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Feb 11, 2011

Case Of Mistaken Identity Rocks NY Man's Reputation

 


Case Of Mistaken Identity Rocks NY Man's Reputation

COLD SPRING, N.Y. (CBS 2) -- A bizarre coincidence has one upstate man trying to convince his neighbors he's not an accused child molester.

With the same age, same family status, and same name, Robert Viggiano has become a shocked victim of mistaken identity in Putnam County, reports CBS 2's Lou Young.

"We're just trying to get the word out that it's a different Robert Viggiano, that's all," he said.

Robert L. Viggiano has been on the phone for two days, trying to convince people that he's not Robert S. Viggiano, who was arrested for allegedly soliciting sex with a 10-year-old girl in Yonkers this week.

The two Robert Viggianos are not related and have never met, even though they live just ten miles apart and share a number of remarkable similarities.

"We're both in Cold Spring, we both have the same exact hame, we're both married with two kids, we're both contractors," Robert L. Viggiano said. "It's beyond weird."

The enormity of it all struck him in Briarcliff, as he was doing plumbing work at a pediatric dentists' office. The horror descended, as stuffed animals looked on.

"Robert's name came on the radio," dentist Dr. David Weiss said. "I looked at him and I said, 'what,' and he said, 'it's not me,' vehemently denied that it was him."

"I don't know what they thought. It didn't sound good, and they didn't look happy," Viggiano said. "It actually made me feel guilty."

At one point, Viggiano said, reporters even came to his neighborhood, knocking on neighbors' doors to let them know who lives on the block. They literally brought the case of mistaken identity to his very doorstep.

"Right away we were horrified and shocked," neighbor Sharon DiPalo said. "It was scary – we know him."

It is such a horrible misunderstanding that the other Robert Viggiano's wife even called to apologize for the mix-up. Robert L. Viggiano said that's helped put things in perspective.

"For his family, my heart goes out to them," he said. "I'm getting not even a fraction of what they're going through, and it's hell."

Robert S. Viggiano, the accused suspect, is being held without bail at Westchester County Jail.

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Thank you and remember: 

Peace is patriotic!

Michael Santomauro
253 W. 72nd Street
New York, NY 10023

Call anytime: 917-974-6367

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ReporterNotebook@Gmail.com

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UNESCO strugles with Free Expresion

 

 

 

Bradley R. Smith, Publisher
Smith's Report on the Holocaust Controversy
PO Box 439016
San Ysidro, CA  92143
 
Tel:  209 682 5327
Blog: http://bradleysmithsblog.blogspot.com/
Web: www.codoh.com
 
                                     UNESCO Symposium and Conference
                                    on Freedom of Expression
 

 

"UNESCO promotes freedom of expression and freedom of the press as a basic human right, through sensitization and monitoring activities. It also fosters media independence and pluralism as prerequisites and major factors of democratization by providing advisory services on media legislation and sensitizing governments, parliamentarians and other decision-makers."

Following are four letters sent to leading participants of this UNESCO Symposium and copied to personnel in UNESCO Headquarters and to its field offices throughout the world. The letters went to:  Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO.

Frank La Rue, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression. Jean-François Julliard, Secretary General, Reporters Without Borders.
 

At this point the Secretary-General opened the Symposium with a talk significantly focused on Free Expression. Free Expression here, Free Press there, Free Speech here, again and again. It was unbelievably blind to the issues of free expression in Europe so I have included it here, with my response.

It is understood that Ms. Bokova will not respond publicly to criticisms of her actions with regard to freedom of expression. The purpose of these letters from CODOH is to make the hypocrisy of UNESCO claims about supporting freedom of expression, when it does so only for some, will be obvious to her associates worldwide. The awareness of this double standard will drift from office to office and, if we stay with it, will slowly rise up through UNESCO bureaucratic ranks to—where?
 

The vast majority of UNESCO field offices are outside the European Union and North America—in short, out in the big world where accusations of anti-Semitism are growing increasingly ineffective.

Read more

 NOTE:  If you have questions about the conflict between the ideal of free expression, as stated in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the Holocaust question, get in touch. 

 

 





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Thank you and remember: 

Peace is patriotic!

Michael Santomauro
253 W. 72nd Street
New York, NY 10023

Call anytime: 917-974-6367

E-mail me anything:
ReporterNotebook@Gmail.com

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Reflections

 
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We congratulate the Egyptian people

 


Council for the National Interest Foundation

The Council for the National Interest congratulates the Egyptian people who joined together from every sector of society – Muslims, Christians, old, young, professional, poverty-stricken, religious, secular – to overthrow a despot who had controlled their country for 30 long, oppressive years. We applaud their courage, determination, and perseverance, grieve for those who lost their lives in this struggle for freedom, and extend our deepest hope that Egyptian democracy will now finally have a chance to flourish.

