Blog

The Challenge of Change

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Our experiences define us, events we’ve witnessed as well as those that have impacted us directly. They inform us and guide our decision-making process in the future, helping us to avoid making the same mistakes.

As a young man, I lived in an apartment with a hard-working guy who drank like a fish and love loud music… and so did all his friends. One night, sometime after midnight, one of our neighbors called the cops because of the noise, and they came out to shut the party down.

My friend Chris didn’t like the way the situation was unfolding, so he decided to jump off our second-story balcony and try running from the police. I don’t know exactly what happened, but it wasn’t long before one of those officers escorted him back into the living room of our apartment.

Winded, he sat down on the floor with the rest of us. Unharmed.

And he is STILL alive to this day. Well… I haven’t spoken with him in quite a while, so I can’t say that with certainty. But after that night, he lived to see another sunrise.

He ran from the cops and lived to see another DAY.

Why did he run? We were all underage… he didn’t want to lose his JOB or ruin his chances of going to SCHOOL… he worried about the expense of legal fees and diversion… he didn’t want to face the look of SHAME from his family…

I doubt he ever feared being killed by a Law Enforcement Officer while being held in custody.

As a child, I was taught to respect Law Enforcement. “… to Protect and Serve.” That means all of us, criminal AND civilian. Once the cops come, they have a JOB to do, and it should be ‘Yes sir/No sir/Thank you sir’ until they’ve secured the situation. Whether you’re in the wrong or not, once they’ve been called to the scene… they are in control. They’re the ones with the WEAPONS.

In essence… submit. Have FAITH in the Justice System.
Have FAITH in Our Rule of Law.

CCAFBDC3-451E-4D2E-9552-43855C4101DB

https://youtu.be/XFKUYdm2HBg

After watching that footage… of Law Enforcement Officers, beating an UNARMED man… how could anyone recommend that course of action? Those officers… they made the mistakes that aggravated that situation. They sprayed themselves with pepper spray, and as more officers drove by the scene of the initial encounter, they saw one of their own in distress.

They roused themselves into anger.

All based on assumptions… about who Tyre Nichols was, about the events that had just transpired, as well as the potential ongoing threat posed by Mr. Nichols to his community.

IF Mr. Nichols was driving recklessly, then the potential threat to the community was resolved the minute they pulled him from his CAR… but he was STILL perceived to be a threat. Why.

What would motivate someone to RUN. Whether you’re in the wrong or not, why run? Why make the situation worse… for yourself and the officers involved. They’re just trying to make it through their day as well.

But TWO THINGS can be true at the same time. What motivates someone to do what was done to Tyre Nichols, whether he was in the wrong or not. What crime did he commit that justified that response? What will happen when we are allowed to see ALL the evidence, and fully understand why that encounter took place.

3E7A2D6E-4231-4922-BC97-8F2F0F351518

https://youtu.be/aEHi6vACDWQ

Convenient spy camera, spying on a residential neighborhood… is convenient. Where’s the footage from the camera where the initial encounter took place.

Because you heard them… they thought he was on drugs. Erratic driving. Crossing the yellow line. What happens if that turns out to be TRUE? What if there’s evidence that justifies the stop?

My mother-in-law was hit by a drunk driver 15 years ago and she will spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair… must we now stop pulling over drivers who show signs of intoxication? The man who did that to her… he lived to see his court date. So, what’s the difference?

The Officers who encountered Tyre Nichols that night, threw him into a silo. They decided who he was based on the information they had, then filled in the rest of the story based on stereotypes they had learned, utilizing their base of knowledge and experiences.

They made an assumption based on LIES, and it led to the death of Tyre Nichols.

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https://theconversation.com/juries-are-subject-to-all-kinds-of-biases-when-it-comes-to-deciding-on-a-trial-176721

The profile they painted of Mr. Nichols was based on facts and evidence… facts and evidence that were skewed from the start. From the very moment they were collected.

They acted on instinct… and their instincts were wrong.

Evidence collected, manipulated through omission and selective interpretation. To benefit the needs of the few… over the needs of the many.

2BD5178C-4215-458E-9F6B-DC611699CACAEB4770A6-7302-4C0C-8ABC-ABDAA5B4D772

“About 55 percent of fatal encounters with the police between 1980 and 2018 were listed as another cause of death.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/30/us/police-killings-undercounted-study.html 

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https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/15/us/african-americans-sickle-cell-police.html

BBC4047A-046F-4BA1-BEFB-40867A5E57CFFB335490-D347-4B29-BE33-B36F9E29D13687EE143B-0989-4D17-B801-0E8700D05CCE

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/08/warrior-cop-class-dave-grossman-killology.html

… 

I am no saint… far from it. I am merely a man, susceptible to fallacy and vice like all the rest. But that is the genius of our system… these faults are to be expected. Justice. Rehabilitation. Perfection is Of Divinity alone. The rest of us… we must seek forgiveness for our mistakes.

