James,

I can't say that I took the time to read the articles (I'm on the way out of the house) but here's my two cents on school prayer. It never left the schools; it's present everytime a student has a test to take! The beauty of prayer, and I do it on occasion, is that it is private, just between me and whoever may be inclined to hear it or not hear it (assuming there is someone on the receiving end). So many Christians, though not all of them, seem to forget the passage that says when one prays, one should go into one's closet (I paraphrase). I'd say that the proliferation of cheap, powerful weapons, combined with the opportunities to make big money in drugs, and the lack of male role models, especially in urban areas, accounts for much of our nation's violence. Sorry that I couldn't read the article, perhaps when I get back.

Peter T.