19 Comments
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Nic Brown's avatar

Simonelli is his own insider. He was on the SCSD's Equity Team. It's my understanding that he took suggestions for reading materials from COMMUNITY participants and passed them off as coming from the school board. Since Simonelli is running for office this year, it's clear to me that this was all a publicity stunt to further his own political career (at the expense of the children).

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a st. james bb's avatar

I grew up in St. James. Patio Pizza was my spot, at least twice a week. This depiction matches the culture of this town, of the district of Smithtown, and of Suffolk County. It is a powder keg, for sure! The culture is aggressive, often on the verge of violence, and racist, from coded to blatant. It is misogynist, homophobic, and transphobic, from coded to blatant. They are the loud minority, and they are organizing.

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You’re a snowflake's avatar

Leave the loser.

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Kristin MB Robinson's avatar

There was so much more to this, I should know, I'm the Patio Pizza girl.. It's been a long arduous journey but necessary.

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Nic Brown's avatar

Any truth to these three being leaders of the alt-right group No Left Turn in Education? They're the ones who don't want grade schoolers learning about Ruby Bridges because "history should be taught without references to race."

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You’re a snowflake's avatar

This is the most ridiculous garbage I’ve read in awhile. Get a grip nod you’re going to write such garbage you should at least share your real name.

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Crazycuckservatives's avatar

Oh oh! We found one in the wild, in his natural state of offense too! Be careful.. this one is ready to pounce, already frothing at the mouth jumping to attacks and smears, regurgitating the rally calls for his kinship. "A snowflake!," they muttered under their breath, as they clutched their pearls, while simultaneously trying to prove to the world they are not the offended party.

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Jennifer's avatar

This has to be a joke. So overly dramatic….I wonder if the author had a thesaurus open the entire time? It’s just another attempt to make Smithtown residents feel bad for working hard, not accepting handouts, being family oriented and highly educated and wanting to raise children in a safe neighborhood. We’re so horrible…

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Kevin.'s avatar

Yeah, lots of our neighbors really are that horrible, or uneducated, or just scared. I think most are just scared. They don't think they are racist, they think that all cops are good, and the role of teachers is supposed to be very limited and certainly doesn't include challenging their children.

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F.X. LEACH's avatar

Yes. It’s fear and a constant capitulation and regurgitation of agenda-driven partisan news. Not to mention... the Save Our Schools platform and other propaganda posted would put forth notions that things would be taught to children ... but the items they cited again and again was just items for teachers to read or at least have as resource for themselves. That glaring detail was ignored again and again. So it is hilarious to be called overly-dramatic when the entire enterprise was melodrama and built on fear and ignorance. The hypocrisy is simply stunning.

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Jennifer's avatar

I love how when those deemed “ conservative ” speak up and don’t agree with the other end of the spectrum they’re called hypocritical,scared and ignorant ….and if you don’t agree with them you must be transphobic, homophobic, racist and violent…how does that sound for ignorant? At least back in the Reagan era we treated each other with courtesy and respect. I refuse to get into a back and forth with people so closed minded they can’t have an adult conversation without name calling and false labeling….you vote, you graciously deal with the consequences…one shouldn’t whine about them.

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F.X. LEACH's avatar

A true conservative is someone fact-based. Fake conservatives are just knee-jerk reacting to everything defensively. A true liberal is also someone fact- based. Or else they just fall into the same knee-jerk overreaction hole.

So let me know where that fact-based and calm/cool/collected dialogue was done with the Smithtown Board of Education election. I wait with bated breath for the shining examples of debate of issues and items without conflation, loaded words, and underhanded tactics. For example: when those candidates for the board ignored Meet The Candidate Night, and decided to go to Patio Pizza for an organized event by the worst examples of what you just cited about “courtesy” and “respect”. It’s not about Republican vs Democrat. It’s about how those differences are deliberately taking advantage of with a crass hyperbole witch-hunt mentality. It was purposely done that way. It was a disservice to the town, the Smithtown families, and most of all the children who are left dangling over this partisan debasement which is all about power and could not care less of the damage done.

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You’re a snowflake's avatar

Where are your facts. This piece is a bunch of feelings you snowflake.

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F.X. LEACH's avatar

All revved up with no place to go?

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Scott's avatar

Snowflakes are the Maga nuts still crying into their confederate flags.

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Scott's avatar

Both sides have ignorance, but so called conservatives have literally just created an alternate reality of facts lead by Facebook and Fox. If you actually did 5 minutes of research on any of their favorite topics you would see the facts don't hold up at all. From election fraud, to socialist takeover, and BLM protests. I'll take liberals forcing stupid pronouns games on us versus republicans actively looking to destroy our democracy because they didn't get their way.

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Scott's avatar

No you're just a bunch of racist, selfish, ignorant, assholes. Glad I moved to Commack instead, town is white trash central now.

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Billy's avatar

affluent middle class?? Is that really a thing< An oxymoron??

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F.X. LEACH's avatar

Well since the middle class keeps moving down the food chain along with everyone else, and Long Island’s premium cost of living/taxes, one can certainly see that “affluence” dissipating with the wind. BUT if we then compare to more ethnically diverse places on LI, suddenly there are big differences. Maybe upper-middle class would have been a better term.

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