The U.S. Supreme Court has refused to hear comment on a lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union regarding a law in the state of Virginia making a daily 60- second moment of silence mandatory in all public schools.

The statute additionally lists prayer as a silent activity option during that time.

The state of Virginia argued that the separation of church and state is not violated because students have the choice whether or not to pray, meditate or look out the window. The only requirement is silence.

However, the ACLU claimed that “although the statute permits students to engage in other forms of silent or meditative activity during the time period set aside in the classroom, the statute was enacted specifically to facilitate and encourage school prayer at a fixed time.”

As Americans, our students have a right to have a public education. In addition, our students are guaranteed the right to practice their religion freely. Students are allowed to hold religious activities using public school facilities before and after school and in private.

If a student chooses, they may pray before eating lunch.

A student may pray in before or after-school prayer sessions and scripture studies with proper consent. There is nothing barring those students who wish to practice their religion to do so.

However, a designated time set aside for silence is unnecessary.

Whether or not the law is unconstitutional is irrelevant. Because laws allowing the free practice of religion currently exist, the addition of this law is unnecessary. This law seems to belie the implications for an eventual hope that prayer is reinstated. It is a first step in that direction.

There is additional evidence. In the past, many schools in Virginia did not show interest in the minute of silence that was an option.

Virginia had a law in place since 1976 making it an option for schools to choose the moment of silence. In that time, fewer than 20 schools chose to implement the moment of silence.

Certainly, forcing the rest of the school districts in Virginia to observe a minute of silence is something those districts don’t desire.

In addition, a similar law brought forth in Alabama in 1985 was struck down by that state’s Supreme Court. Four other states – Nebraska, Nevada, Tennessee and West Virginia – also have laws requiring silence and associate it with a time of prayer as an option.

In short, the state of Virginia’s law sets aside time from the academic schedule to take part in a moment of silence that is already guaranteed and in doing so takes a dangerous step toward violation of the Constitution.

editorialboard: Andrea Hauser, Tim Paluch, Michelle Kann, Zach Calef, Omar Tesdell