Lincoln Problem Mayor Justice Jackson Lincoln High

Lincoln Problem Mayor Justice Jackson Lincoln High School Board Mayor Lincoln Problem It would be safe to say that Lincoln Center City is basically a place that is an average-sized urban metropolitan located in the state of Fordham. This is a town where there are about 75,000 people that are living in Lincoln Center and this is a type of city that really prides itself on its diversity in cultures. However, this pride may not necessarily be continual.

Is it possible that it is a little biased? In the cities defense, facts really do show that in this town a lot of people that are really attracted to Lincoln Center for the reason that of the City's thriving business atmosphere, and the population is therefore made up of numerous religions, cultures, and ethnicities.

All of these do give it an advantage because it shows that it is a city that has racial tolerance but could that may not be the same when it comes to religion, especially when it comes to the school system, particularly at Lincoln-High School. Like most of the public schools in the city, Lincoln High is entirely funded by the Lincoln Center government. Every one of the administrators and teachers and are government workers and all school buildings and property are upheld by the government.

The high school does comprise of grades nine through twelve; roughly 1,000 pupils are in each of the grade levels. Similar to the Lincoln Center itself, the inhabitants of Lincoln High is very diverse. Most of the students all really do come from numerous cultures, speak different languages, and exercise countless religions. Some of the leading religions which are being represented at Lincoln High include Judaism, Islam and Christianity.

With that said, even with the acceptance of religious broad-mindedness being accepted at the school, apparently problems are arising when those in the community do not accept the same open-mindedness. As Mayor, you are already aware of a frustrated citizen that has become very annoyed with the Mayor's Office due to their inaction and upset regarding their Ms. Foster voting experience. We understand that you are familiar with Ms. Foster filing this action against the City pursuant to 42 U.S.C.

§ 1983 (see Appendix III) to charge the school's exhibition of the seal. Ms. Foster goes on to make the assertion that the seal is unconstitutional pursuant to the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. To fix this problem, it needs to be understood that nothing was violated when Mrs. Foster entered the school and saw the emblem. In order to fix this issue, it really needs to be understood that she is trying to take away the expression of religion freedom in the schools.

In order for this issue to be fixed, we have to understand that this concern has been under attack long before Mrs. Foster accusations against the school. Actually, today in America, freedom of religion is basically just slipping away from us at the moment, especially in this city. It is obvious that we are probably losing it because we not really doing what it takes to make sure that we are doing all we can to make sure it is being preserved properly.

We understand that we are basically losing it is supposed to mean and also how it basically works. Many in this city understand the fact that freedom is a word that is loaded, an icon like the American flag. As a political leader I am sure that you are aware that in this city the first right which is guaranteed in the first line of the first article of the Bill of Rights, is the right to freedom of religion.

Yet again, if we as a people in this city do not really get an understanding of what freedom of religion means, and where it comes from, it can be taken away from us just in the same way that Mrs. Foster is trying to do. The basic idea of freedom of religion is that no one, especially a citizen like Mrs. Foster, should be allowed to prohibit anyone in the town from expressing their religion even if it is on a seal that they do not approve of.

As a political leader, it is wise for you to understand the fact that to force others to support a church or admit belief in a church's tenets is as much a violation of their civil rights as is preventing them from practicing their religion. As President Clinton made clear in his speech making the point that one component of freedom of religion is freedom of conscience. This is the freedom to hold and express our ideas sincerely.

It is our civil right to accept or reject any religion or religious idea, and to do so openly and honestly without fear or coercion. However, it is unfortunate that it has hit our educational system in this city. Schools do more than train children's minds. They also help to nurture their souls by reinforcing the values they learn at home and in their communities.

As a politician, it is obvious that you would agree with Clinton speech when he stated that I believe that one of the best ways we can help out schools to do this is by supporting students' rights to voluntarily practice their religious beliefs, including prayer in schools.

As a political leader, it would be wise for you to understand the fact that for more than 200 years, the First Amendment has protected our religious freedom and allowed many faiths to flourish in our homes, in our work place and in our schools. Obviously understood and wisely applied, it does work. In going back in our countries history, there have been other cases similar to what Mrs. Foster is trying to bring on the city.

