A moment of silence is  a gesture of respect, not just for the dead but to anything or anybody! That's why the Supreme Court has ruled you can do it in school. It can be about anything you want it to be, or not want it to be!

In October 2000, the U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton ruled that the "moment of silence" law was constitutional.Judge Hilton stated, "The court finds that the daily observance of one minute of silence is constitutional. The act was enacted for a secular purpose, does not advance or inhibit religion, nor is there excessive entanglement with religion... Students may think as they wish -- and this thinking can be purely religious in nature or purely secular in nature. All that is required is that they sit silently. His ruling was upheld in the 4th circuit.

 Thank you dreamkiller for clearing that up!  I was waiting for progresso, but he never showed.  I believe in moments of silence for anything.  Like you said it doesn't have to be for anything specific.  If you choose to have a thought about your ailing dog instead of anything else, I think that is ok.  I hope my sarcasm came as that in my previous post and not seriousness!!

 Please I dont agree on anything with soupwater, Cavintehachapi, or Jimr!

People respond better if they are called by name.

Signed,

ProgressoDasani

 Oh, I so apologize.  I just figured progresso was sufficient.  I'll know next time to address you Mr. ProgressoDasani since that is your given name!!

My fault, Colitas.  I mistook you for another poster.  Of course we should be on a first-name basis around here!

 The moment of silence at Tompkins was not odd.  Like stated above 2 of the 3 have children who attend the school.  Being there at the time, in that moment of silence I was able to say a short silent prayer for the injured officers. I didn't see anything wrong with it at all.