How many more mistakes will we allow before we hold our Elected Officials accountable and demand the changes we need. If it can happen to ONE of us, it can happen to us ALL.

We thought the answer was CLEAR… white cop murders black citizen… must be racism. Obviously, we were wrong. Law Enforcement Officers of all stripes… from all backgrounds… and the outcome continues to be the same…

ABAC5C70-7507-43F8-8723-963E1CE808E8

https://jackcharbonneau.com/2021/04/24/justice/

It’s not the COPS, it’s the TRAINING.

The problem is SYSTEMIC… and it must change.

-JC

It is with deep sympathy and respect that I write these words. I will not patronize anyone with thoughts and prayers, but I do pray our Elected Officials… the people who actually have the power to make change happen… will do more than just pray.

I hope they will ACT.

A New Year

We, The People, look down into the well. We STAND and cheer the battles being waged upon the Coliseum floor. The debt ceiling. The filibuster. The legislative VICTORIES and the congressional DEFEATS.

Though engaged in by representative gladiators, the ULTIMATE decision comes from on HIGH… from here, in the gallery.

We, The People, shall decide. Up or down. Left or right. YEA or NAY… the CHOICE is always ours.

You can call me crazy, but I still believe in our Rule of Law. Imperfect as it might be… Defective. Two-tiered. Flawed… it remains Rigid. Predictable. Consistent… and it can always be CHANGED. That part alone might be its ONE redeeming quality… the ability to learn from past mistakes.

I’m not quite sure what I should be doing in this moment… I’m fairly new in the world of politics. Three election cycles, a drop in the bucket for some. But these last three cycles?! I tell you what… it feels as if I’ve gained the amount of knowledge, one once would have acquired over the course of an entire DECADE.

The simple act of engagement. One can’t help but learn something new. Curse the phrase ‘May you live in interesting times.

I don’t know what’s required of me… or what’s expected. With limited exposure, I’ve had limited data; which makes it harder to interpret the signals of others… but I have no problem sticking my FOOT in my mouth from time to time, in order to break the ICE.

That might be my ONE redeeming quality… sometimes I have no filter. I have no problem being blunt.

I might not know what other people want, but I do know what I want. And I know, in order for that to come to pass… I must share it. I cannot do this alone.

Right now, I live in a world of illusion. I can see the precipice upon which we STAND, but I can also see the BRIDGE that will guide us safely to the other side. A bridge, that has yet to be built.

There is no need for such a bridge if there is no divide, if we can find safe passage without it… but right now, I don’t see another way around.

The damage has been done. LIVES have been lost.
If we do not act, the result will be the SAME… MORE LIVES will be lost.

Our INACTION will be seen by those who study our Nation’s history. Just as clearly as we can look BACK, and see where THEY failed to act.

https://jackcharbonneau.com/2021/08/02/for-which-it-stands/ 

The inflation. The scapegoating. The INACTION and the consequences… right there! For all to see.

Now is the time of THEIR discontent.

‘If ONLY we had known!’
‘If ONLY we had acted!’

What good is our Written History if we choose to ignore it?
What good comes from our SILENCE…

What would they say… if they were still here to be asked.

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t driven by a strong urge to win, so I won’t patronize you with that. But at this moment, I’m more driven by an urge to TRY. To be heard. To test the waters and see if this ship is actually sound… so sayeth some guy from the Great State of Kansas.

The one thing I fear in this moment is not being heard. I might fail. I might succeed. But that is for The People to decide… not for me. My job is to do all I can to spread the word.

The information firehose. The media. The Congress. The existential threat… at some point, either we choose to ignore it or we choose to believe it. Once you believe it… what comes next.

That’s where I’m at. Where do we go from HERE…
I am ready to walk down that path.

I believe in the idea so strongly that I’m ready NOW, to jump back into the ring once again. Headlong, just as I did in 2018. A vision and a goal… Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!

But my wife has already told me, going it alone is a non-starter.
This time… I feel I must agree.

At some point in July, 2019, when it became apparent that my Presidential Campaign wouldn’t be able to expand beyond a certain threshold, I was faced with a choice. Either give in or keep trying, even knowing I couldn’t succeed.

It’s like the idea of a pinhole camera. The LIGHT may be limited… but the image still shines quite succinctly.

