Jessica Ahlquist vs. The Prayer Banner

[SystematicThought]

A girl in Cranston, Rhode Island recently won a lawsuit against her public high school over a prayer that hung on a banner in the school's auditorium That said:



The judge ruled in her favor that the prayer was 'unconstitutional.' Since then, the school has put a tarp over the prayer until they decide whether or not to appeal the decision. The banner has been hanging in the auditorium since 1963. Since the decision was made, Jessica Ahlquist has received death threats and even a Rhode Island State Representative calling her an 'evil little thing'

Here's the full story:
https://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/27/us/rhode-island-city-enraged-over-school-prayer-lawsuit.html?_r=3


Now, I am a Christian so obviously this story really bugs me. The banner has been hanging in the auditorium since 1963 with only a few complaints in that time period. I wouldn't have so much issue with it, but I checked out her Twitter and she does honestly seem like a very mean person, which I feel funny for phrasing it like that. She has a very mocking tone towards religion and the people that believe in such things, and I know that can be flipped on Christians as well. But her attitude and her overall mission seems very aggressive and very mean-spirited.

I do have to give her props in one regard though. She won a lawsuit for something she believed in and won. She may have a lot of people against her, but she also has a lot with her. This whole thing just seems so aggressive and unnecessary, I mean she graduates next year so in another year, it's not gonna matter. Although, I do find myself shocked that a public school has had a prayer for so long in the auditorium

Her defense is that she is defending the constitution and upholding the law. However, I think she could have gone about it in a different way. The prayer for the most part isn't that religious as The Lord is only mentioned in the beginning and ends in an amen. I don't think she needed to take it this far.


This is my first time over here in P/R so if there is anything wrong with this post, let me know. I know a majority will probably disagree with my view, but there is just something about the execution of this whole thing that rubs me the wrong way. Even if I pit my beliefs aside, it still bugs me

[antigoon]

I don't really think that kind of stuff should be in a public school. I just can't see going to those lengths to get it taken down, though. Why a kid would want to go through the litigation process over this is beyond me.

[SystematicThought]

I agree. All this work and all this protection for the prayer. To be honest, a part of me thinks it might be for attention or something. I for one would never want to go through the legal processes that she now has to go through. She even does guest speaking events now around the US.

And I can also understand the view that it shouldn't be in public schools.

[rumborak]

That prayer is rather retarded I must say. Praying for bringing credit to your high-school? Is that what people pray for these days?

rumborak

[SystematicThought]

Maybe back in the 60s  It was written by a seventh grader.

[Ben_Jamin]

What a bitch. she could've went to the principal or whomever and asked them it offended her views, asking nicely to take it down.

[orcus116]

I'm curious to see what bosk or anyone else tied to legal matters would say but to me when something like this comes up where it's 100% a clear attempt at someone trying to cause a scene to grab attention to themselves and aren't actually offended how correct would it be for a judge to just dismiss this for not being sincere?

[SystematicThought]

I'm not sure it's 100% that she's trying to get attention, I mean her Twitter has a few tweets before all this showing that she does indeed hate religion and Christians, but these seem like such desperate measures to 'uphold the constitution'

[orcus116]

I dunno, I just can not see a 16 year old being that sincere about it. People that age do it for an image over all else. I mean why else pick something so mundane to get worked up over? We're talking about an outdated banner in the auditorium not something that gets shoved in someone's face every day that the average person might actually get worked up over after a period of time.

[SystematicThought]

Here's an interview with the guy who wrote the prayer back in 1963. You can imagine how he feels about it.

And orcus, he thinks someone came up with it for her and that she didn't come up with the lawsuit herself. I have to say, I agree with that.

https://www.thewesterlysun.com/news/the-man-behind-the-banner/article_3dbc7822-3e63-11e1-bcde-001871e3ce6c.html

[Vivace]

That prayer is rather retarded I must say. Praying for bringing credit to your high-school? Is that what people pray for these days?

rumborak

I dunno, is praying for bringing credit to a loved one retarded? How about praying for a country, a city or town? What do you pray for?

[hefdaddy42]

Unless the school was compelling the students to recite the prayer, I don't see what the problem is.  I would look at it as almost a historical document for the school.

And she must be a bitch.

[Omega]

Oh no! Poor girl!

I can't imagine the grief, pain, suffering, and trauma that prayer must have caused her to experience as she was forced to look at it every time she entered the auditorium!

[Vivace]

Oh no! Poor girl!

I can't imagine the grief, pain, suffering, and trauma that prayer must have caused her to experience as she was forced to look at it every time she entered the auditorium!

And how it caused her to reflect on her school, on her friends in school and all the things that school means to her and gives to her and her accomplishments with the school and that she should pass those positive thoughts onwards, back to the school and all for which it stands for. How horrible indeed. 

