|
Last Updated: Oct 23rd, 2006 - 13:05:15 |
When I was four, my grandmother taught me the Pledge of Allegiance and The Lord’s Prayer. She told me that by saying the Pledge of Allegiance every day at school I would remember I lived in a country that believed in God. She also told me that going to school by myself might be a little frightening at first. But by saying The Lords Prayer every morning I would be reminded that I wasn’t ever alone and that God would help me no matter what. That advice became my security blanket as I attended elementary school. That was, of course, until the morning that my third grade teacher informed us that we would no longer be saying The Lord’s Prayer. The rest of the year I had a sad feeling every day after the Pledge of Allegiance. I felt like somehow it was wrong not to pray before our lessons began. To this day, I remember the sense of loss and sadness that I felt. That same sense becomes even greater when I watch my grandchildren go to elementary school and know that they will never be given the opportunity to feel the security that I felt by praying at school each day.
What might seem petty to some is monumental to me. Having already lost the right to pray at school, I find that when my grandchildren attend Lewiston High School they will be referred to as the Blue Devils. The picture of a very large blue devil is everywhere in the school. I certainly do not wish to imply that the students of Lewiston High School are worshipping the Devil. However, I do believe that using a blue devil as ones school emblem sends a very bad message to the students. If the name were the Blue Angels with pictures of cherubs all over the school, the courts would step in and stop it. Why, then, is Lewiston High School allowed to exhibit the Devil everywhere, but not God or any other religious symbols? I was absolutely stunned when I entered the Lewiston High School gymnasium for the first time and saw the giant blue devil so proudly displayed.
One might argue that it is just a name. However, when Native Americans objected to names such as the Cleveland Indians and the Atlanta Braves the response was clear. The use of ‘Indians’ or ‘braves’ was not considered derogatory, but quite the opposite. It was determined that these terms had positive connotations when used in the context of team names; it gave them a place of honor. I, for one, find the name Blue Devils offensive and certainly not deserving of any place of honor.
Click
here to post your thoughts on this article.
This link will take you to our forum. Start a thread on this
article if one isn't already visible. We welcome your thoughtful
posts. Thank you for taking the time to interact with other good
citizens.
© Copyright by Christian Civic
League of Maine. All rights reserved.
Top of Page
