Censorship in Harmony - Confirmed

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George Schiro

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Sep 27, 2018, 6:12:04 PM9/27/18
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Before getting started, I would like to note that Kerul Kassel is an elected
public official in Harmony (ie. a Harmony CDD Supervisor). She also happens
to be a Nextdoor "Lead" (since Kerul helped to get the Nextdoor Harmony
group started here, which she deserves credit for). In other words, Kerul
Kassel is now in a position to control the flow of information in Harmony.

Last year I detailed how an innocuous post about gun laws and mass shootings
(see "Deer Hunting", https://tinyurl.com/y75hllbt ) was removed from
Nextdoor by Kerul (see "Censorship in Harmony",
https://tinyurl.com/y7xnbvw3 ).

Bear in mind, what was removed from Nextdoor at that time by Kerul was not
the actual text of the "Deer Hunting" post, it was merely a pointer to the
full text. Here's what was actually posted and subsequently removed from
Nextdoor (in its entirety):

Deer Hunting
https://tinyurl.com/y75hllbt

Here are many more posts since 2006:
http://HarmonyFLcommons.com/News

Always remember, there is more than one side to every story.

So there was nothing to read about "Deer Hunting" unless you took the
initiative to click the link. This is true of most of my posts.

That was then.

Since then I've learned how to report such an action (ie. the removal of a
post that falls within Nextdoor guidelines) as an abuse of authority to the
Nextdoor support team.

Now we have an even more serious example of censorship, one that an
independent 3rd party (Nextdoor support) agrees should not have occurred
(ie. Kerul Kassel reporting a post for removal that falls within Nextdoor
guidelines).

Similar to how many others have posted ads on Nextdoor about various things
in our neighborhood, I recently I posted an ad about the Harmony Google
Newsgroup. My primary objective was to make others aware of future political
articles about the upcoming CDD election in Harmony.

Here's what I posted on Nextdoor a few weeks ago titled "Harmony History"
(in its entirety):

Harmony Florida Commons Newsgroup
https://HarmonyFLcommons.com/News

Unfiltered, Unblocked, Undeleted

Join and get emails about potentially touchy subjects
of importance to Harmony residents.

Easily unsubscribe anytime. It's a Google service, so
security and privacy are paramount.

Are you knowledgeable about what's been happening in
Harmony since 2006?

From Original Developer Promises
to Harmony's Charter School
to Harmony's Fire Station
to Bad Water in Harmony
to Corrupt Osceola School Board
to Pink Slime in School Lunches
to Developer Vandalism of Wikipedia
to Gigantic Gas Pipelines in Harmony
to CDD and HROA Elections

Join and stay informed, especially about upcoming
elections.

Feel free to pass along this invitation to anyone
interested.

Without advance warning or explanation (unlike the previous post removal),
Kerul Kassel had my "Harmony History" post unceremoniously removed.

When I asked for an explanation after-the-fact Kerul replied:

...

I reported your post to Nextdoor as being motivated by
gripes with the developer, the CDD, the HROA, and with
people who didn't agree with your gripes, whom you
characterized as being in the developer's pocket.

...

When I wrote years ago about "Pink Slime" in our children's school lunches,
the Osceola School Board responded by actually doing something about it (ie.
"Pink Slime" is no longer being served to our children). When I spoke to
Kerul about this specific issue when we met in person a year or so ago she
didn't understand how the "Pink Slime" topic had any value to Harmony
residents. She told me she would not have allowed such information to be
posted on Nextdoor. I was taken aback by such an attitude. I think any
parent would feel the same way. Yet Kerul proved her point by having even a
hint of this issue (among others) quickly removed from Nextdoor.

Was the removal of my "Harmony History" post an example of fair and
impartial group moderation? Or am I right in considering what Kerul Kassel
did as an act of censorship?

As I alluded to earlier, I figured out how to report Kerul to the Nextdoor
authorities. Here's the response I received back from "Gary" at Nextdoor
Support <he...@nextdoor.com>:

...

I've reviewed your post titled "Harmony History" and
found that it wasn't a violation of our Guidelines.
I've gone ahead and restored your post. When a post is
reported, Leads vote to remove the content if they
believe it's in violation of our Guidelines. If you
notice that your content is wrongly being removed,
please reach out to us and we'll review and take action
if appropriate.

...

Bottom line: Nextdoor itself agrees that the "Harmony History" post should
not have been removed. And Kerul Kassel's act of reporting such posts (mine
or anyone else's) results in their automatic removal (apparently without
review).

In my opinion that is censorship, plain and simple.

I will repeat what I wrote on this topic last year (again, see "Censorship
in Harmony", https://tinyurl.com/y7xnbvw3 ):

Does Kerul Kassel really believe she knows better?

Does she think Harmony residents need her help not to
see potentially contentious material?

Does Kerul really believe she is adult enough to handle
such material but other Harmony residents are not?

