To Whom it May Concern

I believe in SCIENCE. I believe in FACTS and DATA… I believe in the TRUTH. Unadulterated. Unfiltered and straight forward. I’m not a fan of labels or virtue signaling. That kind of superficiality is what got us here in the first place.

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The TRUTH hurts sometimes… that’s why some may find it easier to just say what’s NICE, instead of what’s CORRECT. I suppose it’s not just our elected officials who are guilty of this sin, they just happen to be the people we’ve chosen to LEAD. Therefore, their hypocrisy is much easier to SEE.

Show me a good example of a Tax-and-Spend Liberal… especially now, in the shadow of the previous Administration. Show me a good example of a Small Government Conservative. Which Republican Administration has successfully reduced the footprint of the Federal Government?

We’ve become distracted by LABELS, fighting for a BRAND instead of doing what’s required. The Democratic Party loves to celebrate every FIRST they can… shattering every Glass Ceiling they come across. Don’t get me wrong, I celebrate as well. Women should be seen as EQUALS.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/12/sports/soccer/us-womens-soccer-equal-pay.html

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The Democratic Party, quite literally, rallied around the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements. Progress was being made in the form of EDUCATION. Informing us all as to the depths of these problems…

I’m still amazed by the COURAGE of Tara Reade.

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Her story, based in FACT, was NOT elevated by the last Administration during the 2020 election. Instead, they went with Hunter and UKRAINE… Seriously?!!

And that encapsulates the whole story. Every bit of hypocrisy is highlighted within this exact POINT.

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The Leader of the Democratic Party champions the cause of EQUITY. Reaffirming the Party’s commitment to ensuring their ‘Soul of America’ retains that Top-Dollar high-gloss SPIT-SHINE.

As it would have been if Donald Trump had suddenly called for more transparency in the case of Tara Reade, the Democratic Party’s commitment to the appearance of EQUALITY is now just a show… an Off-Broadway Equality ACT.

Only EQUAL. MEANS. EQUAL.

As true NOW as it was 100 years ago… just as it was 400 years ago.

The issue of Equal Rights has been settled. The 28th Amendment has been voted upon and 76% of these United States have now voted to RATIFY EQUALITY.

Instead of championing the call of the MAJORITY, the Bully Pulpit remains SILENT… the Will of the People, once again, overridden by the opinion of ONE MAN…

Meet the new boss… same as the old boss.

https://jackcharbonneau.com/2020/03/08/50-50/

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… and our two-party system only DOUBLES our headaches.

The mainstream concept of Small Government Conservatism has many HOLES, considering its track record over the course of the last 40 years. Was it in the name of ‘smaller government’ that the Reagan Administration sought to arm satellites for our nuclear defense?

Was ‘Compassionate Conservatism’ at the heart of the Bush Administration’s declaration that Iraq was seeking Yellowcake Uranium? What Conservative Values were on display as Colin Powell spoke before the United Nations?

All these expenditures abroad, while they pursue a limited government approach at home by shrinking “entitlement” programs and cutting “pork barrel” projects, like building BRIDGES and ROADS… projects that would directly benefit the PEOPLE they were elected to serve.

I suppose in this context, The Gipper was RIGHT… government is the problem.

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That seems to be the one common thread that ties these opposing parties together. History shows us… they work for the DONORS.

Isn’t that right, Lt. Col. Oliver North.

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Under who’s leadership has our Nation’s economic activity CONTRACTED? On who’s watch has our Nation’s prosperity GROWN. What investments made by our Federal Government have we benefited from the most, and which ones have limited the upward economic mobility of the American Middle Class?

We cannot rely on Political Labels and Divisive Rhetoric to inform our decisions. We must rely on FACTS… if we believe in the experiment, we must embrace the evidence we see.

I believe in a fiscally conservative government, but I also believe the money we spend should be better managed. ONE MAN should not dictate to us our answers, the best answers are forged in the crucible of OPEN DEBATE. There is a debate to be had on the Infrastructure Package being proposed, but there currently is NO DEBATE being had… ONE SIDE doesn’t want to participate.

They simply stand OPPOSED.

Farmers in RED STATES need those FUNDS just as much as farmers in BLUE STATES. Their elected officials are letting them down by not engaging on their behalf.

