Cheerleaders stand up to ACLU

[DrLeftover]

EDITOR'S NOTE: Originally we reported that the ruling/letter came from TSSAA. It actually came from the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee.

After Oneida High School found out they had to drop the prayer from their football games, many in the community felt they were missing something. The change came after pressure and a letter from the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee, or ACLU.

One group couldn't let that stand. That group has one of the biggest voices during a football game. It's the cheerleading squad.

Kevin Acres sits in the booth for every Oneida High School home game. This year, his repertoire will be missing something-- the pregame prayer.

"Far as I know we have been playing football here since 1930 and been praying ever since," said Acres.

A couple of years ago, the ACLU asked schools to stop announcing prayers over the PA, but Oneida bucked the order and kept the prayer in the pre-game.

"We just felt as long as no one here locally complained, we can continue to do it," said Acres.

That went on until this season. The school started feeling pressure from outside groups to end that religious tradition, so they replaced it with a moment of silence.

"I heard the moment of silence, but it was kind of a sick feeling in my stomach," said head football coach Tony Lambert.

In this moment, Acres gave people a choice.

"During our moment of silence, if you want to say a prayer, that would be perfectly fine," said Acres.

Asia Canada is a cheerleader for Oneida. She and her squad felt a moment of silence wasn't enough, so they took action.

"He called for the moment of silence and I started off, 'Our Father who art in heaven' and everyone joined in," said Canada.

Even the visiting team's cheerleaders and fans joined in.

"When they started saying it, the crowd started saying the Lord's prayer. And by the time the prayer was over with, the entire stadium was saying it," said Acres.

And it has become a tradition before every home game; the cheerleaders lead the prayer, not over the PA, but with their own voices.

http://www.wbir.com/story/news/local/scott-campbell-morgan/2014/09/15/cheerleaders-bring-prayers-back-to-the-football-field/15700459/

 

[Webster]

I'm of two minds here...on the one hand, I'm really hesitant to see the ACLU continue the challenge because this has bad, bad optics written all over it; after all, how's it going to look if you're challenging the right of cheerleaders to say the Lord's Prayer here before the football game. On the other hand, they're representing a public high school here, so if I were advising the ACLU, my advice would be to continue on, regardless of the optics.

 

[Webster]

I don't give two shits about the ACLU or what they want. You can't force a group of people to stop praying if they want to pray. The ACLU can go pound sand. I applaud these kids and the action they took and if some whiney-assed liberal sissy gets their panties in a twist about it, tell them they don't have to come to the game. Tell them to stay home and wallow in their own misery.

Or stop praying in an official capacity, either way.

 

[DrLeftover]

"optics"

The approved Obama Administration word for 'how it appears to people that work for a living and pay taxes'.

Interesting.

 

[WHO IS SERAFIN]

Good for those girls on ignoring the fake and made up separation of church and state that does not exist. Pray on if they choose to do so.