THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2019 FREE charlestown PATRIOT-BRIDGE Taking Back the Public Square: By Seth Daniel Straight Pride group seeking to promote They’ve been labeled Nazis, civil dialogue on social issues, free speech fascist, racists, evil-doers, and about every other negative mon- Happy and a former candidate tactic to shutdown opponents. iker one could hang on them, for City Council in Charlestown’s Doxed, he said, refers to a practice but the organizers behind last District 1, said by trying to pro- of calling an employer and pres- weekend’s Straight Pride Parade mote their free speech message – suring them to fire someone based (a group known as Super Happy which is heavily colored with sup- on their political or social stances. Fun America) said they are none port for President Donald Trump “We are a civil rights organi- of the above. – they have received death threats zation and a heterosexual rights In fact, during an interview and other such messages. group and that’s absolutely not preceding a lively press con- He said they have been “doxed” anti-LGBTQ,” he said. “There is ference on the grounds of the by groups associated with Antifa a difference. We’re not at all inter- Bunker Hill Monument Aug. 29, – a grass-roots counter-protest ested in what you do in your bed- members of Super Happy said movement that sometimes uses they simply want to promote the violence and intimidation as a idea of having people calmly talk (STRAIGHT PRIDE Pg. 3) about the issues facing American culture – in particular issues like Charlestown judge refuses DA’s request gender, sexuality and moral val- ues. to dismiss cases against protesters Samson Racioppi, chairman of the Board of Super Happy, By Seth Daniel on Tuesday night that he had said he lives in Greater Boston overstepped his role in the legal and studies law in the city, and as A Boston Municipal judge from process, and that she would fight a former military serviceman, he Charlestown is at the center of back against it. said he wants to end the identity the latest pushback against DA Judge Richard Sinnott, who politics that have hamstrung the Rachael Rollins’s new rules for was nominated by Gov. Charlie A member of Super Happy Fun America – which organized last week- public square. prosecution – as he denied her Baker in 2017, refused the request end’s Straight Pride Parade in Copley Square – faces off with an agi- “I think we chose to have office’s request this week to dis- by Rollins’s office to dismiss tator who opposed them during a press conference on the grounds of our press conference before the miss several cases against count- charges against seven people prior the Bunker Hill Monument on Thursday evening, Aug. 29, while being Parade at Bunker Hill because er-protesters arrested during the to arraignment in exchange for supervised by Santa Claus. Super Happy President John Hugo spoke of what it symbolizes and the Straight Pride Parade on Aug. 31. at the press conference and the group formed to protect free speech for history that happened here,” he It drew comments from her (JUDGE REFUSES Pg. 3) those that don’t fit the mainstream agenda. said, while sitting directly under the Monument on a park bench. “We tell people we’re a civil BACK TO SCHOOL BASH Harvard-Kent Elementary a finalist rights organization. We believe what we’re doing is the ignition for EdVesters School on the Move of a new, modern revolution. We’re are all in agreement that By Seth Daniel the Move prize,” said Gallagher. we need to remove the identi- “We’ll find out if we win some ty politics that is coming out The Harvard Kent Elementary time around Halloween. It’s a very of predominantly the (political) School has been named one of positive thing to be able to say left. And when I say revolution, three finalists citywide for the as we start the new school year. I mean revolution in terms of School on the Move Award, We’re very proud of our school.” an intellectual revolution…I and Principal Jason Gallagher said this Last year, the Donald McKay most of us are really just free week as the school prepared to Elementary in East Boston won speech advocates. This is not open its doors Sept. 5. the prize. Anti-LGBTQ at all. It’s pro-het- EdVesters invites schools to Each spring, EdVestors invites erosexual. That’s different. We apply for the School on the Move a select group of Boston public are very upset at corporations program and prize each year based schools to apply for the School on that want to include diversity on improving test scores and the Move Prize based on a rigor- for financial gain. Companies improving school culture. With ous quantitative