BY FRANK VERNUCCIO
Several years ago, in a Washington
Times opinion piece, I
wrote that major social media
sites such as Twitter should be
treated as public utilities. Government
should not be allowed
to censor or control these outlets.
However, just as an airline,
commuter rail, or a gas and electric
company cannot discriminate
against a particular class
of customer, neither should internet
based giants.
The issue has become even
more salient in light of the censorship
of the Biden scandal.
Twitter’s bias against conservatives
is beyond doubt. Conservatives
have received unfair
treatment because of the views
they express. Those views have
not advocated violence, racial
bias, or any other unsavory perspectives.
They have, however,
expressed factual viewpoints
based on solid research, which
generally means they do not
dovetail with left-wing dogma.
The history of leftist, progressive
and Socialist theory
and action has, to the contrary,
been based on violent action and
coercive policies. This is necessary
because, as the history
of the last 100 years or so indicates,
that line of thinking has
essentially produced negative
results. It is based on unsound
economics and irrational thinking.
The populations subject to
it tend to fi nd out very quickly
how bad it is, and rebel against
it. To quell that, violence and
coercion are the response from
governments and organizations
that embrace those concepts.
That happened in the United
States under the Obama Administration.
Both the Internal
Revenue Service and the Department
of Justice engaged in
partisan attacks against groups
who opposed the most left-wing
White House in American history.
When the citizenry revolted
and voted Obama’s party
out of offi ce, attempts were
made to sabotage that exercise
in democracy by leveling
false claims and endless, baseless
investigations against the
people’s choice.*
In an effort to regain power,
leftist activists in the mainstream
BRONX TIMES REPORTER,44 OCT. 30-NOV. 5, 2020 BTR
media, internet giants
and academia censor conservative
and centrist expression.
Non-leftist professors are virtually
an endangered species
on college campuses. Try researching
any contentious issue
on Google and non-progressive
results, when they
appear at all, are buried under
a virtual mountain of proleftist
references. Social media
sites continue to fi nd new and
imaginative ways to censor, ignore,
or downplay opinions and
facts that dissent from their
failed worldview.
That includes hiring staff
and utilizing algorithms that
discriminate against free expression.
Non-progressive Twitter
employees clearly are made
to feel ostracized and oppressed.
Pro-progressive algorithms that
are overtly biased towards are
engaged almost exclusively.
President Trump, who has
been particularly targeted by
these measures, has expressed
outrage, culminating in his
May 28 Executive Order which
lays out the matter bluntly: “In
a country that has long cherished
the freedom of expression,
we cannot allow a limited number
of online platforms to hand
pick the speech that Americans
may access and convey on the
internet. This practice is fundamentally
un-American and
anti-democratic.”
The specifi c action of the Executive
Order to remove the extra
protections provided to social
media giants from certain
lawsuits, originally provided
under the assumption that they
would provide an open forum
for all, is appropriate.
But it will not end the threat.
During the twenty-fi rst century,
America has turned a dangerous
corner. The concepts enshrined
in the U.S. Bill of Rights
are under profound attack, by
politicians, academics and the
left. In 2012, Senator Charles
Schumer urged “there ought to
be limits” on First Amendment
rights. At a Senate Rules Committee
hearing, Schumer, the
senior senator from New York,
issued the stunning statement
that ”The First Amendment is
sacred, but the First Amendment
is not absolute.” Barack
Obama’s commissioners on the
Federal Communications Commission
sought to place federal
monitors in newsrooms.
For far too long, Americans,
who believe that their First
Amendment rights are absolutely
secure, have been complacent
about the left’s harddriving
and persistent assault
on free speech. The danger is
real, however, and action must
be taken in response.
*Editor’s note: “The people’s
choice” in 2016 was Hillary Clinton,
who earned 65,845,063 votes
to President Trump’s 62,980,160.
However, the current president
received 304 electoral votes to
Clinton’s 227.
