Response to "The Right to Pray"

Donna,

Your paper provides a variety of reasons why prayer should be in school. I like that you have taken into account the beliefs of both atheists and believers in developing your argument.

For which audience are you writing? Are you trying to affirm those who believe there should be prayer in school or convince those who have not decided or are against having prayer in school? Using "we" suggests the first option. Which option does the assignment prompt suggest?

What sources did you consult in regard to the decision to remove prayer from schools and the rationale for doing do? As a reader I might want to know more about the reason behind the decision so that I can better appreciate your arguments against their actions.

For the next draft, I would like you to consult the prompt and make a definite decision about who your audience is. Then, look at the language of your essay to determine if that audience is being addressed. If not, you may want to change a few words or sentences here and there.

Also, you may want to look up newspaper articles written around the time the decision to remove prayer from schools was made. These articles can give you the historical background and may help provide you with more positions for and against the decision that could strengthen the ones in your paper.

Good Luck!

Mr. Reyburn