By MICHAEL SCHENKLER

This is not an American History lesson. I’m sure I have some of you sitting back with a sigh of relief.

However, it should be one. But time — the fact Lil and I took a three-day weekend to celebrate her birthday and I didn’t get to write this until Tuesday night — and therefore the lack of extensive research allows me to merely ramble from memory about the settling of this, our great land.

Names like Roger Williams, Anne Hutchison, William Penn, the folks from the Mayflower, and Flushing’s very own John Bowne I quickly recall as those who exemplified the commitment to religious freedom as our land was settled and roots were planted for what was to be the birth of a nation based on freedoms — including the freedom from government establishing a religion.

Yes, those folks — our nation’s ancestors — came here largely because they believed that no government, no monarch, no one, had the right to dictate what religion should be followed.

They laid the foundation for what was to be the First Amendment to our Constitution: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

In this case, this writer is not concerned with the precious freedom it grants our profession of journalism but with the more precious freedom it grants all people: to believe in god, or not believe in him/her; to call that god by any name; to follow the teaching of any religious leader, or not follow any particular one; most importantly, it prevented the government from choosing one religion over another.

On this great and wonderful freedom, our Supreme Court has built a legacy that places the United States alone (or among a very small few) as the land of the free where anyone can practice any religion without pressure from government. And government, for the most part, has been held in check by the Supreme Court and some very wise men that through most of our history have kept that very clear separation of church and state.

It is a good thing. Just ask Roger Williams, Anne Hutchison, William Penn, the folks from the Mayflower, and Flushing’s very own John Bowne.

To remind you, the Flushing Remonstrance, written on December 27, 1657 to New York Governor Peter Stuyvesant in protest of his attempt to interfere with the religious practices of the Quakers, was the first document of religious freedom in the new world. The town of Vlishing proclaimed on that day, "desiring to doe unto all men as we desire all men should doe unto us, which is the true law both of Church and State" shall grant "free egresse and regresse unto our Town, and houses."

And so on the site of what is now the Flushing Armory, down the block from the Bowne House, a courageous group of our ancestors from what was to become our borough of Queens, declared that the government shall not interfere with individuals’ religious beliefs or practices. And that legacy – through our Constitution and Courts – lives today preventing the government from establishing a religion or showing preference for one religion over another.

Thank God!

At least I thought so until Sunday night.

I received an email from uncle Nat. Uncle Nat is a seventy-something Queensite transplanted to Florida and Roslyn who has taught himself the computer. He seems to be online quite a bit. I email him humor, my column and stuff. He occasionally reciprocates — at times a bit raunchy for a man of his generation. However, Sunday night’s email was quite revealing. It wasn’t funny.

It contained the web address of the State of Texas and pointed to a page containing a proclamation dated almost 350 years after the Flushing Remonstrance, nearly 225 years after the first amendment, and quite a number of years after this writer had come to accept that government was to remain out of religion.

Now, I’m not a religious man. And perhaps, my humor occasionally offends some devote folks, but I believe in your right to worship or not worship whatever god you choose. I couldn’t even name all the religions and gods who dwell in our borough, the land of multiculturalism, but each of us can follow whatever beliefs we choose and the government stays out of religion.

Not so in the great state of Texas. And on that web page (http://www.governor.state.tx.us/Proclamations/May00/5-00Jesus.html) was a proclamation declaring "Jesus Day" in the State of Texas. It said in part:

"Throughout the world, people of all religions recognize Jesus Christ as an example of love, compassion, sacrifice and service . . . To honor his life and teachings, Christians of all races and denominations have joined together to designate June 10 as Jesus Day. As part of this celebration of unity, they are taking part in the 10th annual March for Jesus in cities throughout the Lone Star State . . . I urge all Texans to answer the call to serve those in need. By volunteering their time, energy or resources to helping others, adults and youngsters follow Christ’s message of love and service in thought and deed.

Therefore, I, George W. Bush, Governor of Texas, do hereby proclaim June 10, 2000, Jesus Day in Texas . . ."

Yes, that is the same George W. Bush who is leading in the polls to become the next President of the United States. It was just one night ago that General Colin Powell stood before the Republican Convention to introduce Mr. Bush as a champion of ethnic diversity.