I’ve spent my time in the hole, and I’ve used my time wisely. I’ve made my mistakes and I’ve made my miscalculations… all IN THE LIGHT, where everyone can see. Any mistakes I have made, I’ve done so in GOOD FAITH. Seeking answers. Knowing I alone could never solve all our problems. It goes to the heart of who I am and what I believe…

I’ll put my fate in the hands of the MAJORITY of this Nation. Every time.
Whenever they are fully informed.

… 

Before the experiment, there was no PROOF. There was no DATA.
Cast aside your preconceptions in LIGHT of the data we have gained!
The experiment shows… the Will of the Majority is SOUND. It is JUST.

The Experiment was created for us… we ARE the experiment.
We are the BALANCE upon which the entire experiment is judged.

May the blessings of a NEW YEAR come to all of us,
And may God continue to bless the United States of America.

-JC

Delineation

I condemn, in the strongest terms possible, anyone who supports the agenda of the Nazi Party.

0E6EDF52-9517-4A81-AD35-B7E6F6083BEDB483EEDA-8BC9-4659-8D26-E46F17B6011Bhttps://www.politico.com/news/2022/12/01/ye-antisemitism-republicans-hitler-00071695

I condemn, in the strongest terms possible, anyone who would remain SILENT on the subject of antisemitism.

8645685E-8E3E-45C2-80C6-BF8AF8ED5BB8https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/28/us/politics/trump-kanye-west-nick-fuentes-antisemitism.html

I condemn, in the strongest terms possible, anyone who would call for the suspension of the United States Constitution.

0B8529C6-5656-43C5-A217-816B1597BDB9A0CE5E29-8364-4D86-A8C9-F3A868A00E7Fhttps://abcnews.go.com/Politics/leading-house-republican-trumps-call-suspend-constitution-2024/story?id=94397805

I condemn, in the strongest terms possible, anyone who would support or defend the continuation of a TWO-TIERED Justice System.

0E6EDF52-9517-4A81-AD35-B7E6F6083BED

5BE77232-A65E-41A7-A8AD-7F45460417DChttps://www.politico.com/news/2022/11/14/justice-department-mar-a-lago-trump-documents-00066732

I condemn, in the strongest terms possible, the criminalization of the mentally ill.

28C2814A-9B80-44CA-8E0A-9C95961ABB8DADDE0320-9510-4162-A832-FF02BA5CA7E8https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/02/nyregion/mental-illness-homeless-streets.html

I condemn, in the strongest terms possible, the deliberate targeting of civilians in a theater of war.

5A0D33EE-BA65-4D5B-8FF8-0C7CD2A4BB975393ED6B-7174-4AEA-866F-77BECFC7EEAA42900954-02BB-4253-91C6-DF1BA1B9A89Fhttps://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/01/world/europe/russia-ukraine-war-infrastructure.html

I condemn, in the strongest terms possible, the degradation of the Rights of any U.S. Citizen through intimidation or force.

37D9AE39-337B-4C76-A4CD-F6E9E459AF9Dhttps://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/12/04/lgbtq-children-boston-doctor-threats/

I condemn, in the strongest terms possible, the removal of the Reproductive Rights of HALF the Citizens of this Land.

0E6EDF52-9517-4A81-AD35-B7E6F6083BEDAE7E72F0-9F7E-4D7F-B2C2-4BFB24A9C85D

https://www.politico.com/news/2022/12/03/anti-abortion-republican-party-roe-00071988

I condemn, in the strongest terms possible, anyone who would ignore the Will of the Majority of the United States of America.

I condemn, in the strongest terms possible, the murder and dismemberment of a United States Journalist.

I’ve spent my time this week, trying to piece together a new post addressing the problems we face… like election security or campaign finance reform. Like gun safety legislation or police reform. So many issues that demand our time and effort.

Yet these are the issues we must address.

Then I say… so be it.

The BAD ACTOR shines brightest in the light of OPEN DEBATE.

I support, in the strongest terms possible, the implementation of a Two-State solution in Israel; in order to achieve a lasting PEACE.

I support, in the strongest terms possible, the Right of Israeli to exist.

I support, in the strongest terms possible, the expansion of NATO to include a FREE and INDEPENDENT Ukraine.

I support, in the strongest terms possible, restoring FAITH in our Constitution by ensuring HONOR in our Electoral Process.

I support, in the strongest terms possible, immediate passage of HR40; establishing a Presidential Commission investigating reparations for slavery.

I support, in the strongest terms possible, the establishment of community assistance programs, designed to reduce the use of force by Law Enforcement Officers within our communities.

