BRONX TIMES REPORTER,BTR AUG. 13-19, 2021 39
BY FRANK VERNUCCIO
Taking a wide look at what
America has descended into,
particularly since the last
election, reveals a deeply disturbing
picture.
Journalistic outlets,
whether in print, online or
through television are designed
to examine just one
topic at a time. That fails to
provide an overall picture of
how radically America has
changed, a movement that
began to gain steam following
Barack Obama’s pledge to
“Fundamentally Transform”
the nation and accelerated
since Biden’s inauguration.
Consider:
Democrat-run cities have
experienced a massive surge
in violent crime, a result of
policies such as letting violent
offenders out of jail early, not
allowing bail for violent criminal
defendants, defunding
and hampering police forces,
and ignoring the offenses of
protestors who burn and loot.
Infl ation has risen to 5.4%,
the highest in 13 years.
Government giveaways
are discouraging workers
from returning to their jobs,
threatening the existence of
small businesses throughout
the United States. The Labor
Force Participation Rate has
plummeted.
Our educational system
has been taken over by those
who disparage and seek to
eliminate much of western
culture. One example: Virginia’s
Loudoun County’s teacher
training material supports
“discouraging heterosexualism
and parental authority
over their own children.” Blatant
falsehoods about U.S. History
are being taught.
The U.S. military, faced
with its greatest challenge
since the British burned the
White House in the war of
1812, has had its buying power
reduced by the Biden administration.
However, military
funds are being used for
transgender surgery and drag
shows on an Air Force base.
The formally dominant U.S.
Navy is now smaller and less
modern than China’s. Russia’s
nuclear deterrent is now
larger.
The Arctic is now dominated
by Russia, with vast
military bases and 42 icebreaker
vessels. (The U.S. has
only one.)
A prominent lawyer has
had his law license suspended
for his statements while representing
someone the current
president doesn’t like.
Individuals and organizations
that don’t kowtow to Progressive
Democrats are widely
censored. It’s about to get
worse. The Biden Department
of Justice is encouraging private
companies to spy on the
private texts of their customers.
In addition, individuals
are encouraged to spy on family
members. Senate Majority
Leader Charles Schumer had
previously introduced legislation
specifi cally designed
to limit the application of the
First Amendment.
Prominent Democrats are
reluctant to criticize the despicable
acts of Communist tyrants
in Cuba and Venezuela.
The White House refuses
to acknowledge their destruction
of the southern border
and reverse their policies that
caused the dilemma.
There has been no substantive
response to the repeated
cyberattacks on American infrastructure
and commercial
activity.
The abortion debate has
changed substantially, from
whether the procedure is legitimate
in the early stages of
pregnancy to a growing acceptance
of infanticide, the killing
of fully viable infants.
Law enforcement has become
increasingly selective.
Prominent leftist fi gures have
escaped prosecution or even,
in some cases, investigation
for wrongdoing. The Durham
report has all but vanished.
There are no signs of examining
the infl uence peddling the
Chinese have engaged in with
the Biden family. In the nation’s
largest city, New York,
$850 million given to Mayor de
Blasio’s wife for a program designed
to assist the mentally
ill has vanished. No investigation
has been conducted.
Outright racism is being
perpetrated in many quarters.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot
refuses to be interviewed by
white journalists. A proposed
federal agricultural program
is specifi cally designed to
provide funds based on skin
color, in order to exclude white
farmers.
Attacks on religion by government
authorities have become
commonplace, including
attempts to exclude religious
institutions from government
contracts and demands
by one mayor to “review” the
sermons pastors plan to give.
Anti-Semitism has become
commonplace. One state’s attorney
general has openly
affi liated with Louis Farrakhan.
Several members of
Congress continuously spout
anti-Jewish rhetoric.
These trends, individually
and collectively, indicate
a nation in deep distress, and
drastically imperil the constitutional
paradigm that had
made America the greatest nation
on Earth.
BY JOE MONDELLO
Greeting to all members,
SAL and Boosters of the
Sam Young American Post
620, and to all veterans and
legionaries. We continue to
make progress at our Post.
The Erickson Place entrance
side of the Post has been tidied
up. You can now enjoy
the cool summer breeze with
your refreshments or snack
while sitting outdoors at one
of our tables. We will be adding
a Bluetooth sound system
for your listening pleasure.
We received a sponsor for
our family night “Movies
Under the Stars” program
which will be held at our Post
on the great lawn. So far, we
will plan on at lease three
different movie dates. All
free thanks to the Westchester
Square BID and Councilman
Mark Gjonaj. We are
all about family and community!
On Saturday Sept. 4, starting
around 1 p.m., our Boosters
will hold its annual Labor
Day barbecue here at the
Post. A $20 donation is all it
takes to get you in. Help support
620.
We are starting to see a
few new faces stopping by
the Post to say hello. Don’t
be a stranger. We are open
every Wednesday, Friday
and Saturday starting at 3
p.m. Commander Bill opens
up the doors on Sunday at 1
p.m. We plan on opening up a
few more days later on in the
fall. We are thinking about a
Thursday “Open Mic” night.
We have the equipment, you
bring the talent.
Do you know every year
the American Legion sponsors
a National High School
Oratorical Contest Scholarship
program which starts
in September. Scholarships
are awarded to the three fi -
nalists. First place receives
$25,000, second gets $22,500
and third takes $20,000.The
oration must be on some aspect
of the Constitution, with
emphasis on a citizen’s duties
and obligations to our government.
For more information,
contact your local American
Legion Post or go online to legion.
org/oratorical on how
to get your local high school
involved. Until next week,
stay healthy and stay safe.
For God and Country.
CIVIC CENTER
Community Action
Civic Association
From Councilman Mark Gjonaj
CIVIC CENTER
Sam Young Post 620
FROM COUNCILMAN
MARK GJONAJ
In the middle of this August
heat wave, my constituent
services team is still
out and cooking. With more
and more New Yorkers now
vaccinated, and the city
reopening itself, we have
been delighted to return
to many of our pre-COVID
summer events.
On Aug. 7, we had our
third outdoor concert of the
summer — our very own,
Bronx-raised Twin Gold
performed before a COVIDsafe
and delighted crowd
at the Hammond Cove Marina.
We look forward to
the two remaining concerts
this summer: FDR Drive on
Aug. 13 at 7 p.m. at Veterans
Memorial Ark, and on Aug.
20, Alive & Kickin plus Musicians
from the Bronx at
Ambrosini Field. I hope to
see you there.
Buttressing the summer
concert series are an assortment
of other community
events and services, including
another successful National
Night Out between
district residents and the
NYPD’s 45th Precinct, fostering
good relationships
between our servicemen
and servicewomen, and the
community. We held our
mobile officer hours at Allerton
Library earlier in
the week, where representatives
from Team Gjonaj
were able to engage and
assist constituents. Team
Gjonaj then made an appearance
at the Saint Clare
Senior Center to visit our
valuable seniors and distribute
oximeters, masks
and hand sanitizer. We love
our senior residents of District
13.
I hope all residents of
New York City Council District
13 are staying safe and
cool during this month. For
information about constituent
service offerings, community
events and particularly
cooling centers for
seniors and at-risk groups,
please contact my district
office at (718) 931-1721 or at
MGjonaj@council.nyc.gov.
We will continue to have
upcoming PPE giveaways,
concerts, community
events and more. Thank
you for all you do for your
community, and all you allow
me to do as your local
elected official.
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