I am shocked and amazed at just how far the “con” has gone. No one is ignorant to the fact that politics is dirty… politicians prefer it that way! The more grey area, the more wiggle-room; the more loopholes and lard, the more room for fulfilling ones own self interests.
But 31%?!? My god… The polling in Virginia on the issue of Equal Rights for Women and Girls, shows the amendment is SUPPORTED by 81% of the State. That’s a no brainer! How many politicians would stand opposed to an issue supported by THAT many people? Well…
The final vote in the House of Delegates in the Commonwealth of the Great State of Virginia was 50/50 AGAINST Equality for Women and Girls in the United States, failing to get a hearing on the floor because of opposition to a RULES CHANGE. Support for the bill was in THE MAJORITY yet the bill was BLOCKED FROM BEING HEARD.
WHY.
That is NOT a question. It IS the answer. It is a DEMAND.
It’s the answer to the question of voter turnout.
It’s the answer to our lack of gun safety legislation.
It’s the answer to our illegal immigration problems,
It’s the answer to the issue of “Dreamers”.
It’s the answer to our failing education system.
It’s the answer to roll-backs on environmental regulations.
It’s the answer to lack of oversight on Wall St.
It’s the answer to the lack of accountability.
It’s the answer to the MASSIVE income gap.
It’s the answer to our failing healthcare system.
It’s the answer to our crumbling infrastructure.
It’s the answer to our addiction to fossil fuels.
It’s the answer to our deepening racial divide.
It’s the answer to the vilification of Women’s Health.
It’s the answer to HOW CAN ALL OF THIS CONTINUE TO NOT BE SOLVED?!?
Paul Ryan called it “The Hastert Rule”. I call it BULLSHIT… because that’s all it is.
When I stood up and said “NO MORE!” to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, he did NOT answer.
The SPEAKER was SILENT.
If I were accused of supporting the agenda of a “serial rapist”, I would have at least made a public denial, or questioned the direct link between the legislative tactics being engaged in and the legislative tactics of Dennis Hastert, convicted fellon.
No. Paul Ryan choose SILENCE. My goodness… Yes, it really is THAT SIMPLE!
Paul Ryan’s political agenda was built upon a foundation of LIES and DECEPTION. When the political winds of change came his way, it all BLEW AWAY like a house of cards, HOLLOW to the core.
How many ‘Paul Ryan’s’ are there in Congress?… in the Senate?… in YOUR Statehouse?
When men and women of HONOR stand up and DEFEND the rights of others, there is no argument on Earth that can bring them down! And when we stand united, we BECOME the beacon, as the pure unified intentions of our nation shine a light wherever darkness rules… JUST BY STANDING UP. We cannot help but exude confidence in our American Exceptionalism!
It’s infectious… Liberty is. That’s why leaders in a nation ruled by tyrants SILENCE the press, SILENCE citizens who speak too loudly. Once it’s heard… it cannot be undone. The mind will NOT let it go. “… with Liberty and Justice for ALL.”
Somehow, one hot summer in Philadelphia, a mere man sat in-conference with the gods, and envisioned a world where ALL men are created EQUAL, just as the day they were born. There is none other on Earth that is as desired as ours! If we are to hold it up as THE example, should it not be the best it can? The absolute… The Pinnacle of Human Societal Evolution. It is an experiment, incomplete in its current form. Tethered to the whims and wills of mere mortals.
Never before had such a nation been conceived! Doubts in the fidelity of the common countrymen made many question if it were even possible. But the HOPE in the idea, that one day it COULD be so, led those imperfect men to create the perfect document, enshrining a system of EQUAL JUSTICE UNDER LAW.
… sometimes, all you have to do is SHOW UP and the barriers will start to FALL.
I believe EVERY candidate for President of The United States in 2020 MUST release at least 10 years of their Federal Income Tax Returns. Any candidate who does NOT support transparency should NOT BE PRESIDENT.
NO ONE is above the Law.
BELOW: My family’s Federal Income Tax Returns for each year, from 2008 to 2018.
