Odd comment from Clark last night (not bashing him)

[jenk]

he said something like "When I was in school in Arkansas, we would study the bible in the morning, and I had no idea there might be a Jewish student sitting next to me"

I think the question was about prayer in the schools and the answer that Clark gave seemed to insinuate that he was not aware there was Jewish kids in the class that might objext.

but isn't Clark himself 1/2 Jewish? Or is this a rumor?

[OKNancy]

1. He didn't find out until he was in his early twenties

pick something else

[Mz Pip]

2. And take the time

to read the rest of what he had to say.

MzPip
:dem:

[xultar]

7. Yes please read the rest of his statements...n/t

[mlawson]

3. I don't think he meant anything by it.

It was just a way to show how exclusive organized school prayer always is. I remember that period as well; had there been jewish kids in my classes, the imbecile teachers would probably have told them they were going to hell. Well meaningly, of course. :eyes: That is the way it was, back before O'Hare (sic?).

[Maddy McCall]

9. That's the way it still IS in many rural public schools

Teachers just assume all of their pupils are Christian and they force them to say the Christian blessing before lunch.

I am talking 2004, not 1954.

[mlawson]

14. And those opposed are intimidated into silence??

Call the ACLU on them, and you get your tires slit. Or far worse??

[Maddy McCall]

21. Yep. Or your child ostracized...

Or teachers mistreating your child "within the rules" though, so that any complaint you make makes you look like a paranoid sociopath.

[in_cog_ni_to]

20. I hope you're talking about

Christian/Catholic rural schools? Prayer before lunch in public schools is against the law.....Separation of Church and State.

[Maddy McCall]

22. nope...it's a public school.

[MrSlayer]

4. The seperation of church and state was the question.

His answer was brilliant and dead on.

[Maddy McCall]

5. He was raised Southern Baptist before converting to Catholicism

And, as far as RELIGION goes, either you are Jewish or you aren't. Some confusion here in race and religious preference, I believe.

[StClone]

10. Thanks jchild

You cleared up a question on the board I posted earlier...

[Catch22Dem]

6. He didn't know about his Jewish half

Until later in life.

[Toucano]

8. Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha. ROFLMAO!

I'm sorry to deride your observation, but I think little boys in Little Rock in the 1940's probably didn't get much diversity education. I'm sure he didn't think about it until he was older.

You think it's reasonable to bring up candidate's grammer school records?

Thanks for the chuckle!

[11cents]

11. As one of the "Jewish kids in class"....

... I appreciated his comment, and also thought it was the most cogent and comprehensible way to argue the point. Organized prayer was already illegal when I was a kid, but some teachers still tried to get around it. I remember being "excused" from singing Christmas carols (the traditional ones, not Santa and reindeer and sleds), and other kids messing with me thereafter.

[Jerseycoa]

12. I'm almost Clark's age

There was a Jewish kid in my class in public school and I never had a clue he was Jewish. I only figured it out as I got older. I had my first bagel at age 21 and I grew up in a borough of NEW YORK CITY. Figure that one out. :crazy:

[Bread and Circus]

17. Hell, I was dating my wife and I didn't know she was Jewish...

until one time I called her and asked what she
was doing...

She sad "making latkes" (?Spelling).

I said, "what's that"...

The rest is history.

[West Coast Democrat]

18. I think singing holiday songs in school is fine, as long as

...Hannukah songs can be incorporated--then everyone should join in on all songs. The very religious songs should probably be avoided though, I think.

[_Jumper_]

19. What about non-Jewish religious minorities?

There are approximately as many Muslims in America as Jews and there are more Americans who are non-religious than there are in religious minority groups.

[Cheswick2.0]

13. He did know until he was older I think

I was never aware of the religion of the kids around me either. Except for the kids who left for religious instruction, I had no idea who was what. But then we didn't do school prayer in the 60s in Rotterdam NY.

[Jerseycoa]

15. He was aware there were Jewish kids in his school

He wasn't aware he was half Jewish. But then that story is so little known that the viewing audience of c-Span and cable news has heard it, including, I would assume, the Edwards campaign. Is this "rumor" whispering on the Southern wind? :eyes:

[robbedvoter]

16. Like Clark, I only learned I was Jewish at 18. His mother his it from

him "I didn't want you to be hurt" - wich probably made sende for Arkansas in those times. He describes the emotiona;l reunion with his family on his father side. It was probably in light of that experience that he started wondering what the Jewish kids were feeling during prayer time.