For example, In July of 1996, the Saint Louis School Board had adopted a district wide policy using these rules. While the school district had formerly permitted definite religious activities, it had never spelled them out before, turning into a lawsuit over the privilege of a student to pray before lunch in the cafeteria. With this case, we as citizens of this town can learn a few things in helping against the claims from Mrs. Foster.

First of all, going back to the case of 1966, the creation of an evidently clear policy using the guidelines endorsed the school board and the family of the student to reach at an equally acceptable settlement. To even bring up other cases that can be useful and solving our current problem, let us not forget a case that was decided last year in a United States District Court in Alabama, (Chandler v.

James) concerning student introduced prayer at school connected events, the court tutored the DeKalb County School District to preserve for movement in the library of each school a copy of the presidential strategies.

The great benefit of the presidential guidelines, nevertheless, is that they permit school districts to evade combative arguments by evolving a common accepting that is among students, teachers, parents and the wider community that the First Amendment does in fact deliver plenty room for spiritual expression by students even though at the same time upholding freedom from government supported religion. As a leader, it is very important that in these situations, the development and use of these presidential strategies were not and are not isolated events.

Somewhat, these guidelines are part of a continuing and rising struggle by teachers and America's religious community to discover a new common ground. To add some points to the situation for help, let us not forget that in April of 1995, for instance, thirty-five religious groups had delivered "Religion in the Public Schools: A Joint Statement of Current Law" that the Department represented from in increasing its own procedures.

Following the issue of the presidential rules, the National PTA and the Freedom Forum together printed in 1996 "A Parent's Guide to Religion in the Public Schools" which put the strategies into an easily comprehensible question and answer arrangement. As a leader, you can learn and study from this format in addressing that charges from Mrs. Foster regarding the school seal.

In the last two years, I understand that as a political leader that you have held three religious-education summits to notify faith communities and educators regarding the guidelines and to reassure sustained discourse and collaboration within constitutional limits. A lot of religious communities have communicated with local schools and school systems to propose their assistance on account of the clearness delivered by the guidelines.

The United Methodist Church has providing reading tutors to numerous schools, and Hadassah and the Women's League for Conservative Judaism have both been very active in as long as local schools with delivery for summer reading programs. The guidelines we are releasing today are the same as originally issued in 1995, except that changes have been made in the sections on religious excusals and student garb to reflect the Supreme Court decision in Boerne v.

Flores declaring the Religious Freedom Restoration Act unconstitutional as applied to actions of state and local governments. As a political leader, these guidelines bear to reflect two basic and equally important responsibilities that are forced on public school officials by the First Amendment. First, schools may not prohibit students acting on their own from articulating their personal religious interpretations or beliefs solely for the reason that they are of a religious nature.

Schools may not distinguish against private religious manifestation by students, but must in its place give students the same right to involve in religious activity and conversation as they have to involve in other similar activity. As a political leader, I understand that you are familiar that it is customarily, this means that students may pray in a non-disruptive manner during the school day when they are not engaged in school activities and instruction, subject to the same rules of order that apply to other student speech.

As a political leader, it is important to understand that at the same time, these schools did not approve religious activity or doctrine, nor did they force contribution in religious activity. It is also important to note in supporting your case that even among other things, of course, school administrators and teachers did not even begin or stimulate prayer exercises in the classroom.

At the time, these incidences are helpful to differentiate in allocating with teachers, coaches and other school officials who are acting as consultants to student groups much similar to the Lincoln problem. As a leader in fixing this problem, it is helpful in understanding the privilege of religious expression in school does not really include the right to have a "captive audience" listen, or to force other students to donate.

It is important to know as a political leader that the school officials should not permit student religious speech to turn into what is considered to be religious harassment which is typically aimed at a student or even a small group of students. Knowing this gives a better perspective when trying to fix the Lincoln problem. It is also good to know that the students have right themselves and none of them in the Lincoln problem trespassed those of Mrs. Foster.