At the tail end of my first campaign video, “The Hastert Rule”, I was worried I wouldn’t be able to get out the last line! I dropped about a minute from it. I didn’t want to bore everyone with my crying.
At this point last year, everyone had enough tears on their own.
I ended my self-imposed media blackout three days after the shooting at MSDHS and watched “Coffee Joe and the Brew Crew”. And when the “light turned on” in my head, after hearing Senator Blumenthal speaking about The Hastert Rule… I was worried I wouldn’t be heard. I knew I must start THAT DAY, so people could get inside my head. To have some kind of physical, documented case to present to The People. That’s where it began. One year ago today.
Fear? Anger? Excitement? … the only way to describe the feeling of doing this is-
Every emotion. All at once.
Both sides of the coin.
Every side of the die.
All the time.
There is a suprising calmness within it. To realize you are the servant of time, and what is decided is what shall be…
It’s freeing, in a restricted sort of way.
I am excited and optimistic BECAUSE of what can be, and ever mindful of who I am doing this for. All the credit for anything good that I have done so far goes to the people who have lifted me up and given me support. Any victory I attain is not mine alone, because the guiding principle of this campaign is ensuring the POWER lies in the hands of the people.
May the passing of the year to come bring us closer to our goal.
It wasn’t the first. It wasn’t the last. As much as we all wanted it to be true, Never Again was unattainable. It FELT like it could happen, and if you closed your eyes and believed it hard enough, it was true…
Until Santa Fe High School in Texas.
And the reaction to it would be the same as it was to Parkland, and the one before that- “Thoughts and prayers”, “Isn’t it a shame…”
Our elected Representatives shed tears and demanded action… demanded answers. THEIR leaders sought to SILENCE and SUPPRESS their concerns, cold and callous- “We should not jump to conclusions”, “We shouldn’t over-react while emotions are still raw”.
On this day, three hundred and sixty-five days ago… 350 mass shootings ago, we witnessed the death of a POLITICAL IDEOLOGY that has given rise to Institutional Discrimination, Government Sanctioned Murder, and protection for Sexual Predators.
On this day, one year ago, in a community in Florida, a Political Stronghold in Washington, DC, was murdered by a High School Student carrying a CELL PHONE. When reached for comment, the Speaker of the House of Representatives offered his “thoughts and prayers” for those effected by the tragedy.
The destruction of this one event was not fully understood at that moment. The deaths caused by this SINGULAR event would mount in the months that followed. Spreading from one chamber to the other, slowly becoming apparent to everyone WITHIN government, the “rot” caused by their death spread OUTSIDE government. Soon, the emblem of the 2nd Amendment, the NRA, would be dead as well.
… I would like to offer my thoughts and prayers to those effected.
And as we remember those effected by the tragic events that unfolded that day, we remember in sadness. Still engulfed by the LOSS, the scene still fresh in our mind’s eye. Do not mourn for those we have lost, for they realized what their mission in LIFE truly was as soon as thier time here had ended. In the course of a well lived life, of success and longevity, pain and loss are inevitable. To NOT experience it somehow makes the achievements less valuable. Without the pain, we do not fully appreciate what it is we were missing… and how much better things could be.
On the day of the shot heard ’round the world, pain and loss were reality. On the Beaches of Normandy, at the Battle of Gettysburg… the same as it was one year ago. It is not understood in the moment. It is not realized at the time.
But it is memorialized, and it is consecrated… to be remembered throughout all time.
Wars are fought to secure peace. Tens of thousands die in efforts to ensure prosperity. Individual sacrifices given freely, and fully, to Just Cause. Victory was assured that day one year ago, in a High School in Florida. Let us never forget what we have lost, and how greatly appreciative our Nation should ever be.
#NeverAgain✊
…
Rest in peace, Speaker Paul Ryan, and everyone who gave rise and support to the agendas he stood for.
I believe the PEOPLE of the United States can face ANY challenge, overcome ANY obstacle, and help our friends and allies do the same… but only when we STAND united. The strength and resilience of the American People cannot be matched when we are TRUE to ourselves, and we believe the WORDS our Union was founded upon… because they are self-evident!
“For want of the price,
Of tea and a slice,
The old man died.”
