Phil Orenstein

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Time to Wake Up

Time to Wake Up

By Sgt. Eric Spinner

These are serious times. We have just begun reappearing in public after a Covid-19 pandemic.  We’re learning how to live the ‘new normal’ that’s been thrust upon us by the CDC, which didn’t really figure out this challenge until it was too late, and then gave us guidelines that may have hurt us even more- there is no ‘herd immunity’ which would have been a natural outcome of getting infected.  We’re trying to survive the draconian orders of our NY governor and a disaster of a NYC mayor.  Understood, there are dangers, but isolation has left a vast majority of our population at risk of a new round of infections.  Was the advice of our NY governor, who failed to plan for the long-predicted pandemic in favor of failed projects, the right way to go?  Was it right to completely stifle the economy and business thereby creating mass poverty?  The court is still out on that and only time will tell.

Add to the pandemic another tragic death in Minneapolis by an overzealous officer, one who likely should not have been on the police force.  To me, the video of an officer sworn to uphold the law with his knee on the neck of an already-subdued and handcuffed George Floyd was personally sickening, and it should cause the same reaction in anyone of good conscience.  Whether Mr. Floyd was guilty of any crime or infraction then became moot- and the failure of other officers on the scene to intercede in this brutality and hate amounted to aiding and abetting murder at worst, and manslaughter at best. The situation has now risen to a new level of insanity and misdeed, especially for those domestic terrorists funded by those who would destroy our country.

I get it!  Black lives matter!  And white lives, and yellow lives, and red lives – ALL LIVES MATTER!  How many on a protest line really understand the significance of their protest?  How many of them are like sheep lured into violence by paid agitators?  How many simply follow the herd as they are manipulated by the likes of ANTIFA and their agitators?  It’s time for people to get back in control of their actions.

On Tuesday afternoon I passed the New Hyde Park Village Hall where about 40-50 young people were marching and carrying signs in protest.  But understand that there have been no incidents of overt hate in New Hyde Park for the 25 years since I moved here, and protesting in front of our village hall really doesn’t accomplish much.  Perhaps some of these protesters might want to try to sit down at a computer and write a letter to their elected representatives in Albany, NY or Washington, DC and offer their suggestions for how to solve these problems.  I wonder, however, how many of them even understand history, or are familiar with who their representatives are.

If they insist on protesting, at least them resolve to be peaceful as they were in Merrick on June 3rd.  The criminal behavior of the mobs does little to promote peace and change and will only anger the public.  One has only to look back to the civil rights marches of the 1960s to understand that violence only begets violence.  I served in the National Guard and was trained to handle the riots of the 1960s, but I was also brought up to believe in my fellow man.  I will not prejudge anybody.  Everyone deserves respect, but it must be a two-way street.  To the protesters, I say to be a positive force for change- speak out.  But first, understand what you argue for.  We still live in the greatest country in the world, with imperfections, but I would not want to live anywhere else.  As Americans, we all need to pull together for the common good.  Change must be peaceful, but it also must be legitimate change.

Sgt Eric Spinner, proud US Army Veteran and one of the directors of the NY Metro Chapter of ACT for America


Call Your Elected Officials on Public Safety and Rioting

Call your elected officials and ask them about the rioting, looting and your personal safety.  Democrats have abdicated their duty to keep us safe.  They are turning criminals loose on the streets.  Many have turned against our police who are the protectors of our communities, and are pushing to defund them. But if your elected officials don’t hear from you they are going to think it is perfectly okay.  So call each of them, local, state, and federal and voice your concerns.  This isn’t about George Floyd.  This is about public safety.

ASK THESE QUESTIONS:

1.  I’m concerned about my family’s personal safety.  What are you doing to keep our neighborhood safe amid the rioting, looting and anarchist violence?

2.  What are you doing to stop turning criminals loose on the streets?

3.  What are you doing to stop the mayor’s plan to defund the police? 

4.  What are you doing to open our synagogues and churches, schools, restaurants, gyms and beaches now?

CALL:

Governor Andrew Cuomo 518-474-8390
Attorney General Letitia James 800-771-7755
Mayor Bill de Blasio 212-788-3000
NYC Public Advocate Jumaane Williams 212-669-7200
Find your New York State Assembly member here
Find your New York State Senator here.
Find your New York City Council Member here
Find your Congress Member here

Carefully document the date, time, who you spoke to, and how they answered and email it to INFO@qvgop.org. We are going to use this information in future campaigns. 