But the State of Texas website doesn’t introduce a man of inclusion but a bigot of the worst type. No, I’m not accusing the Governor who wants to be President of hatred; I’m accusing him of ignorance and insensitivity. He is ignorant of our country’s marvelous heritage of religious freedom which separates church and state; and he is insensitive to all who are not like him.

Now, if you are a Christian, you shouldn’t feel comfortable. Anyone who can be so insensitive to people of other religions or so indifferent to our heritage of freedoms cannot be relied on to treasure any of our freedoms. Minority rights and sensitivities don’t seem to matter when the Governor can declare "Jesus Day" in his state.

What will he do if he becomes President?

Whose rights will be trampled next?

God save us!

McCAFFREY: Last week, NY1 and the Queens Tribune revealed some serious questions about the campaign finances of Councilman Walter McCaffrey. Those questions resulted in McCaffrey withdrawing from the Congressional race against incumbent Joe Crowley.

In our story, done in cooperation with our sister paper, The Hill in Washington, DC, we raised several questions about McCaffrey’s campaign filings: inquiring as to the details of more than $80,000 in disbursements paid directly to McCaffrey himself, $36,000 paid to his former chief of staff, Catherine Scimone and asked the whereabouts of a second campaign account, Citizens for McCaffrey, which according to the Board of Elections records, has failed to file the disposition of an additional $107,960.

McCaffrey has not answered our questions and has withdrawn from the Congressional race. He is no longer speaking to the press and has designated longtime friend, Marty McLaughlin as his spokesperson. These questions have again been put to McLaughlin along with the additional inquiry as to McCaffrey’s intention concerning the additional sum of $295,255 he raised in his aborted Congressional campaign.

To date, the only official statement we have received from anyone is from McCaffrey’s City Council leader, Council Speaker Peter Vallone. Vallone’s entire statement was: "I am glad Councilmember McCaffrey will again be able to devote 100% of his time to Council matters. He is one of the brightest and most capable officials I know."

Peter Vallone is an honorable and compassionate man. This time, compassion clearly got the best of his honor.

In welcoming McCaffrey back to the Council Vallone failed to mention the more than $200,000 in questionable disbursements and unaccounted for funds in McCaffrey’s control. These were funds raised while McCaffrey was in the City Council to be used ostensibly to run for Council. Yes, McCaffrey has withdrawn. Perhaps he is crying out for help. His conduct with several hundred thousands of dollars has clearly jeopardized his life of public service. Like Speaker Vallone, we are sorry for Walter.

However, we believe that any businessman who failed to provide details on more than $100,000 in disbursements mostly to themselves and failed to account for an additional $100,000 would face some serious consequences unlike Speaker Vallone’s tribute for McCaffrey.

Public officials must be held to an equal, or might I suggest, higher standard than the rest of us. Speaker Vallone and other public servants while showing compassion must insist that McCaffrey disclose all and face the music if there has been wrongdoing.

We wish Walter McCaffrey no ill and strength during this ordeal.

However, Speaker Vallone, who sits with more than $2 million dollars in his own campaign account, cannot open his arms to the returning Councilman allowing him full and complete privileges of the Council including participation in significant fiscal negotiations involving the Council committee he chairs. Vallone, if he wants to be Mayor (that’s why he’s raised $2.5 million plus), must ask the tough questions and must not let compassion or cronyism interfere with his responsibility to maintain the integrity of the City Council.

One elected official, a longtime friend of McCaffrey, requesting anonymity, expressed shock at Walter’s circumstance. The official told of another colleague who had a significant "change of lifestyle" using campaign funds. The suggestion was clear that public officials frequently abuse campaign funds. Seems no matter how much they speak about campaign finance reform, the guys and gals who make the laws, really don’t mean it.

For a moment, there was a brief expectation that this sad McCaffrey situation could result in true campaign finance reform and disclosure. But then our anonymous elected official reflected back to the sad days after Donald Manes took his own life, when reform and change were on the lips of every New York official.

Things haven’t really changed very much since then.

Have they, Mr. Speaker?

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Michael Schenkler can be reached at: MSchenkler@QueensTribune.com

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