Doing nothing is not ‘Smaller Government’… it’s OPPRESSIVE Government. Cutting benefits for those who need them most isn’t fiscally conservative, it’s passing the BUCK. It’s dodging responsibility, shifting the burden onto someone ELSE. It’s kind of like virtue signaling, but it’s a bit different… you just have to put 2 and 2 together.

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Can these issues be SOLVED with FACTS and DATA? Will they ever be resolved if we constantly retreat into our political corners… where has that led us so far?

If we allow our passions to rule the day, we miss out on the CHANCE to find KNOWLEDGE. By painting it as either RED or BLUE we cannot find the subtlety necessary to establish COMMON GROUND… to achieve the goals we ALL wish to see.

The experiment was conceived to create KNOWLEDGE, to prove a hypothesis through the collection of FACTS and DATA. Can Mankind rule itself Justly and in PEACE? After 240 years… we have that KNOWLEDGE. We now have that DATA. That shared experience is our COMMON BOND… that is the GIFT that we’ve been given.

The time now comes for us to decide… what is it that we will leave behind for our grandchildren. Let it be no flash of political passions that leads us to cast aside UNION, hard fought and battle won. Let us learn from our Forefathers and elevate the ERRORS that they have made. Let their example guide us, so we will not repeat their mistakes.

Today, we take for granted that which they did not have! They did not know it was possible… all they had was FAITH, and a firm belief in the inherent good that can come from a STRONG UNION.

We now know the answer… today, we stand as proof.

-JC

A Constitutional Convention

Not to undo, but to strengthen. To fully define that which has not been addressed. To CLARIFY. To express what it is this nation stands for in words so clear, no rational mind could stand opposed to their ascent… and once passed, no legal mind could undermine their intent.

We need a Constitutional Convention to propose and debate a set of Amendments, addressing those issues that have been hijacked by Party Politics, to enflame passions and raise MONEY… all while these problems remain UNRESOLVED, to the detriment of THE PEOPLE these legislators were elected to represent.

Every piece of historical precedent shows us what we should be working toward. Everyday, every one of us swears an oath, in our hearts and our minds, to protect and defend it. But we can clearly see… it is NOT as it should BE.

There is nothing to fear, we must believe our eyes. We’ve been given the gift that so many others did not have. The Framers of our Constitution foresaw the need to make changes…

We have the ability to Amend.

BEFORE the chaos that would eventually consume us. BEFORE the divisions are drawn and WALLS go up. The system… Our American Political System… is now BROKEN. Legislators legislate based on MONEY and the pursuit thereof. To FUND their re-election, to support their Political Party, to support their political careers. They cater to the interests of POLITICAL DONORS instead of working to pass legislation that would benefit the VOTERS they were elected to represent.

HALF of our Elected Officials are BEHOLDEN to DARK MONEY interests, and the OTHER HALF are hesitant to ACT because it would upset their DONORS.

Who Represents the American People in this DEBATE?

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Though not written within our Constitution, by our consent, our system has settled into a two party system. Elections have, for the most part, provided a clear majority to establish a functioning government.

Although they continue to do so, our ‘functioning government’ consistently does the opposite of what the voters demand. More Americans have died due to gun violence THIS YEAR ALONE, than have American Soldiers throughout 20 YEARS of war… in two countries.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackbrewster/2021/04/16/more-than-one-mass-shooting-per-day-has-occurred-in-2021/?sh=d8b007c64932

American lives, lost… inaction in the United States Senate.

Essential Workers, HAILED as heroes just a few months ago, more than deserving of being paid a LIVABLE WAGE in every state. Now… $15 is just TOO MUCH. It seems our Senators believe we should prioritize the needs of the United States Armed Forces…

https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2020-07-28/gop-tucks-8-billion-for-military-weaponry-in-virus-bill

… you wouldn’t want to see our soldiers go without PAY?

When you SEE something, SAY something.

Because once it is SEEN and we do not ACT, we become COMPLICIT in allowing it to continue. What comes from our inaction is the fruit we will bear… our SILENCE will water the seed.

It doesn’t matter what your political affiliation is. Left or Right, Red or Blue… we all know what the problem IS. MONEY in politics has unfairly tipped the scales against the Will of The People. If MONEY decides who will be allowed to legislate for the rest of us, legislation will continue to favor those with money over those WITHOUT.