I support, in the strongest terms possible, ending Qualified Immunity.

I support, in the strongest terms possible, CLOSING THE SKY and ending the War in Ukraine.

I support, in the strongest terms possible, Trans-Rights and the Rights of Parents securing medical care for children who are transitioning.

I support, in the strongest terms possible, enshrining a Woman’s Right to CHOOSE in the U.S. Constitution.

I support, in the strongest terms possible, the immediate publication of the 28th Amendment to the Constitution, guaranteeing Equal Standing for Women and Girls.

I support, in the strongest terms possible, calling a murder… a murder.

The fight for Democracy will not be won with hypocrisy.
It will only be won with EQUALITY.

-JC

The Truth HURTS.

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https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/09/us/politics/woodward-trump-book-virus.html

The widespread economic problems we face, weren’t caused by the Biden Administration’s economic policies… they were caused by the unmitigated spread of COVID-19.

The unmitigated spread of COVID-19 wasn’t caused by mask-wearing, or a maleficent scientist or doctor… it was caused by the deliberate INACTION of President Donald J. Trump and his Administration.

2B34DC82-7CD3-4890-9CDE-80AEF07B78C9

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/intelligence-report-warned-coronavirus-crisis-early-november-sources/story?id=70031273

The rise of Donald J. Trump wasn’t due to his superior oratory skills or the strength of his domestic political agenda. The rise of Donald J. Trump and his “UltraMAGA” agenda, is the direct result of the ROT and CORRUPTION he once claimed to be fighting against.

The rot and corruption inherent within the Party Establishment was employed in the shadows of the Presidential Primary, to benefit one candidate over another.

A finger was placed on the scale… thereby upending the BALANCE maintained within our electoral process.

87E62B75-869A-428A-97BF-DA40F32AACF6https://observer.com/2017/08/court-admits-dnc-and-debbie-wasserman-schulz-rigged-primaries-against-sanders/

Ego. Anger. Self-interest. Greed. A perceived sense of entitlement… a perceived sense of grievance. These are not the values we should be holding UP and rewarding with elected office… especially an elected office as consequential as the Office of The Presidency.

F3E08011-6C8A-4D32-8149-1EBE514DE586AC0629BC-46FB-4605-9B8C-9BF3386C2582https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/19/business/twitter-musk-trump-reinstate

Yet those values are espoused in successful candidacies to this day. Making the actions of previous Administrations the object of their vengeance… as if political agendas were specifically created to hurt others, as opposed to HELPING them.

This creates the destructive cycle in which we find ourselves, as the focus of the NEXT election… will inevitably be on the LAST.

Are you better off now than you were four years ago?’

That question has now lost all meaning in light of the Presidency of Donald J. Trump and the events of 2020. Let there be NO DOUBT… we will be better off in 2024, than we were in 2020.

F9374AAA-FC58-4648-A593-CA30E3E4E86329DC42D2-7378-4FF0-9783-5D779098F5CDhttps://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2020-12-10/one-day-us-deaths-top-3-000-more-than-d-day-or-9-11

The question now becomes: How do we ensure we’re better off four years in the FUTURE? Where do we want to GO… how will we get there? Will we find the answers we seek by embracing the failed ideologies of our PAST?

That is for The People to decide.

45555F8E-54CE-475B-92A6-00D7DE81450C92443383-DF17-4DC4-BB45-9A0C2D3F1C64https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/20/us/colorado-springs-shooting-gay-nightclub

I don’t know you… you don’t know me. Yet we have within us the same RED BLOOD. We harbor within us the same hopes and fears. Our worlds seem MILES apart… yet each one of us still STANDS for the same beliefs. That we are ALL created EQUAL, and that some rights transcend these Earthly bounds.

Our Nation is Great because we embody Great Things. Foundational beliefs. Core values, engrained in the heart of every American Citizen. The right to LIFE, LIBERTY, and the PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS. Guaranteed… not just for some or a select few… but for all of us.

When you defend the rights of others, you defend those rights for yourself.

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On account of sex… regardless of what that might be.

I still believe in the WORDS, as they were written…
We are ALL created Equal.

Now, it’s up to us to ensure it is so.

-JC

Thank You For Your Service.

Fifty-fifty… split right down the middle.

The extremes are still extreme. California is still BLUE… Texas is still RED.

There was no Political Earthquake. There was no Political Tsunami… this is our political landscape.

This is the pinnacle of our Political System. This is the BEST it can produce, and this is what it will produce once again in 2024.

Is that the way it should continue to BE?

AP reporter: “What will you do differently… between now and 2024?” 
President Biden: “Nothing.”

