This morning, hours after school administrators checked for weapons at Southeast Middle School, a group of local citizens delivered 10,000 signatures to U.S. Rep. Mel Watt promoting a national three-minute moment of silence.
Concerned about more news of violence and threats in schools across the country, the local group also is proceeding with efforts to promote a daily moment of silence in local classrooms.
The group calls itself the Back to Foundational Basics Steering Committee. Soon it hopes to give a plastic ruler with a stress meter and Bible verses to every employee of the Rowan-Salisbury Schools “who comes in contact with students,” said Bob Craig, who chairs the committee.
The group also is raising money to sponsor teacher appreciation meals in all five of the county’s school districts. At those, Craig said, the committee hopes to encourage teachers to use the daily minute of silence already permitted by the school system.
“Some of these kids are smart enough to make bombs out of household materials. They’re smart kids. They’re just missing their spirit and their faith,” said Craig, who owns Derrick Truck Plaza.
“We want them to focus. We want to give them a minute — or, really, three minutes — to think about their day and how they can improve themselves.”
The committee organized last year after East Rowan High School student Stephanie Wagner helped organize pro-prayer rallies in Salisbury and China Grove. Wagner, a member of Eastside Baptist Church, reacted to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling banning student-led prayer in schools.
The committee meets monthly, and besides Craig, committee members are the Rev. Larry Beaver, of Main Street Baptist Church in China Grove; the Rev. Alan Misenheimer, of Grace Bible Church in Rockwell; the Rev. Bruce Sheeks, of Immanuel Lutheran in Rockwell; Joe Black, Wagner and Wagner’s mother, Mary, of Eastside Baptist; Joyce Gregerson, of Salisbury, committee secretary; and Jane Allen, of Salisbury.
The group immediately began gathering signatures supporting House Joint Resolution 66 in Congress.
That resolution would amend the Constitution to prevent government from discriminating against religion and provide for a three-minute moment of silence “for the purpose of silent prayer, daily planning for personal reflection,” followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.
Besides Rowan, churches in Stanly, Cabarrus, Mecklenburg and Catawba counties sent petitions with signatures back to the group. Craig also collected signatures at his truck stop.
Craig said the group encouraged Watt to support the resolution. “We’ve got a president up there who supports us, and the timing is right,” he said.
Likewise, Craig said group members “feel real encouraged” about local efforts.
The group met with Associate Superintendent Howard Hurt, before the school board hired Superintendent Dr. Wiley Doby. Last week, Doby spoke to the Chamber of Commerce’s Education Reform Committee, which Craig serves on.
Craig said Doby talked about building a student’s “body, mind and spirit.”
At the same time, with two recent shootings at schools in California, Craig said committee members “feel a sense of urgency” to reach out to students and the schools.
“If a person doesn’t believe in the Bible, there has been enough information out there ... all over the country that prayer makes you live longer,” Craig said. “If the Bible won’t do it, there’s other ways to get them convinced of this thing.
“We’ve got some good students. We just need to guide them better.”
Craig said he hopes the schools will distribute the special “Stress Monitor” plastic rulers. He said the group has collected enough money, about $3,000, to order the rulers.
Hurt said this morning that school officials will have to look at the rulers, or the design, before they could commit to distributing them through the schools.
The committee also has sent letters to 328 churches asking for financial support. The letter explains the committee’s plan to hold annual teacher appreciation meals in each of Rowan-Salisbury’s five districts “to encourage all school staff ... to voluntarily provide student the opportunity to observe the moment of silence and to recite the Pledge of Allegiance.”
The meal and plastic ruler “would make them aware of our requests, assure them that these requests are legal and encourage them to implement them,” the letter says.
Eastside Baptist, at 370 Trexler Road, is administering all the committee’s finances, and all donations are tax deductible. So far, 12 churches have signed on as “charter members,” Craig said.
For more information, call Craig at 704-636-6144.
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