We Mourn the Passing of Heroic War Veteran Lt. Col. John W. Peterkin

We Mourn the Passing of Heroic War Veteran
Lt. Col. John W. Peterkin

It is with the deepest sadness we announce Lt. Colonel John W. Peterkin passed away on Saturday morning, June 6, 2020. LTC Peterkin was our beloved friend, freedom-loving patriot and decorated heroic war veteran, long standing member of the Queens Village Republican Club, “Veteran of the Year” honoree at the 139th Anniversary Lincoln Day Dinner, U.S. Navy WWII Veteran, U.S. Army Korean War Veteran, U.S. Army Vietnam War Veteran, U.S. Army, Infantry, Retired, and New York City Police Officer, Retired.

He was one of the greatest, kindest and most beautiful souls we have ever known, always caring, always high spirited, always giving, loving his family and friends, active and involved in Veterans causes and Republican campaigns until his last moments. We love him and will miss him dearly. R.I.P. our dear friend and great American hero. 

 

 

WE REMEMBER LT. COL. JOHN W. PETERKIN

Photos and Complete Bio on the Occasion of the Honoring of LTC John Peterkin as “Veteran of the Year” at the 139th Anniversary Lincoln Dinner, February 9, 2014

For a lifetime of service to his city, state and nation in his U.S. military and civilian careers in the City of New York, Lt. Col. John W. Peterkin is highly deserving of the “Veteran of the Year” award and the praise and gratitude of all Americans.

Veteran of the Year Honoree, Lt. Col. John W. Peterkin

Lieutenant Colonel John W. Peterkin (Ret.) U.S. Army, a decorated war hero who served in WW II, the Korean War and Vietnam, leads a humble life in the charming Village of Bellerose Manor, Queens.  A descendant of Jamaican, Native American and African heritage, John lives with his Vietnamese wife, Ngoc Thi, and his two sons, Captain Sylburn Van Peterkin, who serves in the U.S. Army Reserves and as a Police Officer for the City of New York, and Captain James Van Peterkin Thach (Ret.) U.S. Army, who was seriously wounded while serving in Iraq, and now supports the Wounded Veteran Initiative helping his fellow veterans.

Only the limited circle of John’s closest friends and family have known of his lifetime of service to our city, state and nation up until now. He now has the opportunity to tell his story given the occasion of being honored at the gala Lincoln Day Dinner on Feb. 9, hosted by the Queens Village Republican Club, of which he is a longtime member. With a stellar line-up of speakers in the elegant setting of the famous Antun’s of Queens Village, the Lincoln Day Dinner is a commemoration of our greatest American president and the father of the Republican Party, Abraham Lincoln.

A modest man, John realizes the value of passing on the baton to the next generation so they too will understand that freedom isn’t free. While many of his peers have long been deceased, he is still going strong at a ripe age of 86 and will speak out to share the heritage of our great warriors who have sacrificed life and limb so that freedom and democracy will live.

Grand Marshals of the 2014 Little Neck-Douglaston Memorial Day Parade

He served in WW II in June 1945 as a U.S. Navy Steward’s Mate, First Class, in the Pacific area of operations and was released from active duty in August 1946. John then served two combat tours in the Korean War from May 1950 when he was commissioned from the City College of New York ROTC program. He was sent to Fort Benning, Georgia, the U.S. Army Infantry School, where he received Basic Infantry Officers Training (BIOC) and went on to serve in Korea as a First Lieutenant. He was released from active duty in 1954.

John was recalled to active duty in Vietnam where he served two combat tours between 1968 and 1973 as a U.S. Army Major. His first tour of active combat in Vietnam was from 1969 to 1970, where he was a District Senior Advisor, responsible for directing a team of 3000 field personal to provide civilian and military assistance to 80,000 Vietnamese. He was then called to Puerto Rico, to serve as an advisor to the Puerto Rican Army Reserves. His second combat tour in Vietnam was from 1972 to 1973, after which he was reassigned to Fort Dix, U.S. Army training center in N.J., with the 9th Infantry Training Division. He was released from active duty October 1973 and reassigned to Fort Meade, Maryland as an Operations and Training Officer for Reserve Affairs on the General Staff. For his service in Vietnam, John received two Bronze Stars and two Air Medal awards. He received numerous service awards for every war and every area of operation in which he served.