Is that why you voted this fall, for nothing… for more of the same? Did you cast your vote in celebration of what Democrats have accomplished… with control of the House, the White House, and the Senate?

Joe Biden sure thinks so… and so do his DONORS.

… 

 

Joe Biden stood in the breech, long before the HEROES of the Capitol Police did on January 6. He stood up and faced the metaphorical fight, in HOPE that it might not come to that.

Joe Biden marshaled every tool at his disposal, to secure victory for his Political Party…

F3E5818C-9433-4EC5-A7FE-38231136BB1237D46EDC-8785-4F89-A46B-6B405E002DF8
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/09/nyregion/sean-patrick-maloney-lawler.html 

A Political Party that now stands in the MINORITY.

Just look at how hard we have to VOTE to make sure things stay NORMAL. Never mind moving AHEAD… just fighting to ensure we don’t move BACK. Taking rights AWAY. Denying HALF the people of this Nation access to lifesaving HEALTHCARE.

Joe Biden stood in the BREECH to defend this Union, and we will always be grateful. We will always owe a debt of gratitude to Joe Biden and the Leadership of the Democratic Party… and we thank you for your service.

But I didn’t vote FOR nothing. In fact… that’s exactly what I voted against.

If I wanted NOTHING to change, I would have voted for the Republican Party. But now things have changed. The lives of Women have changed, and they will have to bear the consequences of this election for the next TWO YEARS.

If the Democratic Party isn’t given a reason to change, then they will not change. This fight is no longer theirs… it is OURS.

Every election cannot continue to be THE existential election of our lifetime. It cannot continue like this. The rotational speed of our two-party system has exceeded its limits and the balance has been destroyed. One side is seen as “illegitimate” by the other, and the other side AGREES. It’s the ONE THING we all agree on-

The SYSTEM is the problem.

 

Everyone agrees. Everyone… except the DONORS.

They’re just fine with the way things are going. Their profits are safe and secure. Let’s just MOVE ON to the next election… $17 BILLION well spent.

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https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/midterm-elections-2022/democrats-republicans-2022-midterms-spending-b2220297.html 

The Democratic Party did not win this election, yet they are celebrating. As of right now, the Democratic Party still has a slight chance of securing the House Majority… but that’s all they’ve got. 51 Senators does not a MAJORITY make. Therefore, when the gavel changes hands… the agenda will be decided by the GOP. 

Can you imagine… running against the agenda of a 20th century dictator… and only BARELY squeaking by? Just like they did in 2020. Just like they did in 2022… 

Thank god! We only lost the HOUSE!

This is what The People want. This is what they voted for…

Time for us to go and work with the GOP.

It’s not like the majority of their party supports INSURRECTION or something. Sure would be nice if there was an ongoing Presidential Commission looking into the events of January 6… but unfortunately, that train has already sailed.

 

Just before the election, Jen Psaki was on Deadline: White House, discussing conversations she had with voters in the Suburbs of Detroit. One voter brought up the issues surrounding the 2000 election, and the fact that Democrats feel the same way about the Presidency of George W. Bush as Republicans feel about the Presidency of Joe Biden.

Jen Psaki said that worried her. She was concerned that the narrative surrounding election integrity was starting to spread… as if it were something NEW within the Democratic Party.

I’m not sure if that’s her opinion or if it’s the opinion of the Democratic Party, but it shows us the mindset of Party Leadership… as reflected in the observations of a former White House Press Secretary.

The Leadership of the Democratic Party has no plan to change a system… that works just FINE for them.

The filibuster? The Electoral College? A Woman’s Right to CHOOSE? Yeah, that’s ALL on the ballot. Every election. Every time. It’s always on the line… and if you want things to stay the way that they are, then you’d better DONATE all you can before the NEXT election.

That’s their plan. That’s the way things are. Legislators legislate based on MONEY and the pursuit thereof. Therefore, legislation favors those with MONEY over those WITHOUT.

Is this still a Democracy or is it not? 
I believe more participation equals BETTER GOVERNANCE.

If the Democratic Party has a PLAN to secure our Democracy, then let them speak it. Now. Before the 2024 campaign begins. In the SUNLIGHT where everyone can see. We cannot afford to go into the fight with the same tired strategies that were employed this time around… just ask Rep Maloney.

Complacency. Insincerity. Political hypocrisy. These are not the values that will secure our Democracy.

Will the Democratic Party RISE to the occasion, or will they continue to cling to the PAST… elevating failed candidates to leadership positions, simply because they raised a BOATLOAD of CASH in the last election…

The People of the United States of America deserve a BETTER WAY.

 

-JC