Officials support moment of silence

When Ron Dancer went to public school, he saluted the flag and recited the 23rd Psalm. Today, as mayor of Plumsted, he wants to help return some of that privilege to students.

By: Scott Morgan
   PLUMSTED — When Ron Dancer went to public school, he saluted the flag and recited the 23rd Psalm. Today, as mayor of Plumsted, he wants to help return some of that privilege to the township’s students.
   Following the lead of a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision to allow school districts in the Commonwealth of Virginia to observe a moment of silence, Mayor Dancer and the Township Committee last week resolved to urge the state Legislature to allow students across New Jersey to do the same.
   The resolution outlines the idea of allowing students to observe one minute of silence to "collect their thoughts, meditate, observe the moment of silence or, if they choose, to bow their heads and pray," the mayor said.
   Mayor Dancer said the committee forwarded a copy of the resolution to the 30th District legislative offices and asked for support. Sen. Robert Singer said his office received the resolution and that he supports the gesture, but said also the Legislature will have to gauge its constitutionality.
   The issue is based in debate of separating church and state. While that argument has been used to remove religion from public schools, Mayor Dancer said such a complete abandonment of religion, even voluntary prayer, violates the students’ right to worship.
   Mayor Dancer said the U.S. Constitution does not actually spell out a separation of church and state, but rather points out that Congress shall not impose a national religion. He said he supports the moment of silence since it allows the student to choose whether to pray.
   "We have taken God out of schools and out of our lives," the mayor said. "And that void has been filled with bloodshed. The worst thing that happened when I went to school was chewing gum."