However, it is also good to recognize that students do not have the right to make repeated invitations to other students to participate in religious activity in the face of a request to stop and of course this was not done in the accusations of Mrs. Foster. However, as a political leader it is also very important to understand that the she statement of principles that are being set forth from the First Amendment.

Application of these values, of course, will depend on specific factual contexts and will necessitate careful thought in particular circumstances. At this point, it is clear that as a politician that certain guidelines need to be following. In issuing these revised guidelines I think you need to encourage every school district to make sure that principals, teachers, students and parents are familiar with their gratified.

To that end I offer three proposals: In these guidelines the first you need to school districts should use these rules to revise or progress their own district wide policy concerning spiritual expression. In emerging such a policy, school administrators can engage parents, teachers, the numerous faith societies and the wider community in an optimistic discourse to describe a common ground that provides all parties the guarantee that when questions start arising concerning religious communication the public is well equipped to relate these guidelines to specific cases.

To give an example, the Davis County School District in Farmington, Utah could give you a model of a school district that has taken the assenting step of emerging such a policy. At a time of swelling religious variety in our nation such an active step can aid school districts that will be able to create an outline of politeness that repeats and reinforces the community consensus concerning religious freedom.

School districts that do not make the effort to develop their own policy may find themselves unprepared for the intensity of the debate that can engage a community when positions harden around a live controversy involving religious expression in public schools.

The second thing in fixing the issue I would be wise to start encouraging principals and administrators to start taking the additional step of making sure that the teachers, whenever they get the chance of hearing any kind of further dispute regarding religious expression, become fully informed about the guidelines. Let us look at the Gwinnett County School system in Georgia, for instance, starts off every school term hosting these various workshops for teachers that involve the delivery of these presidential guidelines.

It is important to understand as a political leader that our nation's schools of instruction can also do their part by safeguarding that potential teachers are well-informed about religious communication in the classroom. The third in fixing the issue would be for you to start encouraging schools like Lincoln to vigorously take steps to notify students and parents regarding religious communication that is in schools that are using these types of guidelines.

To borrow an example, The Carter County School District in Elizabethton, Tennessee, comprised the topic of religious expression in a character education program that had started somewhere in the fall of 1997. This struggle involved sending home to every single parent a duplicate of the "Parent's Guide to Religion in the Public Schools." This is a good idea for those that attend Lincoln for future references. Another thing that is important to implement is help.

It would need to be emphasized that help is obtainable for those school districts that are looking to progress rules on religious expression. It would also be wise to make available a certain list of various associations and groups that can deliver evidence to school districts and parents who are looking to learn more about religious countenance that is going on in the nation's public schools. In addition, it will also be helpful in addressing the fact that the citizens can start turning to the U.S.

Department of Education web site (http://www.ed.gov) if they are interested in information regarding the guidelines and other actions of the Department that back the rising exertion of instructors and religious communities that are out their supporting the education of our nation's children and in this case the children of Lincoln.

Finally, I would encourage you in fixing this problem to make sure that teachers and principals are encouraged in seeing the First Amendment as something that is more than sheet of paper that is locked away in the national attic collecting all this dust.

It is an important living standard, a call to action, and a request that each generation reiterate its association to the uncomplicated impression that is America -- that we are a free individuals who defend our freedoms by regarding the liberty of others who are not unlike from us. Also in fixing this situation, it is important to look at where our country was founded on. As a political leader, it will help much to remember our history in presenting the case.

The nation's history as a nation imitates the history of the Puritan, the Baptist, and the Catholic, the Quaker, the Jew and a lot for others that are trying to get away from persecution to discover religious freedom that is in America. It is important to note that The United States does still remain the most fruitful experiment in religious liberty that the world has ever recognized for the reason that the First Amendment exclusively stabilizes freedom of private religious belief and manifestation with freedom from state-imposed religious communication.

To fix this problem as a political leader, make sure that you stress that fact that public schools can neither foster religion nor prevent it. Also make it clear in presenting the case that the public schools will need to treat religion with justice and respect and energetically protect religious manifestation as well as the liberty of integrity of all other students. Also mention that if this is done then our public schools will be able to reaffirm the.