Censorship is a slippery slope folks. No one should
engage in such activity, especially not someone elected
to a public board and responsible for the integrity of
public information.

George Schiro

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Sep 28, 2018, 12:26:26 PM9/28/18
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As a matter of record (and before I made my first post on Nextdoor 2 years
ago), I promised Kerul Kassel that I would not get into contentious
back-and-forth exchanges on Nextdoor. I assured Kerul that I would not do
what her husband, David Leeman, is now doing: provoking a response on
Nextdoor. I have kept my promise. But of course, Leeman knows this. He knows
he is free to slam me or anyone else on Nextdoor while I am not free to do
the same there.

So if I respond on Nextdoor, that will be grounds for the "Censorship in
Harmony - Confirmed" post (on Nextdoor) to be removed by Leeman's wife,
Kerul. What a tag team! ;0)

But instead, I am responding here, where such exchanges are unfiltered,
unblocked and undeleted.

Here's what Leeman wrote on Nextdoor:

First, does anyone on this group care about what Mr
Schiro says in his own personal forum? Second it is
extremely hypocritical of Mr Schiro to complain about
censorship when he censors my posts on his Google group
all the time.

Needless to say, this is a false claim by David Leeman, one which he has
repeated many times. His wife Kerul has made the same false claim.

What the Kassel / Leemans always leave out of such pronouncements is the big
difference between fair group moderation (what I have done) and unfair
censorship (what Kerul Kassel has done).

This was all discussed in nauseating detail last year (see "Censorship in
But of course this is the usual longstanding Kassel / Leeman modus operandi.
They ignore the facts and just repeat over and over and over again what they
want others to believe is the truth, their truth (sound familiar?).

Dave, I would prefer that you not do your usual trolling thing on this
thread. Please feel free to start a new thread titled "Censorship
Discussion" and we can continue this exchange there (assuming you really
want to, that your real goal isn't just having my post on Nextdoor deleted).

George Schiro

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Sep 29, 2018, 7:40:45 PM9/29/18
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David Leeman is up to his old tricks. Again, knowing I can't respond on
Nextdoor, he wrote this (and had it emailed to everyone in the Nextdoor
Harmony group, even if his wife eventually has it removed from the website
in her efforts to appear "fair and impartial"):

Miss Marylin respect is a two way street. Mr Schiro
has never treated Kerul with respect, and deserves none
in return. The idea that she is censoring him is
laughable. And Kerul Kassel, you can have my comments
removed if you wish, but I will never be "neighborly"
to Mr Schiro after the lies he told about you in the
past.

In this regard (and others), Leeman is allot like our current US president.
He will repeat a false claim over and over again hoping that the false claim
(a claim proven false years ago) will eventually be considered the truth.

That said, I think Leeman has finally hit on the real truth of the Nextdoor
censorship matter. That truth is the real reason why his wife, Kerul Kassel,
an elected public official in Harmony, is so nervous about my posting on
Nextdoor.

The more nervous Kassel / Leeman gets, the nastier Leeman gets. And he can't
help but lash out in the hope that the truth about Kerul Kassel's
fundamental conflict of interest can be finally buried once and for all.

Of course we've been down this same road over and over and over again:

Look Who's Labeling Liars
http://tinyurl.com/mfakrxo

The Interview (on the Harmony Horse Amenity)
https://tinyurl.com/y8yoa9h6

You are one funny character Dave!
(see "Full Disclosure", http://tinyurl.com/7gvcu3j
- Sep 2018 - $76,000 and counting - so far!)

Kathy Ball

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Sep 29, 2018, 9:31:44 PM9/29/18
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It’s not even worth bringing up
That subject any more..... it’s not going to change and the handful of people that believe it are not enough to change. If the president can blatantly get away with it why not a lowly cdd repesenrative

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George Schiro

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Sep 29, 2018, 9:56:41 PM9/29/18
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For you Kathy, it's worth it. You are the only eye witness remaining in
Harmony who saw and knows what really happened here all those years ago.

Here's Leeman's latest post on Nextdoor:

Miss Marylin. I am respectful and kind to everyone
except Mr Schiro. He deserves neither. To treat him
like others would be ignoring his attempts to ruin
Kerul's reputation and turn her neighbors against her.
No one else in this town has said the things he's
written about her. If he's going to post here and link
to his lies I'm going to give him whatever grief I'm
able. Sorry if that's not rainbows and unicorns, but
don't worry, I'll most likely be kicked out of the
group for it soon.

Can you believe the gall of this guy?

What impact on your life would there have been Kathy if you could also have
benefited from $76,000 in free horse boarding in Harmony during all these
years?

Just imagine all the money the Kassel / Leemans inherited. They obviously
never really needed $76,000 in free benefits from the developer. Whereas,
forgive my assumption, I have no doubt you could have benefited - greatly.

