conduct crimInality crimInality criminality crim crim- and contempt for standards standards standards stand stand- ards of 01 human behavior are arc wholly unhampered Little WIIlIe Willie Wil- Wil lIe llo spends the early evening at ata a mobster movie watching a avideo avideo avideo video throat slitting or listening listen listen- In lag ing to a radio sex crime At Atthe Atthe Atthe the breakfast table he hears mom and pop discuss a Hollywood Hollywood Holly Holly- wood ten-day ten marriage the latest gang slayings red hot revelations of bribery In top places stickups assaults bank defalcations and scandals In police departments and amateur amateur amateur ama ama- sports On the way to school he be may find a a. new school-bus school driver due to the fact tact the old one got shot In a restaurant robbery S S S The school bus carries him past movie houses with huge signs blatantly blatantly blatantly blat blat- antly advertising the latest crime movie picture with such screaming Unu s Should He Have Killed To I Keep Her Love and Was The I Garroting The Only Way to Happiness Happiness Happiness Happi Happi- ness At one crossing the bus Is held up by a collision between autos driven by drunks who are yelling Gwan y ya bum and Call a cop and see i if I care The up tie is fin finally lly broken to let leta a Black Maria full of ot mobsters get jet to court on time for tor fresh proba probation pro- pro ba bation tion sentences S S S Arriving In the schoolyard the kid dd hears that Johnny one of his playmates wont won't be at school today because he was arrested arrested arrested ar ar- ar- ar rested for vandalism and that the father of Stinky Smith threw mother off oU the roof the night before after a wild house house- party When he gets into the schoolroom schoolroom schoolroom school school- room the regular teacher is miss- miss Ing He finds a substitute who explains explains ex ex- plains that the other one was run over by a run hit-and-run driver fleeing fleeing fleeing flee flee- ing from a police car Everybody gets Into the act except God and country Yet when It Is suggested that It might be a good thing tiling If we returned to the tho fundamental belief and dependence of 01 the founding fathers on faith there are arc people who hit the ceiling Their cry that to open a school session with a a. prayer to a Supreme Supreme Su Su- preme premo Being violates a a. constitutional constitutional constitutional clause against teachIng teaching teaching teach ing religion in the tho public schools is like holding that asking the kids to sing The uThe Star-Spangled Star Banner teaches music S Se SeNo No kid has ever been harmed by bya a prayer even by one in the theother theother theother other fellows fellow's faith The trouble with the prayer recommended by bythe bythe bythe the Board of Regents in New York is that it is ice cold too greatly tailored and far tar too casual |