The so-called “Cancel Culture” movement continues to manipulate public discourse by censoring conservative voices. Online videos containing conservative viewpoints are being taken down without notice. Social media content that biased platform administrators believe “doesn’t make the cut”, are wiped clean. Accounts of online users are being banned from social media platforms for posting conservative content. If you haven’t already pieced together what the objective of “Cancel Culture” is, let me sum it up for you: policing content that is counter to far-left interests while asserting that free speech is restricted to a select cohort of people.

Their mission is not only about omitting conservative voices from the national conversation, it is also about creating a platform where unsubstantiated claims are now perceived as the truth. For example, look at the popular children’s television show, PAW Patrol, a cartoon series that teaches children the importance of community service. After calls to defund the police took hold across our country, this children’s television show faced backlash for highlighting the role of police in our communities. The prevailing argument against PAW Patrol was that it harbors bias for police officers and gave them a platform that was undeserving. The arguments of those who seek to ban viewpoints and disrupt constructive public discourse reek of petulance.

Our country has always fostered an open exchange of ideas, but when mob rule ensues and true to form objectivity is cast aside, the rot of public discourse begins. We must continue to foster constructive dialogue between one another without resorting to an outright ban on the voices we disagree with.

Success of The Tax Cuts & Jobs Act

In 2019, charitable giving in the United States reached near an all-time high thanks to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA). Giving USA, a seminal publication reporting on the sources and uses of charitable giving in the United States reported that giving rose to nearly $450 billion in 2019. While Speaker Pelosi called the TCJA the “GOP snake oil pitch”, the numbers say otherwise. Gifts of individuals rose nearly five percent, giving from foundations rose 2.5 percent, and giving from corporations increased to almost 14 percent.

From religious institutions to educational entities, health organizations to human services, there was a significant rise in philanthropic efforts. This massive tax reform did not deter charitable giving, it did the exact opposite. As the U.S. economy skyrocketed thanks to the TCJA, charitable giving followed suit.

New Scam Update

Are you applying for a job online? If so, it is likely that you have come across postings by scammers that are impersonating government employees. Misleading job postings that offer premium benefits and considerable compensation are populating online job-hunting sites. Prospective applicants will click on these links, submit personal information, and wait at length for a response only to find that their personal information has been stolen. To deter these bad actors and protect your personal information, here are a few tips:

1. Always be cognizant of online portals where you apply for different positions. If you’re applying for a government job, pay attention to the website on which you’re applying. Often, scammers will use third-party platforms that are separate from official government websites.

2. If the salary range and benefits of a job posting are far above average, compare the compensation package with similar positions in the field. If there are stark discrepancies between similar positions, then there’s a higher likelihood that the original posting is fraudulent.

3. Do NOT provide your personal information (Social Security Number, credit card information, etc.) during the application process unless you can verify that a job posting is legitimate.

Recent Events

Met vendor Doris Phillips at the Ashe County Farmers Market