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What is the point of our Constitution? What were the ends that justified its creation? In order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, and to secure the Blessings of Liberty… for ourselves AND those yet to come.

The experiment was created for THE PEOPLE. We are the experiment. We are the balance upon which the entire experiment is judged. Today we reap the harvest from seeds sown by men who still feared a KING. A vision of what could be, seen through the haze of musket fire… and their own hypocrisy.

‘All men are created EQUAL’ they said… ‘except those we deem to be just three-fifths.’

So long as we are subjected to the structures that have arisen from the oppressive intent of the Three-Fifths Rule, the Will of the American People will never be fully realized.

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The American People need CLARITY… not because it is easy, but because it is necessary. If we do not make the effort… if we do not seize the moment to secure the progress we have made, we remain at risk of losing it. It’s no longer hyperbole, it’s no longer a relic from a long forgotten PAST.

When you STAND UP and SPEAK OUT in defense of the Rights of others, you defend those Rights for YOURSELF. And when you do, you will NOT stand alone. You stand with the MAJORITY… and we STAND UNITED.

Every issue we struggle with has nuance and subtlety. We may differ on details and directions, but we agree on so much more than what is amplified in the media… by monied interests, who profit off of our division. Who make more MONEY if regulations are not passed. Who would prefer our legislatures remained deadlocked. And that suits the incumbents just fine…

You can’t FUNDRAISE on a problem that’s already been SOLVED.

… be sure to DONATE all you can to the candidate of choice this fall.

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Right now, we stand engulfed within the Fog of War. The shots have already been fired… in our classrooms, in our houses of worship, on the streets of every city, in towns across every state… in communities of color AND communities of privilege.

Tens of thousands of American Citizens are dying, needlessly, every year, and HALF of our Congress supports doing NOTHING about it… the other half seems to think they make a strong point.

Who do these people work FOR?

Who SHOULD they be working for.

When every citizen is guaranteed access to the ballot, our National Dialogue will gain CLARITY. Ideas born of Bad Faith will fall away when exposed in the light of OPEN DEBATE.

Do not forget… if we do nothing, the actions taken by those who wish to overturn our elections will become precedent. They will be studied and expanded upon, just as it was twenty years ago the last time this happened. They’re testing every guardrail, looking for weaknesses… and practice makes perfect.

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I am fortunate to have grown up in the Kansas City Metro area, surrounded by multiple World-Class sporting organizations. For many years, that wasn’t the case. Even today, where one year we are crowned World Champions, and the next year we are not… even when the roster is identical to the year before, on this day we came up short.

When we are on top, we remember where we once stood… looking UP to where we are now, where the eyes of the world are now trained. Where once stood another, one day another will stand. The only thing holding us back from remaining as great as we are now is our EGO.

Do we believe we are somehow better than all the rest, or do we remember that we are no different than everyone else… that if it were another standing in this place, we would be cheering them on just the same. Do we become complacent or do we strive to become better than ourselves?

It’s the microcosm vs. the macrocosm. As above, so below. The United States of America is the GOLD STANDARD. We are the envy of the world. When we STAND UNITED there is no force on Earth that can stop us… the only thing that can take that away is our OWN EGO. Do we fall victim to the hype, or do we remain HUMBLE and strive for everyone to have the same…

In order to solve the fundamental problems facing us today, we must clearly determine the Will of the People. Our Strength and Security depends on it. I believe in the judgement of the American People, whenever they are fully informed.

Democracy is NOT dying, it’s being STARVED of new ideas. Conversations being had about subjects and grudges held since the BIRTH of this Nation… old ideas die hard. But we aid in their descent when we find COMMON GROUND. No subject should be seen as taboo if we are to find the answers we seek. We must show others where they are right, and help them understand where they are wrong.

Why does HALF of this Country feel disenfranchised after the 2020 election?

Why does HALF of this Country feel disenfranchised after the 2016 election?

Why does HALF of this Country feel disenfranchised after the 2000 election?

… and on, and on, and on…

Let us stop the madness… while we still can.

-JC

Justice

And so it is… the engine is STILL SOUND. When we choose to put our foot down, the acceleration GROWS. As the velocity of this change increases, in-sync with the fluidity of the passage of time, we breathe deep and shift gears; opening another level of expansion… attaining that which was once said to be unattainable.