— Us and Them, Pink Floyd
“… so let us stop talking falsely now,
The hour’s getting late.”
— All Along the Watchtower, Bob Dylan
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Worldwide Threat Assessment- Dan Coats, Director of National Intelligence, pg. 4
As Director Coats said, and I proudly echo here- The security of the United States is ensured when we stand firm in our celebration of the Rule of Law… Our Constitution, as warfare shifts away from “bodies and bullets” to “minds and machines”.
The future of our international engagement MUST be “… increasingly about values.”
Who do we want to BE in this world? What should our mission LOOK LIKE? As we consider our military strategy at the end of TWO DECADES at war, we must make some HARD decisions about who we are… at home. From State, to DoD and Justice, the BRAVE men and women who go out into the international community as representatives of our nation, do so because they believe so deeply in the ideals of Our Constitution, they would risk their LIVES to ensure it.
Our ideals encompass ALL who swear an oath or pledge allegiance to our flag, and would rather sacrifice everything than see it fall. Let the blood that has been shed, be our guide now… yes, the mission of the United States should be, in National Security and diplomatic foreign policy, firmly rooted in an arena increasingly about values.
Because in THAT arena we CANNOT lose. No nation on Earth can defeat us when we are TRUE TO OURSELVES… when we proudly wear the flag of our country and can truly HONOR the words written in our Laws.
OURS is a JUST CAUSE… so long as we walk a JUST PATH.
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Worldwide Threat Assesment, Dan Coats, DNI, pgs. 5-6
“… to disrupt or damage US civilian and military infrastructure during a crisis…”
Our reliance on technology is unavoidable and our dependence only grows each year. Our water treatment, our sewage processing, our electricity, even the gasoline we put in our cars, as well as the health care we depend on in an emergency… The vulnerability of our technological infrastructure touches every aspect of our lives.
BE PREPARED.
Immediate action should be taken to include modern technological security in every planned project, as well as updating existing systems to ensure a uniform level of protection is achieved. Regulation and oversight now will SAVE LIVES during a hurricane or a blizzard, at pivotal moments where we depend on these sevices the most. Our Government should be in the business of “Having The People’s Back”, prepared to provide support so we can be successful in ALL situations.
Our long term strategy must include REDUNDANCY. ALL of our existing, aging space based monitoring systems as well as future systems must have a prepared secondary replacement. Telecommunications, GPS, weather satellites, orbital solar observatories, and many more that we depend on everyday for shipping, manufacturing, food production… and cat videos. The cost of NOT being prepared for foreseeable failures due to natural events, errors, or attack, will outweigh any upfront investments made.
—
Worldwide Threat Assessment, Dan Coats, DNI, pgs. 7 & 14
It will become increasingly clear, as we incorporate more technology into our lives, the future of our nation depends on a WELL EDUCATED ELECTORATE. (ASIDE: The VISION of the Framers of the Constitution… absolutely stunning! To consider what it is we are doing today, in a virtual reality with worldwide instant communications… and the BEST solutions for these 21st Century threats, were conceived in the 18th Century!)
“Penetrating the US national decision making process…” That is not limited to the IC or law makers. That decision making process starts in the home of EVERY American citizen. POCKETBOOK ISSUES. Higher gas prices lead to higher food costs. Less disposable income causes people to spend less. Less demand leads to less demand for workers… ALL causing a strain the average family, motivating people to SPEAK OUT, shaking stability. The story line manipulated time and time again by leaders who only want to hold on to power, or seek to ensure their financial security at the expense of the people they serve.
Today, our enemy has the ability to have a personal chat with all of us… and we may not even know it… while it’s happening! It must be the responsibility of each of us to secure our personal identity, BOTH online and in real life. The financial security of millions of citizens has been compromised over the course of the current administration, and it seems it will continue due to a lack of desire to hold corporations responsible for carelessness with our information. Social media platforms, credit rating entities, lending institutions and many more profit and play freely with our individual personal LIVES.