For the next five years after his active military service, he traded his U.S. Army fatigues for a civil service uniform in the NYPD. He served the citizens of the City of New York as a Police Officer, Teacher in the Police Academy, and Criminal Investigator. As a Police Officer, he served in various Precincts throughout the city and affected over 5000 arrests resulting in a 70% conviction rate.

Since then up until the present time, John has been active in security operations, education and training on a management and executive level as Director of Security at New York City Technical College (CUNY), Senior Operations Manager at New York University, Security Operations Supervisor at Time Warner Inc., and Chief Operations Officer at First Central Security in Fresh Meadows, Queens.

September 11th Memorial Community Gathering On September 11, 2016 at Tribute Triangle Park in Glen Oaks Village

In the civil service sector John has been actively involved in public safety and security for several decades. His lifetime memberships in Veterans organizations include: the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled American Veterans, American Legion, Catholic War Veterans, Korean War Veterans, Knights of Columbus, Military Officers Association of America, National Association for Uniformed Services, 24th Infantry Division Association, Uniformed Services Disabled Retirees, and others. He sits on the boards of the 77th Reserve Officers Association at Fort Totten, the Hospice Care Network of Long Island and Queens, and the 307th Infantry Regiment Association at Fort Totten.

John’s broad educational background includes a BA from City College of New York, an MA from John Jay College of Criminal Justice. He is also a graduate of the US Army’s Command and General Staff College at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas and a graduate of the U.S. Dept. of State Senior Advisor Course.

For a lifetime of service to his city, state and nation in his U.S. military and civilian careers in the City of New York, Lt. Col. John W. Peterkin is highly deserving of the “Veteran of the Year” award and the praise and gratitude of all Americans. All local Veterans organizations and their membership are invited to participate in the honoring ceremony of Lt. Col. Peterkin at the commemorative Lincoln Day Dinner on Feb 9th.

Grand Marshal of Little Neck-Doglaston Memorial Day Parade

 


Democrats like the Mensheviks will go into the Dustbin of History

Statement of the Queens Village Republican Club
June 2, 2020

Democrats like the Mensheviks will go into the Dustbin of History

By Phil Orenstein

All it took was a spark, the tragic police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, to trigger the explosion of anger and frustration that the radical left exploited to orchestrate the violent insurrection across America they had been planning for months.

Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders and Vladimir Lenin

The radicals strike when then see weakness, and that is what they saw in the largely Democrat run cities where the major riots broke out. These professional agitators have a well-planned strategy for the violent takeover of America which they can never accomplish peacefully through elections.  Hours after the video of Floyd began circulating the internet, militant Antifa, Black Lives Matters cells and other radical socialist groups began deploying to Minnesota to riot, according to Andy Ngo, an American conservative journalist who studies the revolutionary tactics of the radical left. The anarchist-communist group, Antifa has perfected the art of rioting and chaos, first breaking store windows, calling in the looters, and then burning the place down. It is encouraging news that Antifa, whose stated goals are to abolish capitalism and law enforcement in America, will be designated as a terrorist organization as President Trump announced on Sunday May 31st.

Antifa and an amalgam of radical leftist movements in America including Black Lives Matter (BLM), Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL), and the Bernie Bros, have taken a page from Lenin’s playbook of the Bolshevik Revolution. They follow in the footsteps of murderous dictators such as Lenin, Castro, Mao, Pol Pot, and Maduro, who exploited the poverty, chaos and turmoil of their societies to take over through violent insurrections, since they could never achieve power through a peaceful election process.

History is repeating itself now as we are witnessing the battle of the moderates versus the radical left within the Democrat Party. Lenin’s totalitarian Bolsheviks split from the more moderate democratic Mensheviks, who were the popular establishment party, violently seized power, overthrew the Tsarist regime, and ultimately established the Soviet Union. Lenin hated the Mensheviks more than the Tsar, whom he had executed along with his entire family. Along with capitalism and democracy, Lenin annihilated the Mensheviks and sent them, as Trotsky chided “… into the dustbin of history!”

These radical socialist movements, all enthusiastic supporters of socialist Bernie Sanders during the Presidential Primaries, will not be supporting Joe Biden, as DSA and others stated. Similar to Lenin and the Mensheviks, the radical socialists hate the establishment Democrats more than the president. The political war the establishment Democrat-media complex waged against the Sanders presidential campaign and the system rigged against him to defeat him the second time, pushed them over the boiling point to set off “the powder keg that is growing all over this country,” in the words of Nina Turner, former top aide for Sander’s presidential campaign, inciting the flames of riot and revolt across the nation.

