Word: vocalism
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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...children would be forced to say prayers in which they did not believe, or that government officials would become involved in writing prayers. The key passages of the amendment taking shape under Baker's efforts read: "Nothing in this Constitution shall be construed to prohibit individual or group, vocal or silent prayer, in public schools or other public institutions. No person shall be required by the United States or by any state to participate in prayer. Neither the United States nor any state shall compose or mandate the words of any prayer to be said in public schools...
...favor of school prayer; Gallup reported last September that 81% of respondents who had followed the issue supported an amendment that would permit "voluntary" prayer, vs. only 14% opposed. Says Dan Alexander, president of a Mobile, Ala., organization called Save Our Schools: "We've allowed a small, very vocal minority to pick away at our values and our basic rights for a very long time. Now our right to pray is being threatened, and I say that's where we draw the line...
Amendment opponents insist that organized, vocal prayer can never be truly voluntary. Children of different faiths, or none, will feel themselves forced by social pressure to join in. Contends Rabbi Balfour Brickner of Manhattan's Stephen Wise Free Synagogue: "If the prayer is spoken, it will be physically coercive, and if silent it will be psychologically coercive." The alternative, opponents contend, is to offer prayers so general as to be meaningless, even offensive to the truly religious. The establishment of a neutered "civil religion" is offensive to many who believe deeply in their own faiths. Says Robert Minor, professor...
...NOTEBOOK: Despite the late change from Blodgett to the IAB and the delayed start, the contest drew a vocal crowd of over 60...In addition to Ysrael, other Crimson scorers were Withy, who had two. Martha Wood, who had six against B.C., Kristan Johnson and Allison Greis...The team has a long history, but was given varsity status earlier this winter by the Athletic Department...Brown is the reigning Eastern water polo powerhouse--neither Harvard's men or women has beaten the Bruins in the memory of anyone now associated with the sport...
...giving gala in Los Angeles, though, it had unquestionably become The Michael Jackson Show. Jackson, 25, nimbly walked off with the gold-plated gramophone eight times, a record record. Among other categories, he captured album of the year (Thriller), record of the year (Beat It) and best male pop vocal (Thriller). The sylphlike Prince of Pop even dominated the show's commercial breaks. His two eagerly awaited Pepsi-Cola ads made their debut during the 3½-hr. telecast. There was an unusual extra thrill for his tirelessly squealing fans when the soft-spoken superstar removed his dark glasses...