Attaining that, which was once said could NEVER be done… after four years of the Donald J. Trump Administration, does anyone truly believe there is anything this Nation cannot DO.

Cyclical in nature, the gears turn… just as it was when this experiment was set into motion. Where once there was nothing, with the stroke of a QUILL thus it was born; zero to sixty one HOT afternoon in July. Today, the promises of SPRING bloom… may our work preserve and protect the harvest of a Just and Righteous fruit this FALL.

Where once there was doubt grows HOPE. Where once sprawled a field of brambles, now lies neatly tended rows… cleared by PATIENTS, with a devout adherence to the marking of the passage of TIME. The Fields of Destiny now call us. Let us move FORWARD and dispel the opinions of those who stand opposed to the MAJORITY and SHOW THEM how it will be, how it MUST be… it is for THEM we do this as well.

Equal Justice Under Law is NOT an opinion… in this country, that must be our REALITY. It’s our DUTY to ensure it is so.

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Accountability for offensive actions is a GOOD START.

The George Floyd Accountability in Policing Act must be passed.

It doesn’t matter who that knee is upon, so long as it’s able to happen again… you could be next. Without LAW, they retain that right.

IF we granted Qualified Immunity to EVERYONE we employ to operate a deadly metal machine, we would see an increase in the number of pedestrians struck and killed by CITY BUSES. Because they can be held accountable for their split-second decisions, they err in-favor of the PEDESTRIAN and not the LAMP POST.

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But this legislation does not go deep enough. It does not SOLVE the problem that created the need for this legislation in the first place. While accountability itself can act as a deterrent, it will ultimately lead to more of the SAME.

Locking up Police Officers for abhorrent behavior will not stop the killing of Black Lives. Only KNOWLEDGE can do that… knowledge leads to UNDERSTANDING, and anyone we deem worthy of carrying a BADGE and a GUN should always be striving for more knowledge, to better understand the communities in which they serve.

Right now, where do these Officers gather their information? What level of education should we require for our Law Enforcement Officers and what fields should we require them to be fully knowledgeable in before we consider ARMING them and sending them out into our communities?

Racism, discrimination, prejudice… these mindsets are NOT default settings. They are TAUGHT to others, they are LEARNED. The best weapon against racism is knowledge.

We need to create a four year degree in Law Enforcement and Peace Officer Education, in which we require extensive learning in the methods of policing and the historical relationships between police and minority groups in this country. To simply say police need more training is not enough, we need to fully establish and accredit what it is they should know and how they will be trained.

Once established, Officers will fully understand what it is we expect from them in the line of duty. They will have no doubt as to when they should pull their service weapon, and there will be no doubt as to when they should be held accountable for their actions. It is in our Nation’s interest to make this training mandatory for all Officers, so it should be free of charge for anyone who earns the degree.

The FAA requires 1500 hours of training before a pilot can fly commercially in the United States. According to Wikipedia, that can take about two years to complete. That amount of time should be the MINIMUM requirement for all Law Enforcement Officers in the United States, on top of a four year degree.

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I still believe in the mission of Law Enforcement. I believe they play a vital role in our society, of both deterrence and security.

Understanding the diversity of situations Officers find themselves in, we need to incorporate a multi discipline approach to Law Enforcement. We need cops who are specifically Doctors, Nurses, Psychologists. Officers trained in Law Enforcement with a specialty. When called, they respond with a Badge and authority, but armed with KNOWLEDGE instead of a gun. Their primary objective is to correct a situation by any means necessary including arrest, but not specifically so.

Discretion. Empathy. Compassion. Community Assistance… responding to those situations that are not solved by incarceration. If we can avoid bad outcomes for both police AND citizens, then we should do so.

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The guilty verdict in the trial of Derek Chauvin has shattered our perception of reality, exposing a tectonic shift… a generational divide. My teenagers saw the outcome of the trial as a given, the evidence was too overwhelming. ‘There’s only one way the jury could decide.’

I did my best to tell them. I told them to go watch the footage of Rodney King and remember… a jury let those Officers GO. Mr. King was resisting arrest.

Our children now view JUSTICE as a given, unlike their parents and grandparents who have been conditioned to expect the opposite… because it’s been proven to be so many times before. For them, that world no longer EXISTS.