It’s ironic that the rioters attacked CNN Headquarters in Atlanta, since CNN promoted the righteousness of the riots. But CNN, the media arm of the Democrat establishment, played a major role in the defeat of Sanders. After his Nevada victory, Sanders was poised to sweep the nation and win the Democratic nomination.  Biden was dead in the water. This frightened the Democrat-media establishment, and CNN conspired with them to undermine the Sanders campaign, blasting his age, his health after a heart attack, his way too expensive Medicare and tuition reforms, his far leftist leanings, and alleging “sexism” at the CNN debate. It was a full court press to defeat Sanders as Super Tuesday was approaching. So former rivals united around Biden who all exited the race giving their endorsement, as the fear and trembling of a Sanders victory took hold. The leftists vowed that if the nomination was stolen, wait for the riots to start.

Most of the rioting is happening now in Democratic strongholds, as payback for their offences against the left. Chicago, Detroit, Baltimore, Minneapolis, St Louis, Washington DC, Cleveland, some of the most dangerous cites in America, now hotbeds of rioting and unrest have been totally controlled by the Democrat Party for 50 years or more. The radical socialists doing the looting, burning, and causing chaos, do not care about the poverty, unemployment, the failing schools, the crumbling infrastructure, over-regulated businesses, or the black, the poor or minority populations living there. Their aim is to create chaos and take over when the people are sufficiently cowed and afraid. Democrat mayors and governors are giving them carte blanche to create havoc and destroy property and human life, as did leftwing Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey who surrendered the Third Police Precinct to the rioters. On top of that, the son of Minnesota AG Keith Ellison, and City Council member, officially declared his support for Antifa. Voters throughout America need to rise up and kick out these soft-on-crime political has-beens.   

Democratic governors and mayors have been weak and spineless as the riots have consumed their cities and the people were left terrified and hopeless. The riot at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn was a well-organized attack orchestrated by radical socialist groups throwing bottles, bricks, Molotov cocktails and other debris at police. Police were injured, some almost killed, but that didn’t prevent Governor Cuomo, Mayor de Blasio as well as other elected officials from taking the side of the rioters and calling for an investigation into police responses, and Senator Gounares (D-Brooklyn) blaming the police when they were trying to defend themselves. Senator Michael Gianaris (D-Astoria) and many other New York City Democrat elected officials, said they will no longer accept campaign contributions from police unions and declared, “we deserve a police force that is held accountable for racist behavior.” Setting the stage for lawlessness and mayhem, New York City with its bail reform laws releasing criminals to the streets and emptying city jails, welcomes the professional agitators expediting their plunder.

In contrast, the mayors and governors of Republican cities and Trump strongholds, who refuse to placate the rioters, who are not afraid to stand up to the criminals and thugs looting and rioting in the streets of their cities, have set curfews and declared state of emergency orders early on and rioting has been curtailed. While Democrats have failed to protect American lives or property, Republicans have protected this country from foreign adversaries and domestic foes since 1861, when Abraham Lincoln, the first Republican president emancipated the slaves and won the Civil War. In 1864 he defeated the Democratic nominee, former General George McClellan who wanted to make peace with the South and discard the victory that Lincoln and the Union was about to achieve. Teddy Roosevelt saved this country with “big stick” diplomacy, built up our military, and made America a superpower. Eisenhower defeated the Nazis and stood up to the Soviet Union. Ronald Reagan defeated communism and the Soviet Union and won the Cold War. 

The Republican Party is historically the Party of law and order and strong defense. They have always championed the protection of the people and always will.  In 1968, the chaos and storming of the Democrat National Convention and the riots that shook the nation, paved the way for the victory of Richard Nixon who ran for president on a law and order platform. History is now repeating itself. On Monday June 1st, President Trump called himself “the president of law and order” and promised to restore security and safety and mobilize the United States military to American cities to stop the rioting and looting and protect the rights of Americans. When chaos happens, people seek law and order, and will vote for Republicans. Rudy Giuliani recently said: “Don’t elect progressive Democrats if you want to be safe.” Just like the Mensheviks, the Democrat Party is headed for the dustbin of history.

Phil Orenstein is the president of the Queens Village Republican Club. Established in 1875, it is America’s oldest Republican Club. www.QVGOP.org. Historian, Jerry Matacotta was the advisor for this article.


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