School Prayer - The Issue

ANTI SCHOOL PRAYER

"The whole idea of our federal constitution is to say there's certain rights that everybody has no matter where they live. It shouldn't be that Lisa Herdahl's family only has the right to be free of state-sponsored or captive audience prayer in Wisconsin. They also have that right if they move to Mississippi."

Elliot Minceberg, People for the American Way attorney

"If kids are not taught tolerence towards religion, towards race - anything that's different ... what is happening to us, is exactly what's going to happen to them."

Lisa Herdahl, mother of six

"Most folks have no notion of how difficult it is to insist on being different, to deliberately be different and say, "I don't agree with how the majority thinks about this, and I'm willing to lay down my money if I've got it, my life if that's necessary, risk physical harm, or go to court." And to a certain degree all that is risked by Lisa."

Danny Lampley, American Civil Liberties Union attorney

"Every person in this country is entitled to freedom of religion, freedom of conscience, and the people of Pontotoc don't understand that. And all of those religious freedom signs are Orwellian because the notion of captive audience sectarian prayer over an intercom has nothing to do with religious freedom."

Judith Schaeffer, People for the American Way attorney