We call on our own governmental representatives, from across the political spectrum, to endorse the Egyptian people's monumental achievement and to pledge our nation's full support for freedom and self-determination for Egyptians.

It is time to reconsider current U.S. Middle East Policies that bolster and rely on despotic regimes, assigning them "moderate" labels based solely on their willingness to accomodate Israeli interests. Real long-term American interests are served by supporting free democratic forces in the Arab and Muslim worlds, not by alliance with autocrats and oppressive governments.

Please see some of our recent articles on this topic:

Alison Weir: Egypt, the US and the Israel Lobby

Phil Giraldi on Egypt: Let's Go to Plan B

Paul Findley: Silver Lining in Egypt's Dark Cloud





--


Thank you and remember: 

Peace is patriotic!

Michael Santomauro
253 W. 72nd Street
New York, NY 10023

Call anytime: 917-974-6367

E-mail me anything:
ReporterNotebook@Gmail.com

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The Wiesenthal Center -- Rabbi Cooper

 

March 2000
Volume XXVI, Number 2

VBA Leadership for 2000

http://216.230.13.18/mar00.htm

Meeting Close-Up: The Dark Side of the Net

Caroline Bolte

While the Internet has made it possible for millions worldwide to access a wealth of information and technology, it has also created troubling problems for modern society. At the VBA Annual Meeting on January 14, two general sessions focused on the topics of online hate speech and cybercrime.

"The best response to hate speech is more speech," said Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center's Museum of Tolerance. According to the Los Angeles-based Cooper, there are only about 25,000 to 40,000 extremists in the United States—a small group in the general population. More problematic, though, are the more than 2000 easily accessible hate-speech sites on the Internet. "Some of these sites are targeting children as young as nine or 10 years of age."

To disastrous results. "[The massacre at] Columbine would not have happened without the Internet," said Rabbi Cooper, adding that the Wiesenthal Center accessed one student gunman's computer three hours after the shooting took place. "Harris and Klebold had created a version of the game 'Doom' that was a practice session for a mass execution."

Hate sites allow their creators to have a public presence, yet remain detached from whatever mayhem may ensue. Such was the case of Midwestern serial killer Benjamin Smith, who was linked to the World Church of the Creator ("which really hates Christianity"). When questioned by reporters following Smith's shooting spree, World Church leader Matt Hale stated only that Smith had moved away from the group. 

Internet hate sites appeal to such reclusive "lone wolves," more so than mass movements. One hate group's motto is "If there is a threat to the white race in America, you can do anything," be it a hate crime or domestic terrorism. 

Without librarians to monitor Internet usage, young students may find themselves using hate sites for research. Rabbi Cooper described one website, www.mlking.org, which at first appears to be a legitimate site devoted to the late Martin Luther King Jr.—but is actually run by extremists to denigrate Dr. King's life and work.

The Wiesenthal Center recently persuaded online booksellers to stop selling Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf in Germany, a violation of German anti-Nazi laws. The Center also helped close 90 hate sites set up through the "Yahoo Club" website-creation format. "We asked the people at Yahoo.com, 'Do you have rules for Yahoo Clubs? Do you have contracts?' They didn't know.

"The Web is not a debating society. It's there for marketing and advertising. We need to apply pre-Net rules: create a policy and stick to it," said Rabbi Cooper. "The Wiesenthal Center is not looking to regulate the Internet, but it is important to put a crimp into hate sites. Americans have a right not to do business with those who promote hate."

To illustrate his perspective, Rabbi Cooper referred to the Old Testament. "The story of the Tower of Babel makes us question: Should humanity be in the service of technology, or should technology be in service to humanity?"

In closing, Rabbi Cooper quoted the scholar Maimonides. "It is a mitzvah (praiseworthy deed) to ask those who come before you in judgment, 'Are you interested in compromise?' If you can get the parties to compromise, you seek peace and justice. What kind of justice also includes peace? Compromise."

Online hate speech is alarming enough, but the specters of cybercrime and cyberterrorism are even more so. 

"This is a whole new form of warfare where everyone is a target," said James Adams, CEO of Infrastructure Defense, Inc., adding that "one of the most potent weapons available is a laptop computer... Never in history has there been a time like this. The technological revolution is marching forward, but I don't see government matching its pace."

