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                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, January 21, 1992                   TAG: 9201210347
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A-6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

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AYATOLLAH, WHERE ARE YOU IN TIME OF NEED?

UNTIL I read Kay Long's Jan. 14 letter, I didn't realize how badly we need Lew Sheckler and his school-prayer amendment in Congress. But now I see it is time we forgot about people losing their jobs and their homes, plus we are much too concerned about the poor and middle class who become ill and unable to pay for medical care. We should concentrate on what's really important, prayer in public schools (Christian prayer, of course).

Think of all the students it would benefit, beginning with those whose parents won't let them pray at home. "Whap! How many times have your mother and I told you, never pray at the kitchen table!"

And don't forget the students thrown out of church. "Blam! Get out of here and don't come back - this church is for bingo, not for prayer!" Or, "Only on Sunday. If you want to pray during the week, there's a disco down the street."

We should also be mindful of the hundreds of thousands of students who cannot pray on the way to school, because it is impossible to chew gum and pray at the same time.

It's too bad the Ayatollah Khomeini is dead. We could have gotten him over here to tell Congress what wonderful things prayer in public schools has done for Iran. RICHARD GODFREY CATAWBA

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