Birds of a Feather

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/15/science/physics-neutrino-antimatter-ichikawa-t2k.html

…

The simple act of observing an event WILL CHANGE its outcome… it is a FACT. Demonstrated consistently, time and again.

…

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/joint-chiefs-chairman-feared-potential-reichstag-moment-aimed-at-keeping-trump-in-power/2021/07/14/a326f5fe-e4ec-11eb-a41e-c8442c213fa8_story.html

…

Being born of the SAME, our destinies are entangled. Our WILL can overcome the inevitable. The tide was turned with the glance of an EYE. Because we SPOKE OUT and cried for ACTION, because we stopped and witnessed devastation. United, we watched and said, “No more.”

As it was one Tuesday morning in September, we sat helpless and witnessed devastation playing out within our SKIES. United, we watched and cried, “No more,” and we were given the ability to manipulate TIME.

One of those four planes was unsuccessful that day… because we SPOKE OUT. We gave them that time.

The Will of the American People is REAL… and it is TANGIBLE.

…

…

There is no reason WHY that building should be standing. In the chaos of that moment, of that day. Within the grand scheme of things, within this chaotic Melting Pot of Passions… they said so themselves. Determined, they went there with a purpose. Who doubts the Will and ingenuity of the American People once they’ve settled on an agenda?

There is no reason that building should still be standing today…
and yet it does.

I am NO FOOL. It was built by the hands of man, someday it will fall. It will come down. But in the meantime… what allows it to STAND?

Is it the mortar or the stone? Is it the skeletal rigidity? The way in which it was constructed… the very force that will bring about its ultimate demise gives rise to its ability to continue to stand. The genius within the architecture gives rise to its longevity. Within those halls we create our FUTURE. Within those walls we find our shared destiny.

…

It doesn’t come from the structure itself, the generative force centered within the beating breast of our Democracy. That SPARK is not created by the vessel, the sum total is greater than the individual pieces from which it was made.

That energy is imparted on to it from us, The People. We are the LIGHT that illuminates the Shining City. We are the BEACON that lights the way for generations to come… it’s found within us ALL.

There are some who seek TRUTH and remain mired in DARKNESS; but we must remember, they still seek the TRUTH. We all journey toward the EAST, and our path bends toward the LIGHT.

…

5FC78D71-5D00-468B-A8BD-14B8854FC700 — A staircase within the US Capitol.

…

Once upon a time it was a path untrodden… unknown horizons within a virgin territory. Yet they were willing to fight and die for the CHANCE, for the opportunity to find out. Was Mankind destined to be ruled over, or could we govern ourselves justly and remain FREE.

Like the Rosary Beads of an aged adherent, like the meditative paths walked by devotees throughout the millennia; the rites of passage are followed through the LIGHT as well as through the shadows. We celebrate them in times of triumph, we cling to them in times of tragedy. They bear witness to our history, they guide us onward toward our destiny.

We hold these truths to be SELF-EVIDENT. That we are ALL created Equal… and we have PLEDGED our LIVES and our SACRED HONOR to this Cause. Our Rites and Rituals are celebrated daily, we pay respect to those who have fallen in defense of our Country every time we gather… knowing none of this would be possible without the SACRIFICES they have made.

…

Although it was never written, our victory was preordained. It echoes throughout time as a Fundamental Principal, a Universal Law that undergirds our reality. Our scientific endeavors have now proved what’s been written, in countless religious texts over the course of thousands of years. When the LIGHT overcomes the DARKNESS, through the FORGE and the FIRES… we are what remains.

**It now burns within us ALL.**

…

D92F3781-EE01-426C-8F07-00586161D776 — D-Day, colorized.

…

A FACT. Demonstrated consistently, time and again. What once was… no matter how much TIME has PASSED… is always just around the corner, threatening our future.

We tip the scales in the judgement between what is and what will BE. We decide the course, we plot the journey. The PEOPLE… the MAJORITY of the citizens of the United States of America. It was born OF us. It must ALWAYS be a reflection of the same.

If we are not fighting to secure our Democracy for everyone, then we are allowing it to FADE AWAY. Piecemeal. Watered down until it’s no longer possible for the PEOPLE to decide, and it won’t be due to any law that was PASSED… it will happen because we could not agree. INACTION will be the death of our Democracy.

We have paid the price of both Blood and Treasure. We have secured the KNOWLEDGE necessary to find ‘Peace in our time’…

Appeasement is NEVER an option. And we must STAND UP for the Rule of Law.

… some things never change.

-JC

A ‘Show-Me’ State of Mind

It’s kind of like a union. There are dues that are paid and protections afforded. Certain considerations are made in crucial moments, sometimes seemingly inexplicable… often without full explanation or any consequence.

…

https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/561916-black-caucus-pac-endorses-nina-turners-opponent-in-ohio-special-election

…

https://www.wkyc.com/article/news/politics/nina-turner-leads-poll-11th-congressional-district-race/95-5842fe8f-4824-4185-8020-c0f16a47da96

…

It’s the CAUSE… where do you STAND? Because it’s either you’re WITH us or AGAINST us. ‘What? You dare step outta line?! You’re no better than one of THEM. You’ll LEAD them to winning the next election!’