Inorder to secure our national way of life, each of us must LEARN what is necessary to secure our individual “digital identity”, and take active steps to secure our “digital legacy”. The Federal Government should play an active role, communicating and supporting citizens. To many, it is an alien way of thinking. To younger Americans, it is slowly becoming common knowledge, but only in a limited way. Access to knowledge and better education for ALL citizens helps to ensure our National Security and our Financial Security, as well as that of our friends and allies around the world.
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Worldwide Threat Assessment, Dan Coats, DNI, pg. 8
American values… taught to each and every one of us. That we should RESPECT the basic human rights of others. That, even though war causes unnecessary death, we should seek to minimize human suffering. And we were taught that we should follow THE rule… the rule we were all taught in kindergarten-
“Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you.”
When our country acts with integety, and adheres to the Rule of Law, at home AND abroad, we can STAND FIRM in defense of Justice with authority, and take comfort in the fact that the entire international community that we have stood by, for three quarters of a century, will stand with us.
Violations of long standing international law will be met with INTENSE and LASTING refusal of cooperation, from all democratic nations, to work with the offending country, until those responsible meet Justice. NOT AN INCH should be given, there should be NO DOUBT. Let us remember the atrocities of The Great War, the war to end all wars.
Worldwide Threat Assessment, Dan Coats, DNI, pg. 9
… all of the actions taken by our Commander-in-Chief have been to the benefit of Russia. We must return to a position of strength with the Kremlin.
That starts as soon as this administration is out of The White House.
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Worldwide Threat Assessment, Dan Coats, DNI, pgs. 10 & 12. [*note HEV= Homegrown Violent Extremist.]Worldwide Threat Assessment, Dan Coats, DNI, pg. 14Worldwide Threat Assessment, Dan Coats, DNI, pg. 20
… and there it is. “Slower economic growth…”, “supply disruption, upward pressure…”
Evil wins when men of good conscience are SILENT
… some of us saw this coming a long way off.
What should the mission of the United States BE in the world? A shifting climate is coming, in our atmosphere and in our way of envisioning governance. Opposing political philosophies considered BEFORE the drafting of Our Constitution must be re-evaluated in light of new evidence… WE STAND AS THE PROOF! Whatever the will of the American People be, when voiced in accordance with the Law at the ballot box, UNOPPOSED TO ALL CITIZENS, Justice will be realized. Opposing opinions will have CLARITY and poorly defined arguments will end. Knowledge and understanding leads to empathy and compassion… and eventually HEALING.
The National Security of the United States is assured when we STAND united.
The American People direct the course… after all, it is OUR SHIP. We sink or swim together.
These extreme weather events could cause, “Damage to communication, energy, and transportation infrastructure” as well as “low lying military bases” causing human displacement and loss of life, the report continues. These shifts will effect every nation on earth, our allies and our enemies. How we treat OTHERS today will be remembered TOMORROW, a burden placed upon a future generation… in remembrance of OUR ACTIONS. Nature is not our enemy. Nature is not our friend. We are part OF nature, and if we are not prepared for what we know CAN happen… then it is our fault if we fail. We must use the gifts we have been given.
Ronald Reagan once said in a speech delivered before the UN General Assembly, “I occasionally think, ‘How quickly our differences would vanish if we were facing an alien threat.'” Maybe he was referencing something, unlike anything this world has ever seen before. Metaphors and allegorical stories. Innuendo and whispers. Must consider, little pitchers have big ears…
What was Reagan going on about? Was he waxing poetically about beings from a distant galaxy? Or was he speaking from his heart, about a belief he could not fully articulate, due to the restrictions placed upon him because of National Security?
At THIS moment, in the course of natural events, when so much is at stake, the American People deserve a LEADER who understands the hardships working families face. NOT because I asked a group of people at a voter Q and A. Not because I will benefit monetarily… I AM an average working class father and husband. My family feels the political fallout everytime Congressional Leaders drop the ball. My children’s FUTURE is on the line when they bet money on stoking fear and division.
And I believe the American People deserve a seat at the table. Leadership, untainted by the lobbying and fundraising, beholden to the PEOPLE, not corporations and special interests. Because our National Security is increasingly about values.
End The Electoral College NOW!! 