CIVIC CENTER
COMACTA
BY GEORGE HAVRANEK
HOSPITAL RESOURCES
The health concerns of
Bronx county residents have
risen during these troubling
times. However, data indicates
Bronx County was facing
a potential health crisis
prior to the appearance
of CV-19. In society, we often
consider our young and elderly
among the most vulnerable.
Approximately 1.5 million
people reside in Bronx
County. A recent age demographic
breakdown showed
13% of our residents are over
age 65, 24% under age 18, with
8% of those being under age 5.
It is plausible to suggest that
25% of our population could
be labeled vulnerable.
In March 2020, for the
ninth consecutive year, the
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
rated the Bronx the
unhealthiest county in New
York State. According to 2018
data released by ProPublica,
Bronx County has approximately
4,000 hospital beds
and an 80% average daily
capacity. In the event of an
unforeseen crisis the “prepandemic”
Bronx had an estimated
800 available hospital
beds. The poor health
rating of our borough with
potentially 375,000 people in
the risk category and a shortage
of hospital bed space are
reasons for concern. These
factors are justifi cation for
studies to determine the accessibility,
adequacy and effi
ciency of hospital resources
in Bronx County.
DETOX CLOSURES
As previously reported
in The City and local news
Bronx 12, purported lack of
use and high costs forced the
closures of inpatient detox
units in all 11 NYC-run hospitals.
Although none of the
Bronx facilities had dedicated
detox units, these facilities
treated patients in traditional
hospital settings. Opponents
to these closures believe
losses of hospital-based inpatient
detox services will eventually
place additional stress
on overburdened emergency
rooms. In addition, their discontinuations
will likely increase
the number of ineffective
outpatient substance
abuse treatment facilities in
our communities.
Statistics from the World
Health Organization and National
Institute of Health indicates
the current outpatient
model has an insuffi cient 30%
success rate. Outpatient substance
abuse treatment facilities
are businesses of which
many operate under the nonprofi
t umbrella. These businesses
are part of a lucrative
multibillion dollar industry
and frequently face staunch
community resistance. Past
community battles against
Miracle City and Carnegie
Hill bear witness to this confrontational
dynamic.
This begs the question: Is
a plan for consolidation, not
elimination, of inpatient substance
abuse treatment services
a practical option? Consolidation
could defray costs
while bringing improved and
increased services to those
addled by substance abuse.
Better services could bring a
better chance of recovery to
those in situations where the
odds of positive results remain
less than a coin toss.
Community Footnotes
Our traditional polling
location, Knights of Columbus
at 3243 Ampere Ave., will
be open for voting on Election
Day. Please exercise
this important right. There
is a continued increase in
petty thefts and vandalisms
throughout the 45th Precinct
footprint. Video evidence
on social media shows nefarious
individuals nosing
around parked vehicles and
encroaching on private property
during the overnight
hours. Do not become a victim.
Please lock car doors
and remove all valuables
upon exiting your vehicle.
Thank you to Councilman
Mark Gjonaj and staff for
their numerous community
cleanups, mask/sanitizer
giveaways and unwavering
support for small businesses
throughout our district. It
is evident our hardworking
councilman is dedicated to
making our community
safer, cleaner and better.
Our community has traditionally
exhibited a “we are
family” attitude. Now is the
time to let it shine through
the fog of uncertainty. Communicate,
make that phone
call, text message, or email.
Please check on family, friend
and neighbors, especially the
elderly and vulnerable. This
virus is indiscriminate, follow
protocols, always implement
cautious contact,
cleanliness and common
sense. Any area homeowner
or renter interested in membership
to the all=inclusive
Spencer Estate Civic Association,
inbox George Havranek
on Facebook or send email to
spencerestatecivic@gmail.
com. Remember: “Inclusion
brings solutions.”
CIVIC CENTER
Spencer Estate Civic
Association
Call 718.260.2555
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