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.

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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

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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.

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

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

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

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**And the time before THAT.**

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

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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.**

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

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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.

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“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.”

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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…

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

… and yet there are.

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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.

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

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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.

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

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

-JC

Thank You Sir May I Have Another

Once upon a time there was a political party that came into power, sweeping all three branches of government. Believing they had a mandate, they were excited to do the work the People had sent them there to do.

But as they set about legislating, they soon found the minority party BLOCKED their agenda at every turn. As small gains accumulated, they continued to craft their “signature” legislation, just as they had campaigned on… for the People. But even within their own ranks they could not find UNITY.

As the President’s political base grew frustrated, he made policy changes and issued Executive Orders. He even directed the Department of Justice to pursue legal challenges to existing laws in an attempt to affect the changes Congress could not.

A grumpy old Senator of their own party even said NO at a crucial moment, killing an important piece of legislation… thereby setting in motion, a chain of events that would eventually lead to their losing the majority in one House of Congress… followed by TWO YEARS of infighting, fundraising, and INACTION… and then it was time for another Presidential Election.

It all seems like so long ago.

… right.

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Once upon a time… time seemed infinite. It doesn’t matter how long it takes, eventually the tide will TURN. ‘The fight continues. The struggle marches on.’ Maybe it’s the ignorance of youth. Maybe it’s just eternal optimism. Besides… who am I to complain about the passage of TIME?

The Righteousness of the Cause of Equality is timeless. It STANDS as the yardstick. We can measure the passage of time by the distribution of Equality. With each passing year more people are seen as EQUALS. Each passing year brings us closer to the goal… the realization of that Dream.

But my concern isn’t for the passage of TIME. Years? I have plenty of those. No matter how many pass, they’re all just a dime-a-dozen. I’m more concerned about the passing of LIVES… and as the YEARS pass, those numbers continue to add up.

The ACA. The American Rescue Act… piece after piece of crucial legislation, passed in such a way as to AVOID the subject that must be addressed. ‘THIS is how bipartisanship looks. This is how bipartisanship WORKS…’

**So long as it’s related to the BUDGET and nothing else.**

I’ve seen this show before. I know this song… I even learned that dance.

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

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What is the PRICE of our Political Theater. Who pays the admission fee for this SHOW. How many generations have now paid into that social system, a price irreconcilable with their actual loss?

Two years. Twenty-two years. Two hundred and forty years. Four Centuries… plus two more. TIME marches on. In the meantime… as we wait. Patiently at times. Other times not. We do not measure the passage of time in minuets. Days and weeks don’t suffice.

We measure the passage of time with EQUALITY. Slowly. Methodically. Surely.
It progresses.
No barrier. No border. No laws can bring about its end.

How much longer must we wait…
How much TIME must pass?

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George Floyd’s 7-Year-Old Daughter Speaks at Chauvin’s Sentencing – YouTube

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‘The fight continues. The struggle marches on.’

Until one day, once upon a time… it didn’t.

It wasn’t necessary anymore.

… tick tock tick tock…

-JC

“Bipartisanship”

The jig is up! Right there, at the 5:55 mark in the video. That’s their tell… it’s how they view their political opponents. That’s what they see as how Democrats act… the same way that they would act.

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Now, I’m not that cynical either. I do believe Ms. Abrams truly believes in what she’s selling. She believes in compromise and bipartisanship to create the right legislation… but there is no bipartisanship to be had! McConnell said so… and who thinks that there will be any bipartisanship to be had in an election year?

Any comity between these two parties will VANISH come January.

The MAJORITY presents the agenda and pursues the interests of the VOTERS, and the MINORITY either supports its ascent or they oppose it… and the PEOPLE decide if they should stay or if they should go.

There is no in-between. It’s
ACTION vs. INACTION.

That was their plan all along. Distract and delay. Feign bipartisanship in the interest of “the people”… ‘The people want bipartisanship.’ And now Democrats want to kill legislation because of a lack of bipartisanship, and Republicans WON’T BUDGE because of bipartisanship.

It’s the only thing they agree on!

Who benefits from INACTION… the DONORS.💰

They don’t want ACTION. More regulations. More oversight. More accountability. It would cost them more MONEY… and that’s WHY they want “bipartisanship”. Legislators legislate based on MONEY and the pursuit thereof. They work for the MONEY so they can get re-elected.

Bipartisanship is not what The People want… The People want ACTION. They want to see legislation passed that helps the American Middle Class, and whomever stands in the way of that action will be judged by THE VOTERS.

That’s why they’re trying to take the franchise away.

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What is a “wasted vote”? I’ve heard it plenty of times, ‘A vote for a third party candidate is like throwing your vote away.’

But seriously… WHY?

To every Conservative Republican who’s voted the party line over the last 30 years: What has it done for you? Stacked the courts at all cost… denied the dying wishes of a Supreme Court Justice… denied the Constitutional RIGHTS of a Black Man, while he was our Commander-in-Chief…

They’ve taken advantage of you. The Supreme Court has now AFFIRMED these laws, that multiple Senators and multiple Representatives have raised MONEY on for DECADES… all while they didn’t tell you the FULL STORY. At the 16:55 mark in the video…

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“Certainly the Constitution does not require discrimination on the basis of sex. The only issue is whether it prohibits it. It doesn’t… nobody ever voted for that.” -Justice Scalia

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If you want to end abortion in this country, you have to reconcile that with the fact that women are treated as SECOND CLASS CITIZENS under our law.

