Coventry Senator Renews Call For 9/11 Moment Of Silence

COVENTRY, RI — Coventry Sen. Leonidas Raptakis is again calling for schools to have the option to have a moment of silence to commemorate the Sept. 11, 2011 attacks. On the 19th anniversary on Friday, Raptakis announced his plans to reintroduce the legislation in the upcoming legislation session.

Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the legislation, introduced last year, did not come to a vote during this session. The new legislative session is set to begin in January.

"After the New York law was brought to my attention, I thought this policy would also be useful in Rhode Island’s classrooms," Raptakis explained. "September 11th was one of the most seminal events in our country’s history and as each anniversary of the event goes by, it’s important that we impress the significance of the attack on our students to not only memorialize all that were lost and sacrificed during the attacks, but also to help engage in conversations with students about the impact and history of that terrible day."

The legislation would allow for a brief moment of silence at the beginning of the school day each year on Sept. 11, with schools given the final decision to have the moment of silence or not. It is modeled after similar legislation signed into law in New York last year.

Rep. Patricia Serpa plans to introduce companion legislation in the House of Representatives.

"The devastating and tragic impact of the 9/11 attacks will forever be engrained in our national hearts and minds," Serpa said. "While almost 20 years has passed since that awful day, I believe it is important to honor and remember the lives lost, the heroes that emerged, and the unity that our country discovered after that fateful date, especially for our students who were not yet born to witness the event."

If signed into law in the upcoming session, it will be in place for the 20th anniversary in 2021.