…

It’s the CAUSE for which they STAND… preservation of the PARTY.

In their eyes, from their point of view… there’s no one else who can stand and fight the forces of opposition, they’re too big to FAIL. They hold HALF the cards.

The fate of our Nation rests in the hands of two political parties, that no MAJORITY would vote for if they were presented with a better option. Because they said so… or else. Too big to fail is never a good thing.

…

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torture_Memos

…

When our Presidents consider what policies they will pursue, they consult with the White House Legal Counsels, the Solicitors General, outside legal counsels, personal advisors who are also lawyers… all in an attempt to avoid breaking the law. To avoid having a policy or directive BLOCKED by the courts.

The previous Administration didn’t give a damn about legal OPINIONS. They acted in what they saw as their constituency’s best interests, and they let the courts decide what would stand and what would be struck down. They challenged the OPINIONS of legal counsel. They pushed through their agenda come hell and high water! And when their actions were halted they appealed or started again.

They didn’t seek to break the law, in many instances they sought to TEST the limits of the law and expand its definition and application.

… and THIS Administration?

They seem to fear the law. They believe the OPINIONS of their legal counsel seem firm… why should they be challenged? Why should they seek different OPINIONS? You have to consider what people might think if one of their Executive Orders were struck DOWN… how would that make the President LOOK? How would that make the Party LOOK?!

Someone might think they were criminals! Hearings could be held, investigations could be launched… that might scare the DONORS.

But don’t forget, they hold the MAJORITY. There would be no hearings if courts decided their ACTIONS were too extreme, and the courts have no problem saying so… it’s their DUTY to do so. Give them something to DO instead of fearing their OPINIONS.

What is the OPINION of the Democratic PARTY? Seriously… I would like to KNOW, and so would every other American Citizen. Make sure it is FULLY DEFINED before it’s shot down in flames.

…

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/06/02/state-voting-restrictions/

…

As the sun sets on our democracy, they might look back with fondness for the Presidency of Joseph R. Biden. For FOUR YEARS… he did what was legal and there was no hint of scandal. No court struck down any of HIS Executive Orders. He stayed well WITHIN the framework of ESTABLISHED LAW…

A fitting capstone to almost 240 years of FREE and FAIR elections. On a scale of 1 to 46? A solid 23. Not a scratch on it… the last time this Nation had a Democratic President.

And sure, what MORE could have been done? The courts, the decisions… it would have been illegal to even TRY.

…

Their tactics, though they seemed illegal, were only slightly mischievous… according to the Supreme Court. What more could have been done? I mean, after all… it was “a priority” of his Presidency.

…

It’s a fight WORTHY of the full attention of the highest authority in our current POLITICAL landscape. $25 MILLION is a lot of CASH… how will those resources serve to secure our Right to Vote?

The DNC now believes this issue is of such IMPORT, they are willing to spend TENS of MILLIONS of DOLLARS on…

Educating. Voters.

Of course… if only we weren’t so dumb. Then maybe… Democrats might hold ALL THREE BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT? Then maybe… we’d have UNITY in the Unites States SENATE?

Hmmm… we’ve ALL seen this show before! Their attempt to “educate voters” is as big a DODGE as is the Republican Party’s BIG LIE. The VOTERS don’t need to be educated. A MAJORITY of us already know…

**They just want to raise more MONEY.**

…

The emails. The fundraisers. The get-out-the-vote drives. ‘The struggle continues!’ ‘The fight marches on!’ They BLOW SMOKE while ROME BURNS.

‘Progress was made. We stressed the importance OF the passage OF this legislation that’s being BLOCKED…’ as it has now been for days. Months. YEARS. As it was BEFORE they came to power.

But hey, you know. You gotta toe that PARTY LINE… amiright! When the chips are down. When it’s all on the line. Not everyone’s tough enough to HANG IN THERE… together. For the PARTY… Who else ya gonna vote for?

…

Yes, Madam Vice President… this is the fight of our lifetime. Let us pray your Administration dedicates a bit more time and determination to THIS fight, than they have so far to the fight for ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment.

…

https://richmond.com/news/local/central-virginia/powhatan/powhatan-today/local-powhatan-girls-involved-in-equal-rights-amendment/article_07ef203e-fb9d-11e7-a0b9-ff975530f870.html

…

But hey… how’s that bipartisan infrastructure package coming?

…

I worry they’re walking into a gunfight with a switchblade. They’re fighting a prairie fire with PRAYER. They’ve shown up to a cockfight carrying a CONDOM… who the hell is that gonna protect once the fighting really gets underway?

While I appreciate ACTION being engaged in by the Leadership of the Democratic National Committee, I remain unconvinced of the effectiveness of their strategy to create legislative change. It certainly is a SHAME the Democratic Party’s Leadership isn’t more OPEN to new ideas, new OPINIONS, and new strategies…

“Same as it ever was. Same as it ever was.
Same as it ever was… same as it ever was.”

