Robert Packwood

They can say that you cannot have compulsory prayer, you cannot have school-led prayer, you cannot have teacher-led prayer. I do not know whether or not the Court has said, if school starts at 8:15 in the morning, that at 9:30 Susie or…

Apparently, the Court has said they cannot totally opt out of the religious situation. That is unconstitutional. They cannot say a child cannot pray. You cannot say you cannot meet after school on an equal basis, a religious or an athletic…

I would be inclined to, given the circumstance you mentioned, probably agree with you in that fact situation. If you had a zealous 90 percent Christian district with proselytizing kids, harassing their 10 percent, the 10 percent Jewish…

I am not saying that any more than what Justice Holmes said about shouting fire in a crowded theater. Freedom of speech does not extend that far. I am sure freedom of religion does not extend as far as if you are faced with a Louis…

Let me ask my good friend from Missouri a question then because this amendment really falls, in my mind, into three categories. First, we are going to withhold the funds; second, if you prohibit constitutional prayers; and third, the local…

No, if you were to add the words ``constitutionally permitted,'' the school district can put limitations on unconstitutional prayer. They can say you cannot----

But if you were to add the words ``constitutionally permitted'' and the Court has said it is fine to have a moment of private, personal prayer or oral prayer but you cannot set yourself afire or you cannot roll about the aisles and disturb…

I believe it has said that a child can have a moment of silent prayer. I am not sure what it has said about a minute of oral prayer, a child doing it himself, so long as it does not disrupt the class, or if somebody says grace before meals.

Except it withholds funds. That is rather significant to a local school district. At the moment, I suppose we can pass a sense-of-the-Senate resolution that says to the local school district, ``Do not violate the Constitution. If the…

I do not think we are compelling the school district to do anything. I think we are saying you must follow the existing constitutional law.

The words ``constitutionally permitted'' are not in this amendment. What the Senator is saying is that school districts must allow prayer that is constitutional.

And those two words, if added, ``constitutionally permitted,'' would mean if a school district does not allow a student to stand up and do silent prayer or stand up and do a modest oral prayer that does not disrupt the class, whatever the…