Kathy Ball

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Sep 30, 2018, 7:19:07 AM9/30/18
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I had peace of mind and a safe place for my horse. I know who And what she is but my opinion doesn’t mean much I’ve told people my opinion they don’t care doesn’t effect them she knows how to play game well i dont have time or incentive to play anymore

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George Schiro

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Oct 26, 2018, 12:26:43 PM10/26/18
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Since this "Censorship in Harmony - Confirmed" thread was started on Sep 27,
there have been several more examples of CDD supervisor Kerul Kassel
censoring content on Nextdoor:

"Harmony in Decline" ( see https://tinyurl.com/y9psqff5 )
"Request for Kerul Kassel ..." (see https://tinyurl.com/ybb2atxs )

The day the "HarmonyFLcommons.com" postcard was received throughout Harmony
someone asked about it on facebook (see the "Facebook.jpg" attachment). For
some reason that post has already been censored on facebook (as I've written
before, censorship is rampant on facebook - LMAO).

Anyway, before that post was taken down Kerul Kassel apparently posted a
reply on facebook claiming she does not remove posts on Nextdoor. Kerul
claims Nextdoor removes posts on Nextdoor (for whatever reason).

While someone else has characterized what Kerul wrote as "half true" (on the
politifact scale), I would just state outright that while Kerul Kassel's
claim is consistent with what she has told me in the recent past - it is
just plain bullshit.

Here's what Kerul Kassel wrote in an email last month:

From: KERUL KASSEL [mailto:ke...@me.com]
Sent: Monday, September 17, 2018 7:29 PM
To: George Schiro
Subject: Re: Harmony History


George,

I have not censored your posts. I have simply reported
your post as possibly violating Nextdoor's guidelines.
If you represent that I have censored you, you will be
misrepresenting the facts.

My policy remains the same: If I believe your posts are
a violation of Nextdoor's guidelines, I will report
them, as I have done.

Sent from my iPhone

Contrary to Kerul Kassel's false claim, she is directly and personally
responsible for the removal of Harmony related posts on Nextdoor. How do I
know this? I know because it says so in Nextdoor's own policy (see the "How
to remove content.pdf" attachment):

Leads have the ability to remove posts or comments in
their neighborhood by reporting content. Content you
report as a Lead is immediately removed from your
neighborhood unless a fellow Lead in your neighborhood
has already voted to keep it.

There is exactly 1 lead in the Harmony neighborhood:

Kerul Kassel

When "Kerul Kassel" hits the Nextdoor "Report Content" button, that action
directly results in the automatic, immediate and indiscriminate removal -
dare I say the execution - of a post.

There is no due process, no human judgement (other than Kerul's) and no
reasonable neighborly evaluation involved. The extent of Nextdoor's
involvement is in providing her with the executioner's trigger to pull.

So again, do you trust Kerul Kassel to filter what you can read?
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Facebook.jpg
How to remove content.pdf

George Schiro

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Oct 27, 2018, 11:04:19 AM10/27/18
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Note: For the record, CDD supervisor Kerul Kassel
(Harmony's self-appointed "Censor-in-Chief") is now
actively blocking these posts from ever appearing in social
media. Try as she might though, anyone who wishes to find
the facts will do so anyway - since they aren't going away.
https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/harmonyfl/ED4D1DB507C747FBADDCD8AF0A62CC78

George Schiro

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Oct 27, 2018, 3:26:23 PM10/27/18
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Kerul Kassel plays a very good game (of being deceptive and sneaky).

In response to this from yesterday:

When "Kerul Kassel" hits the Nextdoor "Report Content"
button, that action directly results in the automatic,
immediate and indiscriminate removal - dare I say the
execution - of a post.

There is no due process, no human judgement (other than
Kerul's) and no reasonable neighborly evaluation
involved. The extent of Nextdoor's involvement is in
providing her with the executioner's trigger to pull.

On Nextdoor she posted this today:

Until last week I had not realized that, as lead, when
I report a post, it gets deleted. I had been of the
belief that Nextdoor had an algorithm that deletes
posts after a certain number of reports. My intention
was to report to Nextdoor what I believed to be a
violation of their policy. That said, Nextdoor is not a
forum for political rants, local or national or global.
And now there is a forum for local political
discussions, the content of which must still remain
within Nextdoor guidelines. I will report posts on the
general discussion forum which belong on the local
politics forum. This forum is for community-building,
not repeated, ongoing airing of grievances, as Nextdoor
guidelines indicate.

What she doesn't tell you is that she is now preventing me from responding
on Nextdoor.

Kerul Kassel plays the role of a friendly, cool and perhaps a bit
technologically naive shepherd only looking out for the interests of her
flock. Yet under the surface she is a conniving snake slithering underfoot
all the while waiting to strike, but of course only when she thinks no one
is watching.

Well I am watching. And so is anyone else who cares to open their eyes and
look.
https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/harmonyfl/754C28370F37404E89447C2E8E5D308B
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