-Talking Heads, ‘Once In a Lifetime’

-JC

An Imperfect Union

Are we too afraid to peel back the skin, to see what lies beneath? Are we worried we might find something that gives us PAUSE… causing us to question the entire experiment? Who among us has any doubt in the Infinite Potential of the American Experiment?

Let them SPEAK NOW… let there be NO DOUBT! In an open and honest debate, the best ideas always rise to the TOP. We must always strive to be better, to learn from our mistakes.

Our story is born of REBELLION. Against oppression. Against monarchical tendencies. Born of a desire to be FREE, believing we are ALL created equal… is that still what we believe? Yes, the question of who that statement includes has changed throughout the years, but it has always been at the direction of The People, and it has always bent toward INCLUSION. Simple precedent shows us where we should be heading…

More participation equals Better Governance.

It’s the very reason we are here today! No taxation without representation. Liberty over tyranny. Bow before a KING and be subject to His indiscretions.

We teach these lessons to our children with the hope that they will prevent them from happening again in the FUTURE. The events that led us to Revolution, the acts of a Tyrant King… and the INACTION of our Congress, that changed the course of our history.

…

With context, we gain insight. With knowledge, we see where we went wrong. With humility we can UNDERSTAND, we can see through our own eyes, the experiences of another… if we choose to. If we are strong enough, to embrace the TRUTH carried by another human being and challenge our assumptions… to know if it could happen to ONE of us, then it could happen to us ALL.

No cruel and unusual punishment… yet we imprison detainees indefinitely in a foreign land. All men are created equal… disregarding the rights of HALF of the citizens of this Nation. With Liberty and Justice for ALL… except those we’ve deemed to be only worthy of THREE-FIFTHS.

This Nation was founded as an Imperfect Union by imperfect men, bearing the scars of oppression and inhumanity carried out upon them. But there’s was just another step in a natural progression inspired centuries before them. An Age of Enlightenment and Renaissance brought KNOWLEDGE to the masses, opening minds and challenging established dogmas.

Three centuries of accumulated knowledge led humanity to a point where we could truly question what it means to be FREE. A vision of PERFECTION is what they created… subject to the interpretation of imperfect beings.

Our past may define us, but it should never condemn us to who it is we will BE.

-JC

At This Moment

…

If we are not moving forward, then we are moving BACK. If we are not focused on the prize we’ve set our sights upon… we will lose it. Efforts to oppose progress in the struggle for Equality, succeed with the greatest of ease; while generations have struggled just to have their voices heard.

And once they are heard… it’s not enough. Deals are struck, concessions are made, processes happen, and isn’t it a shame…

Aw, shucks… maybe next time.

…

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/30/arts/television/bill-cosby-release-conviction.html

…

But you know, I’ve heard this story before… the LAST TIME it happened.

…

https://www.npr.org/2020/11/12/934265386/jeffrey-epsteins-former-prosecutors-used-poor-judgment-in-deal-doj-says

…

**And the time before THAT.**

…

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/15/nyregion/harvey-weinstein-new-york-sex-assault-investigation.html

…

It’s easy to think that these are simply isolated incidents or just wealthy and powerful men acting abhorrently… nowhere near representative of the actions of ‘Average Americans’. But thanks to the powerful testimony shared by thousands of survivors through movements like #TimesUp and #MeToo, we now know that’s not the case.

**The problem is systemic… and it happens everyday.**

…

https://www.axios.com/systemic-neglect-rape-kits-thousands-untested-dc4443be-54c4-484f-9020-4ad07969d40d.html

…

It makes it a hell of a lot easier to get away with CRIMES when the evidence is IGNORED, and when the laws are crafted to benefit the CRIMINALS.

…

“It allows the criminal justice system to acknowledge the victim, and it provides an incentive for that offender to plea, in particular because it’s not an offense that requires that they register as a sex offender.”

…

I must admit, when I went searching for these cases that popped into my mind today, I couldn’t remember the exact details. I figured I’d be able to narrow it down to what I was looking for…

…

There shouldn’t be over 5 million search results for that sentence.

… and yet there are.

…

While it’s comforting to know that the Great State of Pennsylvania acts SWIFTLY to free a Black Man when evidence shows he shouldn’t be incarcerated… forgive me if I do not celebrate his release. My thoughts are with those who are still seeking Justice.

Speaking of seeking Justice… the Governor of the Great State of Missouri might want to take note of his immediate release.

…

https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/crime/article252244473.html

…

At this moment, our laws do not recognize women as being EQUAL to men. HALF of the citizens of this Great Country do not have EQUAL STANDING under our Constitution… in the 21st Century.

And it only continues to be so… due to the opinion of ONE MAN.

…

https://www.thedailybeast.com/this-is-some-bullshit-womens-group-rails-against-biden-inaction-on-the-equal-rights-amendment

…

You know, it seems to me… I’ve heard this story once before.

-JC