[El Barto]

I'm a firm believer that just because you can do something,  doesn't mean that you should do something.  My stance is that schools shouldn't be endorsing religion,  so technically I'm on her side.  That said,  this was a pretty crappy endorsement,  that really doesn't seem to make much difference in the grand scheme of things.  Sounds like she just wanted to be a troublemaker. 

Also,  this girl damn sure better get an A in her government class.

[SystematicThought]

I just feel bad because the school district and school have been saying how they can't afford an appeal, so they're kind backed into a corner.

[El Barto]

I just feel bad because the school district and school have been saying how they can't afford an appeal, so they're kind backed into a corner.

Nah.  FOX and Rush Limbaugh will mention their cause,  and they'll rake in enough contributions to raise William Jennings Bryan from the dead to serve as council. 

[Scheavo]

I just feel bad because the school district and school have been saying how they can't afford an appeal, so they're kind backed into a corner.

Nah.  FOX and Rush Limbaugh will mention their cause,  and they'll rake in enough contributions to raise William Jennings Bryan from the dead to serve as council.

 

[SystematicThought]

True 

Anyways, the Freedom From Religion Foundation filed complaints against the florists in Cranston that refused to deliver flowers to Jessica. If this girl wanted to get attention, she's got it. Now the small businesses of Cranston might have lawsuits against them

[kirksnosehair]

Eh, I'm TOTALLY against mixing religion in any way with public schools, but that thing hanging on a wall should not have been a target by some obnoxious troll.  I live nearby and have heard quite a bit about this case.  The girl sounds like a first class C-U Next Tuesday.

[Sigz]

I dunno, I just can not see a 16 year old being that sincere about it.

I can't really see anyone being too sincere about it. I mean, I don't think you should have prayers posted up in a public school, but this is such an incredibly minor thing that I can't see any reasonable person being that offended by it.

[hefdaddy42]

Well, apparently she isn't a reasonable person.

[SystematicThought]

She's upholding the constitution!! 

We talked about this today in Scripture Class. I emailed my teacher this story and he was frustrated as well.

In another article I read, a person was basically saying: Throw out all your money because it says In God We Trust. I imagine if she could file a lawsuit on that, she would

[The Dark Master]

Wow, she is insufferably condescending in her views:

Does she empathize in any way with members of her community who want the prayer to stay?

“I’ve never been asked this before,” she said. A pause, and then: “It’s almost like making a child get a shot even though they don’t want to. It’s for their own good. I feel like they might see it as a very negative thing right now, but I’m defending their Constitution, too.”

Ugh..............  I've got to say, I'm with Barto and a few others on this one; I may not like it when public institutions make an endorsement of a particular religion, but this was pretty mild and relatively faith-neutral.  I think the girl is going to such lengths  over something so insignificant just because she is a teenager who happens to be atheist and she feels the need to take a stand about something that she feels will "define" her, as well as draw a lot of attention to herself.

[orcus116]

There she actually sounds like a typical "I'm self aware therefore I know the world" 16 year old while it's pretty obvious she knows next to nothing.

[gborland]

I think it's really sad that a courageous 16-year-old has been branded everything from a "bitch" to a "cunt" to "evil" just because she expects her school to obey the fecking law.

[kirksnosehair]

I think it's really sad that a courageous 16-year-old has been branded everything from a "bitch" to a "cunt" to "evil" just because she expects her school to obey the fecking law.

Sometimes it's not WHAT you say but HOW you say it.  Have a look at her Twitter Feed and there are some really good indications there that she's basically an attention whoring teenager who is doing this more out of a need for attention than any genuine care for the law.

I also saw an interview with her on the local news here and she didn't come across well at all.

[SystematicThought]

Her Twitter feed was probably the straw that broke the camel's back for me. And some interviews I've seen with her

[hefdaddy42]

I think it's really sad that a courageous 16-year-old has been branded everything from a "bitch" to a "cunt" to "evil" just because she expects her school to obey the fecking law.

She's not being branded those things because she expects her school to obey the law.  She's being branded those things because she's acting like everything from a bitch to a cunt.

[El Barto]

I'm curious what her long-term plan is.  Perhaps she's just trolling,  but it's also possible that this was a shot at self-promotion to a better end.  If that's the case,  then more power to her. 

[snapple]

I think it's really sad that a courageous 16-year-old has been branded everything from a "bitch" to a "cunt" to "evil" just because she expects her school to obey the fecking law.

She's not being branded those things because she expects her school to obey the law.  She's being branded those things because she's acting like everything from a bitch to a cunt.

hefdaddy, if only they had an emote for you.

Oh wait, they do 

[hefdaddy42]

There are more than just that one.

[snapple]

Isn't this where you say "Bend over and I'll show you"?

[hefdaddy42]

Isn't this where you say "Bend over and I'll show you"?

No, I don't play games.

[AcidLameLTE]

What a waste of time.

I can't imagine how she would have coped with my primary/secondary schools. Well, the entire island that I used to live on come to think of it