EQUALITY is being denied to HALF the citizens of this Nation…
Intentionally.

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To every Progressive Democrat who now questions, ‘WHY should we even consider voter ID requirements? It’s a SOLUTION looking for a PROBLEM.’

For FOUR YEARS, every program on every progressive news outlet (MSNBC) shot up the signal flare daily about Russia interfering in our elections, and how we need to secure our elections from foreign interference.

Where is that passion now? Accurately directed passion, no doubt! We all STAND on the same side… the monied interests have us standing BACK to BACK, daring the other to walk the line.

The Democrats need to reconcile their desire to secure our elections with the fact that we need to verify our elections are secure. For every citizen… EQUALLY.

What is the PRICE of a verified United States ID? In terms of dollars and in terms of time spent pursing that ID? For a family of FOUR, how much does it cost to secure a PASSPORT for the entire family.

It costs well north of $1000 for a family of four to secure verified ID for international travel and it can take half a day to complete the process depending on where you live.

By ensuring a verified USID for every registered voter FREE OF CHARGE, we solve two problems at the SAME TIME.

On that thought… we might want to start thinking about opening MORE United States Postal Service locations throughout the country and hire more employees.

Right now, neither party is willing to do what’s necessary to secure our right to VOTE… why would anybody waste their vote on either of them?

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Let there be NO DOUBT in the results of our elections. Let us solve these problems BEFORE the elections, not resurrect bad decisions from our PAST.

I believe in the security of our elections. Let us secure ACCESS for every citizen, so we can clearly determine the Will of The People.

Voter Empowerment.

-JC

Four Hundred and Two

It is with a deep respect for the PAST that we fight amongst ourselves about the future. The past shapes this nation just as it does individual citizens, and physical scars are nothing compared to the toll taken by psychological trauma.

In this regard, the PAST is always with us, no matter how much TIME passes. Like a physical scar, the memory of that event can always haunt us, creating a defensive response. Instinctually… to avoid “breaking another LEG”.

That instinctual response never fully goes away. With TIME, it becomes a tool we use to ensure survival, instead of just a knee-jerk reaction. Over time we learn how to avoid being in those situations in the first place, so they can never happen again.

That process begins with knowledge.

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How we remember something can impact us, too.

For two years… the enslaved people of Galveston did not know, while their freedom was THEIRS. Two years! Babies were born. Mothers died. None of them were told. They were FREE.

Why did they not know.

WHY did it take two YEARS for this Executive Order to be enforced? Was there some mixup at the Post Office? Were they just misinformed… no.

For two years they held FREE MEN and WOMEN in chains against their will. Intentionally. Whomever controls the KNOWLEDGE sets the stage. By withholding critical information, they manipulated the lives of those slaves for their own financial benefit… even though they knew it was illegal.

Selective censorship of the TRUTH kept those people enslaved.

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Lies and deception by others can leave a major impression on us, but we must remember- our own MIND can deceive us as well. A perfect example of this would be “Childhood Amnesia”. Both of my kids, at about 12 years old or so, suddenly forgot important details from just a few years earlier… but that’s about right, if you stop and think about it.

The same thing seems to happen to many people with the passage of TIME. Add about 30 or 40 years and suddenly, details of events seem to change. Maybe not so much as they’re forgotten, but they take on a ‘Nostalgic Tinge’.

The faster an event is moving away from an observer, the more it shifts to the Rose-colored spectrum.

But this is nothing new. The same thing happened to our parents. As I think back far enough, I can remember snippets of conversations between my Grandmother and Grandfather about their parents, and how they were dealing with the SAME THINGS as they struggled to care for an aging parent.

Our imperfections are what make us uniquely special. We can endure harsh treatment and come out STRONGER on the other side. Because of our ability to ADAPT… because of our ability to REMEMBER. Because of our ability to FORGET.

We embrace these qualities in others, acknowledging that we are ALL merely human. Now we must hold ourselves to the same standard that we would anyone else; and understand that every one of us is susceptible to fallacy and vice… even ourselves.

Perfection is Of Divinity alone. The rest of us… we have to seek forgiveness whenever we’re wrong.

IF we are, as the story goes, created in the image Of the Divine, is it not a violation of His Will if we do not use these gifts we have been given. In order to spread the WORDS to all who have the ability to listen…

Knowledge is the message. Science is the language.
This is how we understand… this is how we learn who we are.

As people. As a nation. As a member of the Human Race. To honor those who’ve come before us. To ensure there will be more who will follow.

In order to honor the memory of this day, we must fully embrace WHY it came to BE. Not to glorify it. Not to exact some price of revenge, but to have a clear message. Something REAL and TRUE that we can point to and say ‘THIS is what we once were as a Nation, as a society… and now it is no more.’

“You can’t recognize and commemorate and celebrate the holiday of Emancipation, if you ALSO are not going to do what is necessary to bring about REPAIR.”👏
— Rev. Mark Thompson on @TheBeatWithAri

Lasting change comes with knowledge… and the desire to make it happen.#HR40⚖️ pic.twitter.com/qtLdAGgl94
— Jack Charbonneau (@MrJLCharbonneau) June 18, 2021

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It shows us WHY we are who we are. Why we cherish these values and STAND for these ideals… with conviction. Because we’ve been there before, and we choose not to go BACK.

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It is with reverence and humility that I celebrate Juneteenth. Let our History and our ERRORS stand as a testament to the Righteousness, of the struggle for EQUALITY…

No matter how long it takes.

-JC

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(Edited for spelling and punctuation errors- 8/9/2022)