In an age where common sense often seems as rare as a unicorn at a county fair, Oklahoma’s State Superintendent Ryan Walters has thrown a proverbial gauntlet at the feet of the cultural left by suggesting that prayer in schools – specifically prayers that bless our leaders, like Donald Trump – should become the norm. Now, if you want to see the progressives clutching their pearls so tightly they might need a chiropractor, this is the way to go. While Walters stands firm in the rich tradition of American values, the left scrambles to condemn any sort of public prayer as a harbinger of moral doom.
Picture the scene: a group of students, seemingly innocently sitting with their heads bowed, while a teacher breathes words of supplication for the nation and its leaders. It’s almost charming, like a scene straight out of a Norman Rockwell painting, until you realize the left’s reaction is akin to finding a spider in your salad. You can almost hear the collective gasp followed by the usual accusations of creating a theocracy from a group that seems to forget that freedom of religion includes the right to express it. The irony here is thicker than a Thanksgiving gravy, considering these same people are often the first to defend their rights to free expression, as long as it doesn’t involve anything resembling faith or belief in a higher power.
In today’s culture war battlefield, where anything remotely resembling tradition is fair game for attack, the left has become adept at brandishing its weapon of mass assumption: the accusation of “indoctrination.” You could practically hear the echoes of outrage resonating as they jump to conclusions without so much as stepping foot into a Sunday service. It’s almost as if they believe a simple prayer huddled in a classroom sends a message equivalent to a full-blown Mussolini pep rally.
What Walters is tapping into is a profound truth: prayer can make a difference, not only in private but in public life, too. The big news isn’t that he’s advocating for prayers – that simply reinforces the fabric of our nation’s history – but rather the feverish reaction that follows. Adding a prayer for Trump into the mix is perhaps as bold as it gets. It illustrates a critical principle – showing respect for leadership, regardless of which side of the aisle they sit on. Imagine the culture shock! Such behavior is nearly antithetical to the modern left, who has mastered the art of disdain for anything resembling traditional reverence.
As this holy uproar unfolds, one can’t help but wonder what kind of world we’re shaping when the very act of praying for our leaders is seen as radical. If school children can’t openly wish for a little divine guidance for the people making the big decisions, then what’s next? Forbidden pizza parties? Heaven help us! Ultimately, the outcry isn’t just about prayer; it’s about power, control, and the unwillingness to embrace a shared cultural heritage. In this political circus, Ryan Walters has nudged open the door to an important conversation about belief, respect, and the unalienable right to express them—even if that makes everyone a bit uncomfortable. So, let us pray for our leaders, our country, and perhaps, just maybe, for a little more common sense.