All they have is HOPE, and now their beliefs have been affirmed…
I want THIS WORLD to be more like theirs.

We need to Talk

To be honest, it’s a conversation I know nothing about… how could I? I am a white man. I don’t know what it’s like, nor will I ever. I’ve never feared Law Enforcement Officers… well, only when I knew I was in the wrong. But even then I never feared for my life. I was taught to follow the Law and respect those who enforce it. It’s their job to ‘Protect and Serve’ us… The People.

That’s not the same story for every American.

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https://slate.com/human-interest/2020/06/white-parents-the-talk-racism-police-brutality.html

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Here in Kansas City, KS… I’m in the MINORITY.

It’s not quite as stark as if I were living in The Bahamas, but it is quite obvious. And it becomes even more pronounced when I drive to one of the outlying suburbs, where there are no POC at the shopping centers… where there’s not a pawn shop on every other corner… where there are fresh veggies and sidewalks.

https://www.npr.org/2017/05/03/526655831/a-forgotten-history-of-how-the-u-s-government-segregated-america

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https://www.usinsourcing.com/kc-food-deserts-a-sign-of-economic-decline/

If you’ve ever lived in a part of town where the National Pizza Chains won’t deliver to your neighborhood… you’ve been the victim of racism.

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About a month into the quarantine for COVID-19, our refrigerator stopped keeping things cold. It might have been something as simple as cleaning the coils or replacing an internal component, but I’ll never know. No service repair shop would send a technician into Wyandotte County. If I had lived somewhere else though, they were more than happy to help. But here… not so much.

Instead of a $300 repair bill, we had to buy a brand new refrigerator… all because of a preconceived notion of the community in which I live.

And where on the map was this ‘line’ drawn, between “Technicians are standing by” and “Sorry you’re outta luck”? I know from experience, the dividing line for a delivery area can end abruptly on ONE SIDE of the street, while the OTHER SIDE is deemed just too far away.

Back in my day… we were told we should lock our doors when driving down a particular street or driving in a particular neighborhood. But turn a corner, and hook a left at the light… you’re suddenly in a neighborhood filled with fully restored 100 year old mansions. Literally, no less than THREE BLOCKS down the road.

Who draws these lines? Who decides THIS neighborhood is ‘acceptable’ and THIS neighborhood is NOT…

And what DATA are they basing those conclusions upon?

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https://www.axios.com/army-officer-lawsuit-police-afro-latino-virginia-f5aceedf-6efe-4a8f-b4ca-8d8b9c297ea1.html

There are no clear lines drawn within our communities. What effects ONE will effect us ALL… because we live SIDE-BY-SIDE. In our schools. In our grocery stores. At work and at home. If the numbers are SKEWED… if the DATA we’re basing our conclusions upon is WRONG… it effects our Laws, our priorities… our very perception of what is “right” and what is “wrong”.

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Would it surprise anyone if we found a connecting thread that tied all these deadly encounters together? On the surface… sometimes these officers are white, sometimes they are black. There is no discrimination it seems, when it comes to the origin of the Use of Force… so what is it.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-watch/wp/2017/02/14/a-day-with-killology-police-trainer-dave-grossman/

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Black men are taught from an early age to fear encounters with the police… as I would if I were the father of a black child. Therefore, they are fearful and paranoid when these encounters eventually happen.

It’s a natural, rational, completely understandable… and PREDICTABLE human response to a potentially life-threatening situation.

Law Enforcement Officers are TRAINED to interpret those actions as a threat. ‘The subject is acting paranoid… they’re hiding something. They’re acting GUILTY.’

What FACTS would then flash through an officer’s head in that split-second decision making process… ALL SKEWED, by laws that are tainted with Racial Profiling and a Criminal Justice System that’s based on CASH.

Did you know police can just take your stuff if they suspect it’s involved in a crime? They can! It’s a shady process called “civil asset forfeiture,” and it would make for a weird episode of Law and Order.

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“The American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota said it had ‘deep concerns that police here appear to have used dangling air fresheners as an excuse for making a pretextual stop, something police do all too often to target Black people.’”

