Honolulu Lite
SOMEONE ought to tell the Rev. Jesse Jackson about the separation of church and state. Jesse ruins a
perfectly good warWhen the state launches a big old war, isn't it unconstitutional for some church-type person to horn in and save the lives of three government employee, tax-paid soldiers?
It doesn't seem right. If the United States government -- the "state" in the "church/state" paradigm -- wants to save soldiers, it should be able to do it without the establishment of a particular religion. Allowing a preacher and self-confessed God worshiper like Jackson to weasel into the action threatens the very foundation of the Constitution.
Sure, President Clinton acted like he didn't have anything to do with Jesse Jackson going to Serbia. But it seemed to be a sort of "nudge, nudge, wink, wink" kind of deal. Once the three American prisoners were released, thanks to the intrusion of church into state matters, Clinton couldn't get to Germany fast enough to pose with the soldiers for TV cameras.
The weird thing is the usual people who yammer against school prayer and posting the Ten Commandments in courtrooms are congratulating Jackson for his fine work. Don't they realize that when it comes to affairs of state, war is about as serious as it gets? I'm sure the founders wanted to keep religion separated from state-sponsored war.
THE separation of church and state doctrine always seems to get a little fuzzy around the edges when it comes to the president of the United States. Presidents are sworn in with a Christian Bible and, as we saw with Clinton, when the dude is later impeached, the daily Senate inquisition is kicked off with a big old prayer, overseen by the chief justice of the United States Supreme Court.
Presidents are always going to church on taxpayers' time, which is a not-so-subtle message by the government's head honcho that he thinks that particular religion is the best. If he wanted to make it seem that the government isn't promoting a particular religion, he could go to a different church, synagogue or New Age crystal swap meet every week.
But whenever the going gets tough, presidents haul in preachers like there's no tomorrow. Because, for them, politically, there may be no tomorrow. When Clinton got caught with his hand in the nookie jar, who did he call for a spiritual makeover? Jesse Jackson! Jackson is like the Domino's of religions leaders: He delivers. Right to the Oval Office.
No one yelled about the separation of church/Jackson and state/Clinton when Jackson was summoned to save Clinton from the hell fire of dropping public approval ratings. And when Clinton's poll numbers started climbing back to their lofty heights, Jackson was shown off the premises.
Just before Jackson left on his state-approved (hey, the government could have blocked his visa) rescue mission to Yugoslavia, children were being buried in the wake of a horrible shooting and bombing massacre at a Colorado high school. The same government that sends soldiers off to battle in the company of government-paid military "padres" and rabbis refuses to allow high school class valedictorians to "thank God" in graduation speeches.
Imagine the outrage by the protectors of the church/state doctrine if Jesse Jackson tried to hold hands and pray with students at a public high school instead of holding hands and praying with with Yugoslavia's bloody dictator.
Charles Memminger, winner of
National Society of Newspaper Columnists
awards in 1994 and 1992, writes "Honolulu Lite"
Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Write to him at the Honolulu Star-Bulletin,
P.O. Box 3080, Honolulu, 96802
or send E-mail to charley@nomayo.com or
71224.113@compuserve.com.
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