It is not easy to refuse to go along. Evangelicals, a minority among Hoosier Christians, might say a child may choose not to go along w/classroom-led prayer, ignore the difficulty of going against the “tide.” (NOTE: prayer in school never has been illegal.) 1/8

Each generation starts out as kids who face crap, some of which is different from what earlier generations faced & some crap is the same, e.g., puberty. In the 1960s I was lucky, as were a lot of the kids in our nearly-all-white rural school district in rural Howard County, Indiana. 2/8

In early grades, in our public school, each kid had an “option”: go out to the trailer where a form of Protestantism was taught & prayer was had, or stay in the classroom. In 4th grade, I don’t recall any kid opting to stay in the classroom or the word “ostracize” as a word to learn. 3/8

No real choice existed to “opt out” of the trailer. At Western High School, all-school assemblies, in the always-full gym, featured prayer. In one, a preacher decried Jim Morrison of The Doors “raping” his microphone. I’m still not sure how Morrison could “rape” his mic. 4/8

On 10/15/69, a nationwide Moratorium, in which people wore black armbands, was held against the Vietnam War. I wore an armband. I had the crap beat out of me, but they didn’t the armband still was on my arm. The principal told me I shouldn’t “cause problems.” 5/8

Kids should not feel pressure to participate in religious exercises in public schools. In a WV h.s. on 2/2/22, kids were forced, locked into a room, to attend a revival. Evangelicals were in charge & want total charge of our schools. Kids face enough crap. 6/8

WHS gained notoriety, about 10 yrs after I left, when clueless parents & an equally clueless vice principal took actions to ostracize a kid named Ryan White. (btw a LOT was known about HIV at the time.) I’ve heard that things are more progressive at WHS. I hope that’s true. 7/8

We must say “No” to a VOCAL minority of religious extremists who would make LGBTQ kids to feel sinful & dirty. I’m Mark Small. I’m pro-choice, anti-gun, pro environment & GOP candidate for Indiana House District 86. I approve of this blog. Hell, I wrote it. 8/8