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/daunte-wright-was-stopped-expired-plates-driving-while-black-may-n1263878

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https://www.aclu.org/report/driving-while-black-racial-profiling-our-nations-highways

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I’ve tried to teach my kids that they are privileged, and that it’s wrong… and it’s on us to do the work to make things right. We cannot simply STAND SILENT. Use your little white boy shield and SPEAK OUT… someone’s LIFE may depend on it!

I know it’s a lot to put on the shoulders of a 15 year old boy… but right now? Until we take the necessary steps toward ensuring Law Enforcement Officers protect the rights of every citizen in every State, EQUALLY… that’s all we’ve GOT.

That needs to change.

Respect Your Elders

Sure, I’ll admit it. I may be a little wet behind the ears, maybe not as long in the tooth as others… so I might be mistaken from time to time. But that’s why I choose to SPEAK OUT. To clarify. To educate, both myself AND others. How else would we find the answers that we seek?

**In an OPEN and HONEST debate, the best ideas always rise to the TOP.**

That is why we are here today! It’s the cornerstone of our Democracy. Ideas are proposed and discussions commence. Improvements are added, weaknesses are highlighted, and legislation is voted upon… but that’s currently NOT the case in the United States Senate.

Legislation is NOT voted upon. Legislation is proposed, debated, enhanced and amended, and then… no vote. Even when that legislation has passed the House… no vote. Even if a MAJORITY of Senators approve… no vote. The Will of the Majority is overruled by the Minority.

40% IS GREATER THAN 60%.

40% of the people know what’s best for this country… there must be something wrong with the rest of us.

In order to stop the Majority from imposing its will upon the Minority. To protect the smaller States from the larger, more populous States… as if the Great State of California, to its own detriment, would actively pursue an agenda to harm another part of this Union!

It would be a rational fear to have… if we were living in 1776.

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We must never forget the Presidency of Donald J. Trump. The passions and fire of ONE MAN, unleashed upon the people. Stoking anger and division for more than four years, and still… he could not convince a MAJORITY of this Nation that he was correct. Even with every outlet available to him, the PEOPLE were not convinced… THE PEOPLE were correct.

The MAJORITY of this Nation STANDS for Liberty and Justice for ALL. Not everyone believes in this… that is why they are in the MINORITY.

The MAJORITY of this Nation fights to protect the Rights of ALL citizens. It does not seek to hinder or harm, it seeks to elevate everyone. EQUALLY. Anyone seeking to protect the Rights of the Minority by standing OPPOSED to the Will of the Majority should consider UPDATING their position… in-light of the conclusions drawn from our most recent ‘experiment’.

Re-reading the words of our Founders, we can see our opinions have evolved considerably over the last 200 years. Roughly ONE THIRD of the words written about the Senate in The Federalist Papers are now GARBAGE… Senators are no longer selected by the Legislatures of the individual States. We ABANDONED that practice long ago and decided the PEOPLE should choose their Senators by direct vote. And why is that? More participation equals Better Governance.

IF your position is so STRONG, why is it you cannot rally a MAJORITY of support? IF your position is to stand opposed to the Majority, so be it. Please do so… Clearly. Make sure EVERYONE knows exactly where you STAND. When time shows your position to be correct, the Majority will stand with you.

And until that day comes, the MAJORITY of this Nation will support and defend your right to SPEAK OUT. Debate and dissent are essential to a thriving democracy, and we are all working toward the SAME GOAL: a more perfect Union.

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The United States Senate is the greatest deliberative body in the world INSPITE of the filibuster, not BECAUSE of it. The filibuster KILLS debate, it does not encourage it.

What makes the Senate superior is the six year term. The House, being elected every two years, is more closely tied to the fires and the passions of the People in the moment; whereas the Senate, not being constantly consumed with winning re-election, can work with a more deliberative approach to legislation, bringing a more informed and careful eye to the situation…

At least, that’s how it’s supposed to work.

Reading through these theoretical suppositions, written over two centuries ago, where within these paragraphs do they speak of the ability of ONE MAN to override the will of the Majority? How are those actions characterized? What are their opinions of such actions…

They speak of TYRANNY. They use it as an example in their demonstrations, of what it is they were attempting to AVOID… THIS is what we fear, so we want to create a governing body that will produce the OPPOSITE of these acts.

They saw the demise of our Democracy coming in the form of a consolidation of authority. An abdication of power by one branch of government, allowing it to become subservient to another. But they did believe it could right itself, if it ever did come to pass.