Holy Moley: Ron DeSantis Signs Bill Requiring a Daily Reflective 'Moment of Silence' in Public Schools

AP Photo/Gerald Herbert

Ron DeSantis is on a roll.

In a story that’ll surely shock some, the governor of Florida’s signed a bill requiring public schools to host a daily “moment of silence.”

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You may recall a similar practice, once known in America as “prayer.”

To be sure, Bible readings won’t be returning to public education any time soon. But Ron’s Monday penning of HB 529 certainly makes a statement.

The mandate sets aside at least one minute (but no more than two) in all K-12 first-period classrooms.

For that duration, “students may not interfere with other students’ participation.”

And there’ll be no interference from staff:

A teacher may not make suggestions as to the nature of any reflection that a student may engage in during the moment of silence.

At a news briefing, Ron said a period of communion/meditation will benefit the state’s youth:

“We think it’s something that’s important to be able to provide each student the ability, every day, to be able to reflect and to be able to pray as they see fit.”

Per the law, “In today’s hectic society, too few persons are able to experience even a moment of quiet reflection before plunging headlong into the activities of daily life. Young persons are particularly affected by the absence of an opportunity for a moment of quiet reflection.”

As of late, the governor’s been hitting home runs in the eyes of American conservatives.

In May — amid the signing of a tax-cutting package — he promised to “play Whack-A-Mole” against Critical Race Theory, wherever it may pop.

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And in early June, he said the “horse manure” ideology would be addressed at the Board of Education.

Just days later, the Board saw it banned.

Points from the amendment:

  • Teach students how to think, not what to think
  • Foster an environment where students can think critically and for themselves
  • Protect students from being influenced or indoctrinated to think a certain way
  • Ensure students receive classroom instruction that is factual and objective
  • Help guarantee teachers serve as facilitators of classroom discussion without making students feel pressured to think a certain way
  • Provide a well-rounded, world-class education that exposes students to multiple viewpoints and perspectives on a litany of topics

Outside of education, June 4th saw Royal Caribbean cruise line relinquish requirement of “vaccine passports” after — per RedState’s Sister Toldjah — the governor “called their bluff.”

Back to Florida’s minute of silence, the legislation asserts young people “would be well served if students in the public schools were afforded a moment of silence at the beginning of each school day.”

Ron called to America’s Founding Fathers:

“The idea that you can just push God out of every institution and be successful, I’m sorry, our Founding Fathers did not believe that. We have an opportunity here to really protect the religious freedom of everybody who’s going to school K-12 in the state of Florida.”

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Of course, not everyone’s enthused over the move.

As reported by West Palm Beach’s WPTV, one protestor disrupted the press conference with, “You’re playing political games with our freedom of speech! You’re playing political games!”

If the critic was correct, then games will begin July 1st — that’s when the law goes into effect.

Perhaps naysayers will use the moment of meditation to figure out how to fight it.

-ALEX

 

See more pieces from me:

Snitches Don’t Get Stitches: School District Creates ‘Bias-Based Incident’ Reporting System for Students and Staff

Report: Federal Reserve Puts the Kibosh on Terms Such as ‘He,’ ‘She,’ and ‘Founding Fathers’

Columbia Medical School’s ‘Anti-Bias’ Guidelines Tout ‘People With Uteruses’ and Insist ‘Race Is a Social Construct’

Find all my RedState work here.

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