BY FRANK VERNUCCIO
How have overtly irrational
perspectives, unsupported
by history, science or
logic, gained the upper hand
in American civil discourse?
Why have the overtly and dramatically
successful concepts
of inherent rights and capitalism
been so persistently
purged? How have clearly
false narratives gained the upper
hand?
The answer is a combination
of intimidation, censorship
and thinly veiled threats.
An Education News editorial
explained:
“Disturbingly, progressives
have concluded that
they simply will not tolerate
Christianity, patriotism
or push-back against their
transformation of America.
Progressives’ behavior tells
us that if it takes violence
to purge conservatives from
America, so be it… Progressives
demand that we ignore
thousands of years of wisdom,
commonsense and scientifi c
truths…”
That most fundamental of
American ideas, the very concept
of rights emanating not
from those in power but from
God or nature has been drastically
assaulted. The use of
logic and evidence in political
theory have been shoved
aside. Numerous examples
abound of how this wreaked
havoc on society.
American citizens are being
told that, despite socialism’s
century of horrifi c results,
that the unparalleled
economic success of capitalism
should be replaced with
its clearly failed concepts.
The argument has been
made that, despite the absence
of a single discriminatory
law, rule or regulation, that
“systemic racism” exists. The
false claim has unnecessarily
sparked racial animosity to an
extraordinary level.
City inhabitants are forced
to accept a growing, deadly
nightmare of crime that Progressive
policies of police defunding,
bail elimination,
early jail releases, and tolerance
for aberrant behavior
have caused.
Despite an approaching national
debt exceeding $30 trillion,
taxpayers are informed
that even more debt must be
adopted, and that their nation
must provide welfare to the
rest of the planet.
These overtly fl awed concepts
have succeeded in dominating
America’s political and
social conversations, through
both the elimination from
conversational acceptability
of more rational ideas, and the
sources from which they fl ow.
BRONX TIMES REPORTER,34 SEPT. 24-30, 2021 BTR
The knowledge of how successful
basic American concepts
— devotion to the Bill of
Rights and the economic principles
of capitalism have succeeded
— has been drummed
out of our schools, originally
at the university level and
now prevalent throughout
education. Many of the most
strident proponents of leftist
concepts operate out of ignorance,
for they were not given
the basic instruction in how
these ideas created the most
prosperous and liberated society
in human history.
Luke Smith, writing in
the Harvard Crimson in 2003,
noted:
“After four years at Harvard,
students can graduate
… without knowledge of Aristotle,
Shakespeare… or even
the Constitution of the United
States. The present structure
of Harvard’s Core Curriculum
allows students to
escape all of these topics and
replace them with multicultural
alternatives…students
can readily substitute for “Democracy
in America and Europe”
courses like “Gendered
Communities: Women, Islam,
and Nationalism in the Middle
East and North Africa.”
The distinction between these
two topics is clear. The fi rst
has profoundly impacted the
structure of Western government,
the formation of Western
values and the fabric of a
Western way of life. The latter
has not. It is embarrassing
that Harvard students can
graduate ignorant of major
Western authors and philosophers.”
Those “Dead White Guys”
deleted from higher education
include not only the profound
people and documents mentioned,
but also the bedrock
concept of our civilization,
the Judeo-Christian ethic.
The purge of religion begins
at the lowest levels of grammar
school, where it is now
increasingly common to see
discussions of sexual matters.
But a mere mention of Christ,
Moses or the gifted works of
the religions they inspired
merits imminent sanctions or
dismissal.
There is a signifi cant
reason for that defensiveness
against both the Judeo-
Christian ethic and the Bill of
Rights. Those unique philosophies
are based on the divine
worth of each human being,
a concept anathema to those
socialists who see individuals
only as a cog in the wheel
of society. They will use any
method to censor out anyone
who points out that uncomfortable
truth.
CIVIC CENTER
Community Action
Civic Association
BY AL D’ANGELO
Where is the unbiased media?
It seems the media has
chosen to become an arm of
a political party. There was
a time when investigative reporters
worked to uncover
the truth. Watergate is a perfect
example of the power of
the press to uncover the truth.
What happened?
It seems most news media
is more interested in using
selective journalism to pick
and choose what to print. It
shouldn’t matter who is in
offi ce, the job of the media
is to present the facts to the
American people and not to
slant those facts to serve a political
agenda. A perfect example
of media bias was the
reporting of the border crisis.
During the Obama administration,
children were
detained and put into shelters
that his administration
constructed. Same scenario
during the Trump administration,
however the media
reported that children were
separated from their families
and put into cages. This narrative
was used by the media
repeatedly. Under the present
administration children were
back in shelters and the crisis
at the border is being grossly
under-reported and the President
Biden is attempting to
bar reporters from the area.
Something as simple as a word
change — cages to shelters —
can infl uence people’s judgment.
They are using their power
to shape opinion for political
reasons. Where is the outcry
about the Afghan withdrawal
where hundreds, if
not thousands, of U.S. citizens
and those who helped the U.S.
were left stranded? The media
narrative has now shifted to
vaccines to take the pressure
off the administration. Why
is a former president banned
from social media, but the Taliban
and others bent on the destruction
of America are not?
Why isn’t the media outraged
that at a presidential press
conference questions must be
presented in advance or only
a few questions are answered?
We are being manipulated
by the press and that is a danger
to our democracy. The
reason we study history is
to learn from the past, so we
don’t make the same mistakes
in the future. Joseph Goebbles,
Hitler’s propaganda minster
believed, “If you tell a big
enough lie and keep repeating
it, people will believe it.”
Many people feel, if they
read it in the newspaper or see
it on TV it must be true. Fascism
and communism could
never have taken over countries
if the news media wasn’t
complicit. Just to prove a point
listen to CNN and FOX News
reporting on the same story
then try to fi gure out what’s
true.
Just think about how you
form an opinion. Do you believe
what you see and hear
in the media? When media becomes
the arm of a political
or social agenda, the information
we receive will be fl awed.
Once we form a political opinion,
we watch what will enforce
our beliefs, it is very diffi
cult to admit we were wrong.
Just consider what you believe
then think about how you
formed those beliefs. Was it in
school and did the professor
help form your opinion? Does
it make sense that institutions
of higher learning do not allow
guest lecturers with opposing
views to be heard. Doesn’t it
take away from a student’s
ability to listen to both sides of
an argument thus enhancing
their education?
Maybe the news media was
infl uential in your thinking.
Now suppose the information
was politically motivated. The
misinformation can change
the face of the nation. We must
learn from what happened in
Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia.
Those who fail to learn
from history are condemned
to repeat it. Americans should
listen to every point of view
with an open mind and make
their own informed decision
as to what is best for our country,
regardless of politics.
CIVIC CENTER
Morris Park Civic
Association
CIVIC CENTER
Korony Post 253
BY TONY SALIMBENE
A big thanks to AMVETS
Post 38 for their hospitality
after a meeting location issue
for our third Sunday meeting.
We will keep you informed.
Next regular post meeting is
the third Sunday in October.
Congrats to our Auxiliary
Unit 253 and their legion elves
for another successful Support
the Troops fundraiser
for gift package postage. Over
6,000 sent, shooting for 10,000,
until they all come home.
SAL Squadron 253 (as well
as the post and auxiliary)
welcomes our new members.
Thanks, we will have jobs for
all of you. New ideas are always
welcome.
PPC Mike Mac had a few
minor problems with virtual
Boys State but the kids (young
men) in his section are on the
way to success and that’s what
we do! Thanks for the extra
work with this important activity.
Until Next Time: A ship
in the harbor is safe, but that’s
not what ships are for.
. Photo Getty Images