McAffrey Soundly Rejects Kern’s Proclamation; Calls For an Apology

McAffrey Soundly Rejects Kern’s Proclamation; Calls For an Apology

Al McAffrey is two-term Representative from Oklahoma City's District 88 -- http://www.almcaffrey.com/gpage1.html

Oklahoma City, OK – “I completely identify with the deep faith that many Oklahomans hold dear,” State Representative Al McAffrey said. “But Mrs. Kern’s proclamation does nothing but assault the very freedom to exercise our religious beliefs.” McAffrey pointed out the overwhelming evidence that our country was founded on the significant principal of religious freedom. “I’m appalled that Mrs. Kern chose to use a state proclamation to attack the freedom of many Oklahomans who do not share her faith or her views,” McAffrey said. “It’s simply appalling.”

McAffrey said that Kern made several statements that cannot be substantiated whatsoever. “To blame our economic woes on a national moral crisis is ludicrous,” McAffrey said. “Our economic woes are a direct result of bad financial practices and a lack of regulation on Wall Street.” McAffrey also noted Kern’s misrepresentation of the quotes and factual evidence. “Mrs. Kern uses her proclamation to accuse President Obama of not recognizing our National Day of Prayer; that is an absolute lie,” he said. “On May 7, 2009, President Obama proclaimed a National Day of Prayer and encouraged all Americans to “come together in moments of great challenge and uncertainty to humble themselves in prayer.”

Aside from the misrepresentations of the facts presented by Kern, McAffrey said he was dismayed at the blatant disregard for American history. “Sitting at my computer for 10 minutes, I found that two of the quotes she uses that are attributed to James Madison and Patrick Henry were fabricated. These quotes appear nowhere in the writings or records of either man and there’s no evidence to suggest they ever said such things,” he said.

McAffrey pointed out that any studious observer of American History would know that both James Madison and Thomas Jefferson were avid supporters of religious freedom. In fact, it was Jefferson who first enumerated the idiom ‘Separation of Church & State,’ which is typically traced to a letter he wrote in 1802 to the Danbury Baptists, in which he referred to the First Amendment to the United States Constitution as creating a "wall of separation" between church and state. “Mrs. Kern’s complete disregard for American history is appalling and inexcusable,” McAffrey said. “Obviously the author of this proclamation failed to properly research the issues being addressed.”

McAffrey noted that of the 11 quotes used by Kern throughout her proclamation, six of them were erroneous, taken out of context, or proven invalid due to evidence that the author’s intended meaning was dissimilar to the use of the quote. “I find it embarrassing that an Oklahoma state legislator would produce such an ill-researched proclamation. This was an obvious publicity stunt aimed at grabbing some headlines,” McAffrey said. “It’s pitiable that with all the major challenges facing our great state, some of our state leaders are more interested in making news headlines than making strides toward strengthening the economy, improving our public schools, and ensuring that all Oklahomans have access to quality, affordable and sustainable health care.”

McAffrey is publically calling for Kern to rescind her proclamation and apologize for the discrepancies and misrepresentations of the facts. “I believe it’s her duty to the people of her district and all Oklahomans to rescind this proclamation and consider researching the facts before rewriting it,” McAffrey said. “She owes Oklahomans of all faiths a sincere apology.”

Al Mcaffrey is a State Representative, representing District 88, in the Oklahoma State House of Representatives.

For more information:
http://okhousedems.com/2009/05/07/kern-ritze-use-false-quote-to-push-bill/
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Presidential-Proclamation-National-Day-of-Prayer/