BRONX TIMES REPORTER,42 MARCH 27-APRIL 2, 2020 BTR
Action
Association
BY FRANK VERNUCCIO
The origins of the American
Revolution are not mysterious.
Since the fi rst English settlement
in North America in
1607, the vast distance between
the New World and England
meant that the colonists were
essentially on their own when
it came to regulating their affairs.
As a result, they gained
a measure of self-government
far surpassing anything that
existed in Europe.
Following the French and
Indian War of 1754-1763, however,
England, for purposes of
revenue, sought to increase its
measure of control over the colonies,
particularly in the area
of taxation. The inhabitants of
the 13 colonies objected, and,
in response, London imposed
a series of laws and measures
which stripped British America
of its now traditional liberties.
The government sent
troops, the colonists fought
back, and the War for Independence
began.
That quest to maintain freedom
clashes with the modern
world-view of leftist politicians
and pundits. In 2019, The New
York Times commenced what
is known as the “1619 Project,”
a reinterpretation of how the
United States came to be. Its
main idea is that the central
theme of America, both in its
founding and development, has
been the institution of slavery.
“If you want to understand the
brutality of American capitalism,
you have to start on the
plantation,” states Mathew
Desmond, an architect of this
faulty perspective. The concept
is wholly unsupported by the
facts. It is little more than an
attempt to prop up those who
seek to impose socialism on
the nation, despite the centuryold
utter failure, economically
and politically, of that mode of
governance.
In a review of the 1619 Project
in the Atlantic Adam Serwer
wrote, “Princeton historian
Sean Wilentz, who had
criticized the 1619 Project’s
‘cynicism’ in a lecture in November,
began quietly circulating
a letter objecting to the
project… The letter refers to
‘matters of verifi able fact’ that
‘cannot be described as interpretation
or framing’ and says
the project refl ected ‘a displacement
of historical understanding
by ideology’.”
Cole Carnock, writing in
the Free Beacon notes that Bob
Woodson, a leader in the African
American community
who spent his career fi ghting
to stave off the cycle of poverty
and crime, argued that
the 1619 Project’s message—
that life outcomes for African
Americans are shaped by the
history of slavery and Jim
Crow—is a “lethal” narrative
that perpetuates a culture of
victimhood in the African-
American community. During
the launch of his new 1776
initiative, named for the year
America was founded, Woodson
said the new group would
challenge those who assert
America is forever defi ned by
past failures.
The fact that this ludicrous
concept has been developed
in these times when there is
a signifi cant push by the left
to institute a socialist regime
in the U.S. is not surprising.
What is deeply disturbing is
this overtly fi ctitious perspective
is being pushed by those
responsible for educating our
children.
The Western Journal’s
Randy Soto reports that The
New York Times’ 1619 Project
has been adopted in 3,500 classrooms
across all 50 states. For
this reason, some of the nation’s
most renowned historians
have called for The Times
to correct this and other factual
errors, such as that the
preposterous notion that protecting
slavery was one of the
“primary” reasons the American
Colonies declared independence
is not supported by
the documentary evidence
from the period, either, as my
research for my book “We Hold
These Truths” made clear.
Any middle school history student
should be taught that the
Stamp Act in 1765, followed by
the Declaratory Act in 1766,
were what began rallying colonists
against Mother England.
In the Declaratory Act,
Parliament claimed the legislative
body held ‘full power
and authority to make laws
and statutes of suffi cient force
and validity to bind the colonies
and people of America …
in all cases whatsoever.” The
rallying cry in the Colonies
became, “No taxation without
representation.”
For far too long, Americans
have not challenged the abuse
of the nation’s educational system
by leftist interests. Public
schools and universities have
essentially stolen taxpayer
dollars for partisan political
causes. The 1619 project is the
latest example, and one of the
worst.
BY TONY SALIMBENE
Sad that April activities are
cancelled but we have to follow
these health guidelines to stop
this from spreading so life can
resume as normal, whatever
that may be. We’ll get out new
dates for events as soon as we
know, if not completely cancelled
for this year.
The County Commander
will let us know when Bronx
County AL meetings and activities
will resume.
Department activities
like Boys State and the College
are postponed by Dept.
Adj. Jim Casey too. And the
SAL and Riders have been ordered
to modify their activities
or cancel, unfortunately.
We will see if things improve
or change by May or June or
later...
Especially sad that our
elected offi cials, may have, after
a top secret virus briefi ng,
manipulated their stocks and
bonds with insider knowledge
while the common folks like
us took big hits. Both political
parties BTW.
*Hand Salute* to William,
(Lt. FDNY Ret.) and Mamajuana
Cafe on East Tremont
Avenue for providing bag
lunches to kids who depended
on school lunches. I’m sure
other folks are doing good
deeds like great New Yorkers
and great Americans. Let me
know if you hear of other local
heroes like William? We need
to fi gure out new innovative
ways to help each other.
Until next time: For once
in 20-plus years here, I have
nothing else to say. No toilet
paper jokes. Nothing from Ben
Franklin, Freud or Confucius.
For we as Legionnaires, prior
military, I expect will stay
strong and help as we say, our
“community, state and nation,”
as best as possible.
And what is this with the
WHO issuing health guidelines,
they should stick to rock
music. (See, I can’t stop myself...)
S SHOP OUR CLASSIFIED S
PAGES EVERY WEEK AND
SAVE MONEY