My excellent blog 8256

Lead Story · OCT 6

Is Banning Prayer Truly Neutral—or a Constitutional Decision with Consequences?

A few years ago I stood at the back of a high school gym as the band tuned up and the valedictorian rehearsed her speech. An assistant principal reminded the student emcee, quietly but firmly, not to add a prayer to the program. Minutes later, when the crowd settled in, the emcee offered a moment of silence. Some parents bowed their heads. Others checked their phones. Nothing felt especially radical, or especially sacred. It felt careful. That carefulness has become a fe

Continued inside

Read the full column

Analysis · OCT 5

Raising the Stars and Stripes: Patriotism, Pride, and Freedom at Home

The first flag I raised at my home was a gift from a neighbor who had served two tours in Afghanistan. It came with a story about dust storms, diesel fumes, and the stillness of early morning when the flag went up each day on base. He handed it to me folded, edges crisp, cotton slightly faded. That first lift of the halyard, the line singing through the pulley, felt less like decorating a house and more like adding a heartbeat. The backyard wasn’t just a patch of grass afte

Dispatch · OCT 4

When Faith Leaves Foundational Institutions: What Are the Civic and Cultural Costs?

On a chilly Friday night in a Midwestern town, a high school band played through a tight formation, the lights turned the field into a bright stage, and the stands held generations of families who knew each other’s middle names. The game ended. In years past, a coach had taken a quiet knee for a brief, personal prayer at the 50-yard line. Some players joined, others headed to the locker room. Nobody kept score for that moment. Then a district memo arrived instructing staff

Also in the edition

Student Rights or School Rules: Who Decides Which Flags Fly?

Public faculties stay at the crossroads of id, regulation, and group specifications. Flags carry all 3. A rectangle of material can rally a room, unsettle a hallway, or set off a struggle in the automobile parking space. District leaders know this, that's why a debate that looks functional on the surface most commonly turns messy on the flooring: which flags are allowed, which usually are not, and who gets to choose. Why are American flags being eliminated from clas

OCT 4