BY FRANK VERNUCCIO
Politicians and pundits
who would alter America’s
successful path to one that
resembles nations that have
failed politically and economically
62
have risen to power and
infl uence.
Monumental changes do
not always occur with fanfare
and explosive action. Sometimes,
they happen gradually,
as a result of actions that
seemed relatively inconsequential
at fi rst but develop
into extraordinary alterations
in the very fabric of society.
That is currently occurring
in the United States. Since the
1960s, radical takeovers of the
fi elds of education, journalism
and entertainment by individuals
and groups who have
a profoundly different view of
America than the majority has
had an undeniable impact.
At least two generations of
U.S. students have been taught
by educators who have an exceptionally
negative view of
the nation. Journalism, both
traditional and online, has
morphed from a profession
that originally sought to objectively
inform the public, to
one that preaches a predominantly
left-wing party line
to it. Hollywood has followed
that move, as well.
The result is a nation profoundly
divided and substantially
divorced from an accurate
view of its own legacy and
its current condition, a society
that has forgotten how it
achieved unprecedented success
and established the freest
population in history. The
left will point out the horrors
of slavery and segregation, but
ignores the reality that those
original sins, shared with the
rest of the world, have been
overcome. And yes, they have
been overcome. There is no
“systemic racism;” the isolated
acts of a small numbers of bad
actors cannot be imputed to
the country as a whole.
The intensity of this underreported
change towards the
radical left is stunning.
Consider the bizarre case
of New York City, as just one
example. Its mayor, Bill de Blasio,
defended and cheered on
the Soviet Union as it placed offensive
military equipment in
Nicaragua. He honeymooned
in Cuba, and can barely contain
his love for the Castro regime.
In 2019, he even quoted
a Cuban revolutionary slogan
during his abortive presidential
campaign.
It’s more than just an odd
foreign policy perspective. As
mayor, he disdains the very
essence of America, and the
protection of private property.
In 2017, he stated: “Our legal
system is structured to favor
private property…If I had
my druthers, the city government
would determine every
single plot of land, how development
would proceed. And
there would be very stringent
requirements around income
levels and rents. That’s a world
I’d love to see.”
De Blasio has used the
COVID crisis as an excuse to
continue his vendetta against
private business, doing everything
in his power to roadblock
the reopening of restaurants,
a key private sector
industry in the city.
This pivot towards extremist
policies is not limited to
outlier politicians. The former
vice chair of the Democratic
National Committee, Keith
Ellison, followed the harsh
policies of racial division advocated
by Louis Farrakhan.
Admitted socialists Bernie
Sanders and the “squad,” Alexandria
Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan
Omar, Ayanna Pressley,
and Rashida Tlaib are clearly
the ideological guideposts for
Democrat leadership.
Some may seek to portray
this harsh turn to authoritarian
socialism as a grass roots
progression. That couldn’t be
further from the truth.
The leftist’s false portrayal
of the justice system as overbearing
and racist has been a
key tenet of progressive philosophy.
This, as well as the release
of criminals from prison
under fl imsy excuses, and allowing
accused offenders to be
let loose without bail did not
occur naturally. The strategy
to accomplish this was well
planned and well fi nanced.
The Capital Research Center
explains:
“Financier and left-wing
philanthropist George Soros
contributed large sums to
progressive candidates running
for district attorney…
all around the country, apparently
in hopes of changing
the law enforcement system
at the county or district
level. Since 2015, he has spent
more than $17 million on district
attorney and other local
races in swing states… and
in large, predominantly leftof
center states such as California
and New York. In 2016,
Soros dropped $2,000,000 into
a single sheriff race in Maricopa
County, Arizona… These
huge contributions often make
it almost impossible for the
other candidates to compete
because district attorney elections
are on such a small scale
and the campaigns typically
do not need to raise millions
to run local ads and mobilize
voters.”
Editor’s note: All views in
this column refl ect the author’s
opinion and should be verifi ed
by outside sources.
CIVIC CENTER
COMACTA
BY GEORGE HAVRANEK
Political passions during
this election cycle reached feverish
levels. There is sincere
hope that these passionate illustrations
transfer to unifi ed
efforts that promote quality of
life in our communities. Community
= common unity.
Law enforcement is quintessential
to the fabric of community
safety and security.
Petty crimes and nuisance
issues top many community
complaint lists. The call
for modifi cation to law enforcement
practices and responsibilities
has resonated
throughout our nation. From
a community standpoint, it is
plausible that changes to our
Neighborhood Community Offi
cer programs are warranted.
A logical hypothesis: Around
the clock community policing
via the NYPD’s NCO Program
would create greater community
police presences and be
catalyst in building stronger
relationships between law enforcement
and the community
residents.
A February 2018 study by
Princeton University and supported
by the United States
Department of Justice and
National Organization of
Black Law Enforcement entitled
“More Cops, Less Crime”
concluded increased police
presence, not more aggressive
policing, brings widespread
community benefi ts.
The study revealed increased
police presence in one area is
likely to reduce crime in surrounding
areas. Researcher
Steven Mello stated, “The results
highlight that fi nancial
support from local, state and
federal governments for crime
prevention may offer large returns,
especially during bad
macroeconomic times.”
Funding to increase police
presences through robust
changes to NCO programs can
reap major dividends by revitalizing
NYPD- community
relationships, lowering crime
and curtailing irksome quality
of life nuisance issues. A
proper investment in law enforcement
can help our communities
thrive, not just survive.
Reference: Mello, Steven,
More COPS, Less Crime (February
13, 2018). Available at
SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=
2812701 or http://dx.doi.
org/10.2139/ssrn.2812701
Community footnotes:
Standing ovations for the
Board of Election staff at St
Francis de Chantal for the
diligent organized efforts that
made early voting pleasurable
experiences. This group set a
benchmark for others to follow.
Excellent job!
A tremendous decrease
in Halloween foot traffi c
throughout our footprint was
very noticeable. Certainly,
CV-19 protocols were causal
to this occurrence. Halloween
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, NOVVEMBER 6-12, 2020 BTR
is a tradition that elicits
many fond childhood memories.
The spirit of the day is
to bring smiles to the faces of
children. We sincerely hope
every child was smiling this
Halloween.
There is a continued increase
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, NOVVEMBER 6-12, 2020 BTR
in automobile thefts
and petty vandalisms
throughout the 45th Precinct
footprint. Be proactive: Lock
car doors and remove all valuables
upon exiting your vehicle.
Importantly, please report
all incidents to NYPD.
The cold weather is arriving.
Conduct seasonal maintenance.
Please replace batteries
in smoke-carbon monoxide
detectors, inspect boilers and
hot water heaters.
Health is wealth: Flu vaccines
are readily available;
please consult your physician
prior to making arrangements.
Meetings are canceled
until further notice. All paid
dues will be applied to 2021
memberships.
Our community has traditionally
exhibited a “we are
family” attitude. Communicate;
make that phone call,
text message, or email. Please
check on family, friends and
neighbors especially the elderly
and vulnerable. Any
area homeowner or renter interested
in membership to the
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
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