James Dempsey, senior staff counsel at Washington's Center for Democracy and Technology, pointed out that one important trend of the Internet Age is that law enforcement officers are now dealing with situations previously left to national security forces.

Stevan Mitchell of the U.S. Department of Justice referred to the 1997 report of the President's Commission on Critical Infrastructure Protection, which recognized an increasing risk of cybercrime and recommended starter measures to improve government assurance efforts, enable the private sector to take protective action, and overcome legal impediments.

Jeffrey Hunker, senior director of the Infrastructure Protection National Security Council, advocated partnerships as a means of addressing cybercrime issues. "We are starting a partnership in which we will recruit college students to concentrate in cybersecurity issues, with the understanding that they will work for the government for a set number of years. In return, the government pays for their education." 

He emphasized the need for local, national and international agendas on cybersecurity issues. "Speed—of technology, of policy—is the key." 

Editor's Note: In February, less than a month after the cybercrime program at the VBA Annual Meeting, computer vandals attacked some of the most widely-used sites on the Internet.


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Thank you and remember: 

Peace is patriotic!

Michael Santomauro
253 W. 72nd Street
New York, NY 10023

Call anytime: 917-974-6367

E-mail me anything:
ReporterNotebook@Gmail.com

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Egyptians Unseat the Pharaoh -- Sorry Rabbi Cooper...

 

Rabbi Cooper: "The Web is not a debating society. It's there for marketing and advertising."

Thought for the Day:  "The Web is not a debating society. 
It's there for marketing and advertising. We need to apply 
pre-Net rules: create a policy and stick to it."  
-- Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean of the Simon 
Wiesenthal Center, in a presentation at the Virginia Bar 
Association Annual Meeting on January 14, 2000. 
















Peace.
Michael Santomauro 
@ 917-974-6367 

What sort of TRUTH is it that crushes the freedom to seek the truth?

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Egyptians Unseat the PHARAOH --- SORRY Rabbi Cooper.

 

Rabbi Cooper: "The Web is not a debating society. It's there for marketing and advertising."

Thought for the Day:  "The Web is not a debating society. It's there for marketing and advertising. We need to apply pre-Net rules: create a policy and stick to it."  -- Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, in a presentation at the Virginia Bar Association Annual Meeting on January 14, 2000. 
LINK:


++++

Wael Nawara

Wael Nawara

Egyptian writer

Posted: February 11, 2011 12:31 PM


For the first time in their history, the people of Egypt remove their ruler through peaceful protests that lasted for 18 days. Having used the term peaceful, around 350 died and more than 5,000 were injured as police used excessive force including tear gas bombs, rubber bullets and even live ammunition at many instances.

In a short televised address to the nation, Omar Suleiman, who was vice president for only a week and a half, announced that President Mubarak would step down, handing his authority to the army. The army had earlier announced that it supports and guarantees the demands and aspirations of the Egyptian people.

Barely before the statement was over, Egyptians took to the streets, waving Egyptian flags, cars blowing their horns, protesters jumping up and down in Tahrir Square, celebrating the achievements of the "revolution." The Egyptian people have made it. They challenged a formidable police state and a vicious security apparatus and came out victorious.

What comes next is crucial. Egyptians hope that the army will reiterate its commitment to giving the Egyptian people what they fought for, a civil state and democracy. Egyptians have asserted their power and the nature of the relationship between the people and the state will change forever. We hope that the army will learn from Mubarak's mistakes. Mubarak was consistently one week behind with his offers to the people. We hope the military will give the people exactly what they want -- dignity and self-rule.

Egyptians hope that the army will form a transition government of national unity and/or a presidential council of civilians and military people with a limited mandate and a clear timetable. The purpose of the transition is to draft a new constitution, amend political laws, dismantle the oppressive regime's arms and install new democratic institutions, where free and fair elections will mark successful completion of the transition and the revolution.

This is a historical moment. Egyptians, empowered by technology, Facebook, Twitter and mobile communication ended the 30-year-long regime of Mubarak in just 18 days! There have been many sacrifices, human, economic and social. But from this ordeal, Egypt was delivered, reborn and will hopefully emerge as a healthy nation with an awakened spirit. 

 

Follow Wael Nawara on Twitter: www.twitter.com/wnawara


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Thank you and remember: 

Peace is patriotic!

Michael Santomauro
253 W. 72nd Street
New York, NY 10023

Call anytime: 917-974-6367

E-mail me anything:
ReporterNotebook@Gmail.com

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