From time to time, officials in our twin governments, complain that people commenting on Talk of the Sound use pseudonyms. While I encourage people to register under their own names I allow people to use pseudonyms because they RIGHTFULLY FEAR their own local governments — the municipal government or the school district government.
What sort of community do we live in where residents live in fear of their government? A woman on Stephenson Boulevard harassed mercilessly by members of the New Rochelle police department in a campaign orchestrated by the administrator of the City Court? A building inspector threatening residents, extorting them for bribes. A school administrator repeatedly raping a young boy in his office despite numerous complaints to the Superintendent and Board of Education.
In my run for school board last spring, many of the merchants who displayed my campaign sign in their windows were threatened with financial retribution if they continued to display the signs, a local nursery received a “visit” from Noam Bramson and Jared Rice days after displaying my signs on their lawn (the nursery is no where near Rice’s district). The sign that drew Bramson’s attention was repeatedly torn down, put back up, and torn down again. A Bramson supporter and two children were eventually caught in the act of removing the sign and given a warning by the New Rochelle police department. In this current campaign I have heard from many residents who wish to support a City Council candidate not supported by the Mayor but are afraid of what might happen if they do. We will have more soon about “selective enforcement” on line-of-sight traffic triangles that explains why people are right to fear Bramson, Inc. because they will take retribution, early and often.
In an email the other day, a Talk of the Sound reader recalls a past encounter with Noam Bramson (not disclosed here due to his concerns about retribution from Noam) and explained why they would be reluctant to register as a commenter and post criticism of government officials in New Rochelle.
Noam’s response was a painful reminder of the hissy fits the mayor has had in the past when he doesn’t get his way or if you simply disagree with him. If you’ve never encountered them, its hard to imagine, but once you have its plain to see that Noam is a control freak who can’t handle criticism or dissent which is the hallmark of our democracy. If no one presents opposing ideas, then we aren’t making decisions.
Pay back is a bitch, just look at what they did to St. Paul. I’d rather not be on the wrong side and get accused of something. As with all business owners, we must play the game with whoever’s in charge and sit on the fence most of the time.
In making the rounds of New Rochelle over the past several years as the publisher of Talk of the Sound, I have routinely encountered these concerns among residents and business owners.
In the movie, V for Vendetta, “V” paraphrases Thomas Jefferson who wrote:
When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.
“V” is explaining why he announced on British TV that he was going to blow up parliament on November 5th (Guy Fawkes Day) as see in this YouTube video:
If you want to understand the mindset that inspired Talk of the Sound, watch the video.
