Miya Peteris
” I feel it is really good for people to take a moment of silence for certain situations. I think it’s really good for everybody just to be able to unwind and get their thoughts together.”
Towanda Goodwin
“I think it’s a wonderful idea. It provides an opportunity for children to have a moment to pray, acknowledge God and to create more peace. [As for leading to school prayer], I think it is important that everybody is entitled to their own opinion, but the most important thing is that we acknowledge God. And if we can do it in a way for a moment of silence and pray, then I believe prayer can change things.”
JoAnn Dean
“I agree with the moment of silence in the public schools. There are many kids that are coming from different backgrounds and all kind of environments. Sometimes kids are rushing and you don’t know what they have been through the night before or what household they are coming out of. Things can be very chaotic, and I think just as we need a moment of silence to get our thoughts together, sometimes the kids just need a moment of silence to begin their day. It is not always with prayer, but just meditating, getting themselves together so that their minds can be open for learning. These kids are experiencing difficulties with all the gun violence, killings and murders; coming out of households with broken families, nobody there to support them, being raised by grandparents and extended families. Though they are children, you don’t know what’s going on with them psychologically. So, I agree with the moment of silence.”
Evangeline Jackson
“I do support the moment of silence because I feel that will allow children to be able to focus on what is facing them on that day. It would also allow them to be able to have their private moment with their Lord. I also believe that it is important that they have a moment of grace whereas they can realize, ‘Who I am’ [and] ‘What I’m here for’ so that they can get the education that they need, as well be able to focus.”
Belinda Tate
“Every morning when we get up and get prepared for school, I have my children and myself do a prayer to make sure their day goes well in school because a lot of things can happen within the school. A lot of things can happen en route to school and from school. We pray that they have a nice day in school. We pray for the teachers because we know some children can wreck a teachers nerves. With me, I tell my children you have a blessed day [and] make the next person feel blessed. Don’t go to school with the devil on your mind. When a child is distracted in school it is nothing but the devil. When they leave the house, we have prayer because I don’t want the devil distracting them – and, yes, I do agree with the moment of silence.”
Isabella Merced
“I think that this a wonderful idea. I applaud them for even doing this. A moment of silence should be commended all over the place, not only in the schools but everywhere – it should be in the workplace also.”
