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Sandra Spieker (Ringo)
Janalu's post prompted my brain to go on over-drive this morning and I managed to revive a few long forgotten images and incidences in 6th grade. I had Mr. Sims, who was probably too old to teach, either that or he just ignored our whispers and other transgressions, which were frequent. I do remember he announced one day that there would be no prayer before lunch given by him, but if we wanted we could pray individually. So he commenced this activity by saying we could each take turns and pray one by one starting on the first row. So, one by one, we each took our turn. Most were simple prayers, "God is great, God is good, let us thank Him for our food". Some were eloquent, although I can't recall those prayers. I was at a loss as to what to say, since the age of 5 my father, who was an atheist, strictly forbid by mother to take me to church. He declared that I was too young to be influenced and I would be allowed to make my own choice at age 12. To be fair, Dad never forbid me to read the bible at any time, to the contrary, he encouraged me to read it. I was free to read anything I wanted at any age. Nothing was off limits. I was a little kid though, and at the time, my Weekly Reader and the Sunday Comics were high on the list of extracurricular material, not the Bible. So at that time, I was at a loss, I did though desperately want to fit in. I was on the very back row, so had time to think this over and whisper to Cathy Burrows next to me, on what in world I was going to do. So when my turn came I said what most said, after all I was 12, it was time I made up my own mind. Although, I have to say, it was not out of belief, more fear as to what would happen if I said nothing. I remember Cathy Burrows Streetman told me an alternative to the "God is Great" refrain, she poked me and said, "Rub-ah-dub, Thanks for the grub, Yea, God!" Of course, I declined to say that one, Mr. Sims would have busted a gut on that one for sure. I have to hand it to Cathy, this put her on the spot too, although for different reasons, she stuttered, and she dreaded to be called on to say anything. We had a pact, I said "Here" for her every morning to spare her the embarrassment of struggling on the "H". But a whole prayer? No way could I fake her voice for that long, she was going to have to brave that on her own, which she did. Besides my one prayer was enough for me, my heart was beating so fast, I won't forget that. I was scared out of my wits. What was I going to say to my Dad? I need not have worried, Dad had an open mind and plenty to say, but I never suffered any anger from him over this. Nor did he pressure me either way. It was my choice and I was old enough by then to decide for myself.
As for Madalyn Murray O'Hare, who if you search her name on the internet, she is described as the most hated woman in America. She was not shot, she was strangled, then cut into pieces, along with her granddaughter and son and buried on a ranch in the Hill Country of Texas. Janalu wondered if she recanted her non-belief at the last minute. If you are curious, you can read this article on the Dallas Observer web site. I don't think she did.
http://www.dallasobserver.com/2003-07-10/news/true-confession/
According to this article, she was kidnapped, and held captive along with her Granddaughter for a month in a San Antonio hotel. During that time she did talk to her captors and probably did not recant her beliefs, on the contrary, she goaded them, at least according to the confessor of her murder. I researched this because I was a Grand Juror once, for 6 months in Collin County in 1990, which was before this case. I was shocked that her murderers did not get life or the death penalty, so I wanted to know why. To get death in Texas you must kill someone and commit a felony too. Murder at that time alone, was not enough to warrant a death penalty. Perhaps now things have changed I am not sure. Kidnapping, theft and murder all occurred in the case of the O’Hare’s. $500.000 in gold coins were stolen. It was 5 years before the Austin police would investigate their disappearances and murders. They all thought this woman had made off to New Zealand with the money and was living fine and dandy there.
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