The Truth HURTS.

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

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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.

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

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.@Gstephanopoulos: “Did the Pentagon receive an intelligence assessment on COVID in China last November from the National Center for Medical Intelligence?”

Defense Sec. Mark Esper: “I can’t recall, George, but we have many people that watch this closely.” https://t.co/d9XlhTygln pic.twitter.com/E89i7DjF4t

— ABC News (@ABC) April 5, 2020

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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.

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https://observer.com/2017/08/court-admits-dnc-and-debbie-wasserman-schulz-rigged-primaries-against-sanders/

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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.

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https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/19/business/twitter-musk-trump-reinstate

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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.

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https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2020-12-10/one-day-us-deaths-top-3-000-more-than-d-day-or-9-11

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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.**

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https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/20/us/colorado-springs-shooting-gay-nightclub

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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.

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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

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.

Unfortunately, as studious and thorough as they were, they were still unable to foresee the Dark Arts necessary to accomplish such an act…

Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you…

THE FILIBUSTER.

… wiser words never spoken.

-JC

Through the Looking Glass

I remember what I was taught.

I tried to call him out every time it came across my desk… I think we ALL did.

This Nation’s teeth were cut on racism like this… and there’s only ONE WAY we can ensure it stops.

STAND UP and SPEAK OUT.

https://www.boston.com/news/crime/2021/03/18/new-mom-army-vet-among-8-killed-in-georgia-spa-shootings

We should be no more upset with people of Asian Descent for the spread of this virus, than we are with people of English Descent for the current spread of the predominant strain of COVID-19 in the United States.

Viruses do not discriminate.

I find these acts of violence against the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities abhorrent and everyone should SPEAK OUT when they see these acts happen. I wish only for PEACE, as their contributions are a wonderful and vital part of our story.

But… I cannot be SILENT. Nor should anyone else. We must LISTEN to what we’re being told, as well as what is being SAID.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/religion/2021/03/19/robert-aaron-long-evangelical-treatment-facility-sex-addiction/

There’s a difference between STORY and NARRATIVE… and sometimes the STORY is amplified by the obvious SILENCE of others.

… don’t look at ME like that!

SILENCE on the subject of Conspiracy Theories led to an armed insurrection on January 6th. What harm is done when we are denied FULL DISCLOSURE? What lessons can we learn from this moment that will teach us something about what went wrong in that young man’s life… so that we can ensure it will never happen again with someone else.

Yes, it’s uncomfortable. And yes it deals with harmful stereotypes, but it must be addressed. Openly. It’s a subject not everyone is familiar with, and it’s something that everyone needs to be aware of… knowledge leads to understanding.

Our SILENCE allows it to continue.

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My ears perked up the moment I heard the word addiction. Now having gained the knowledge that comes from 12 years of sobriety… after so many lost at the bottom of a bottle… I have an extra bit of empathy for anyone who struggles with addiction. Because I did not know, I struggled… as it is for many people who cannot afford treatment or mental health services. Just like Prostate Cancer or Breast Cancer, addiction is a treatable disease of the MIND.

But I am NO FOOL…

This was no “bad day” as described by the Sheriff… this man’s future was decided the moment he gave up on LIFE, and became its enemy.

Why did that man choose those businesses. What was he expecting to find in those establishments? Was he looking for something he ASSUMED he would find, or was he CERTAIN he would find it. Yes, there is ONE common denominator between all these establishments…

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2019/02/26/florida-human-sex-trafficking-ring-full-story/2990465002/

**… but it is not the ONLY ONE.**

And once again we find ourselves at a crossroads of Fire & Fuel, where one broken aspect of our society ignites another… spreading beyond all social barriers and effecting everyone.

https://www.glamour.com/story/jeffrey-epstein-survivors-roundtable

https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2019/10/the-disturbing-saga-of-robert-kraft

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/ex-spa-owner-denies-selling-access-trump-says-dems-target-n985381

I remember how thoroughly the lessons penetrate our collective psyche around situations like these. Anyone my age has been well educated on what the definition of the word “is” is… and when we learn these lessons WRONG, we have to GO BACK and re-educate ourselves. We have to undo the damage that’s been done… because we have LEARNED.

Our definition of what is RIGHT and what is WRONG has evolved.

Our Laws need to reflect that.

This is how we ensure a proper path Forward.

SHAME on him if he’s using the excuse of addiction in an attempt to avoid responsibility for his actions, but shame on US if we do not LISTEN to what he is saying.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/religion/2021/03/19/robert-aaron-long-evangelical-treatment-facility-sex-addiction/

It all starts with how we perceive one another.

We believe in Equal Justice Under Law.

Do we PRACTICE what we PREACH.

I do not raise these issues to give cover for criminal behavior or detract from the apparent racism of these actions. I want to find the answers…

I want to do all I can to ensure it doesn’t happen again.

-JC

I Went Down to the Crossroads

It’s not going to end… the shootings. Until we unite, they will continue. As I sit here and contemplate the events at Santa Fe High School, I understand so much of the causes of the incident, yet know nothing of the specific event.

It has been the deadliest year for public schools since the year of the Columbine massacre. Another event that I know so well, as if it happened yesterday. And all of my classmates knew that THAT event would be the last. How could it not…?

I studied the idea of running for President in 2017 to make sure I “crossed my T’s and dotted my I’s” in the event that no one could talk me out of running. By the end of January 2018, I found more reasons to run than to not. Then Valentine’s Day came.

The inspiring stories coming from MSD High School drove me to tears. How could I not speak up when these children dared speak truth to power? Though not incapable, they would need advice and support from elders if they were to be successful. And Laws would need to be discussed and implemented, but…

During the days that followed, a Senator on one of the morning talk shows reminded us why legislation was not introduced- The Hastert Rule. The “Majority of the Majority” rule in the House of Representatives. If these kids were not aware of this, then they should be. It is the reason for many of our seemingly unsolvable issues.

So I acted. The ideology of control through fear and intimidation used by sexual predators, criminals, bullies, and liars is being used against us. People need to know…

But here I sit. Alone in my confidence? Or alone in my ignorance and arrogance? I don’t seem to be able to find any counsel on this matter. I am the “Cheese”. I stand alone.

Taking a stand on an issue as horrible as this, it is a good and decent position to base a political campaign upon. And I cannot find a supporter who agrees. What does that say about me? My abilities to communicate? My ability to judge right from wrong? My ability to “see” where I can act, and where I should act.

Stand for something or else fall for anything.

Is this the “Hill I want to die upon?” So far in this battle, it is the most clear-cut fight in the whole war. No other position I have taken is clearer, or supported by so many people, yet they do not know the answer. I DO.

…and so does Paul Ryan.

We all have self doubt sometimes. We all have to “dial in the crazy” from time to time. The lines between what is possible and what should be need to be redrawn. I am attempting to change THE WORLD, alone, with a computer and a bucket full of ideas.

Where does motivation end, and insanity begin?

… so here I sit.