screen of student like Netflix co-opted the LGBTQ Harvard Kent’s move to a Level achievement using historical and movement because they think 1 school and its continued success current state standardized assess- it can make them money. Our thereafter, the Charlestown school ment data. The criteria identify movement, in part, is pushing Photo by Marianne Salza was invited to compete for the schools with improvement that back against that…We’re taking Fifth-graders Devonte, Lukas, and Eden were ready to get back to prize. is substantially higher than their back the public square so we can school this year during the Warren-Prescott School’s annual Back to “This year we’re one of the have peaceful discourse.” School Bash on Tuesday, Sept. 3. Schools in Charlestown and across three finalists for the School on (FINALIST Pg. 3) John Hugo, president of Super the Boston Public School system opened today, Sept. 5, for the new term. 2 PAGE 2 THE CHARLESTOWN PATRIOT BRIDGE SEPTEMBER 5, 2019 editorial THE REAL AMERICAN CARNAGE Whenever a mass shooting occurs -- which is to say, fairly regularly somewhere in America these days -- investigators scour for clues as to the “motive” of the gunman. Often, as was the case in El Paso two weeks ago, the shooter espous- es some sort of political ideology, whether it be homegrown white na- tionalism or foreign-based anti-Americanism. On occasion, individuals with mental illness are the perpetrators. But just as often, as was the case in the country music shooting in Las Vegas two years ago, there is no discernible motive, other than that the shooter simply is unhappy and frustrated with his lot in life. That appears to have been the situation with this past weekend’s shooting spree in Texas by a 36-year-old man who was fired from his job and who was described by his neighbor as a loner. In short, the shooter fit a certain profile -- a young, white male with no money, no wife or girlfriend, no children, and no prospects. However, each and every one of these shootings, regardless of the perpetrator’s motive, have two things in common: Innocent Ameri- cans are being shot while going about their daily lives and the shooter had military-style weaponry that allowed him to kill and maim doz- ens of Americans with a single pull of the trigger. About 13,000 innocent Americans are slaughtered by guns every to the Editor year in this country. (There also are about 26,000 suicides by guns LETTERS each year). dicts, and the criminal element The city should stop being To put that 13,000 figure into perspective, that is almost twice the HAA RV RD-KENT SCHOOL SAYS in general. the enabler of derelict and inap- number of American soldiers who have been killed in the entirety of THANK YOU The Methadone Mile is out propriate behavior. Why should the quality of life of law-abiding the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. To the Editor: of control, overrun with the citizens be unjustly impacted by The Harvard-Kent Elementary same element. The bridge to Cumulatively over the past 15 years, 7000 American soldiers lost an unfortunate population of School students, families and par- Long Island is in limbo. This is their lives in our Mideast wars, while 200,000 innocent Americans people created and enabled to ents association are extremely not the west coast, not Los An- exist because of misguided phi- have been killed by gunfire right here in America. In addition to those thankful to the Spaulding-CNC geles, not San Francisco. This losophy that tells them that it’s who died, more than one million Americans have been shot and Community Partnership Fund. is what used to be Yankee Blue alright not to try to self-rely? On Aug. 28, we had our inaugu- Blood Boston, the very epit- wounded in the past 15 years. Of course there are people ral Back to School Block Party. ome of conservative thought who are mentally or emotion- When President Trump used the term, “American Carnage,” in his Major funding of this event was and appropriate behavior. Why ally comprised that need the as- Inaugural Address, it was not entirely clear what he was referring to. provided by the Spaulding-CNC are there so many unfortunate, sistance of effective government Community Partnership Fund. misguided individuals inhabit- However, given that more Americans are shot, killed, and maimed programs to help them survive. We had a tremendous turnout of ing the public areas of the city? by guns every year on their home soil than anywhere else in the world, Actively providing that assistance families and school staff who all Could it be because religion would be an important part of the our American Carnage is indeed, very real.