With the Rising of the Tide

Again I say…

The American People deserve a third option on the debate stage this fall.

The truly “Revolutionary” part of my candidacy is simply who I am… I’m just some guy from Kansas.

A husband. A stay-at-home dad. A home owner. A citizen who is concerned for the future of our Nation. A person who’s always had a strong affection for our political system, but could never bring myself to the point of being able to SELL OUT my moral values.

As a young man, I drank and ran with the wrong crowd. Being a musician, many of my colleagues believed that was a job requirement. But my experience with drugs and alcohol is one of the better stories. Many of my friends battled addictions and lost more than I have. Millions more across this Nation are not here today to tell their tale.

I consider myself blessed… in so far as that is under someone else’s control. My actions have always determined my fate, but I know my actions are influenced by circumstances beyond my control. I’ve made my decisions in life based on the options before me, framed in the context of the surroundings I’ve found myself in. As it is with music, if the options before me will not produce the vision I see in my mind… I seek better options. And I do not settle until I’ve realized my goal.

If we continue to use the SAME TOOLS, we will see the SAME RESULTS…

… and we will never know what SOUNDS we’ve been missing if we just hit REPEAT.

Who is the best candidate to take on Donald Trump? Which candidate is he truly afraid of facing this fall? Will either of the Democrats be able to crack 50%? Is that the option we want facing Donald Trump in November… the candidate who can hold on to his BASE?

If our decision is not CLEAR CUT, there will be DOUBT in the result. This will NOT empower the American People.

Party Politics of the previous era are now gone… TODAY. Because ONE PARTY is all that remains. The other has been hijacked by the current occupant of the White House, and now complacency and rot have started to set in.

The politics of FEAR and DIVISION. Quite literally. Don’t forget: WASH YOUR HANDS!

“… I would call out the military.” –Joe Biden

“… and we are going to pay for it ALL.” –Bernie Sanders

Whoa now! Why are we supporting Unilateral Presidential Executive Actions? Without Congressional support, many of these proposals could only be enacted in that manor…

Isn’t that what we’re fighting AGAINST?

Did we not learn what can come from Presidents who are willing to go it alone?

…

Let us find COMMON GROUND on ALL these issues, and not lose sight of the main objective that this Nation must secure if it is to SURVIVE.

The future of our Nation is SECURE when every citizen’s RIGHT TO VOTE is ensured.

ONE CITIZEN=ONE VOTE

Remove the corruption. Restore HONOR in governance.

I believe in EQUAL Justice Under Law.

End the Electoral College

Be Prepared

Tonight my heart aches because of the Coronavirus. Not because I have it, and not because I am one of those “at-risk individuals with an underlying condition like diabetes.” I hang my head tonight because of the shadows cast by this Administration, the ones that have lurked behind them all along.

I didn’t decide to run for President because it seemed like a fun thing to DO… I was worried that something of this magnitude could someday happen.

While I sincerely hope that this is not that event, it is apparent that preparedness is not the strong suit of our Commander-in-Chief. His ‘King of the Hill’ leadership style may have served him well in the world of real estate, but it’s now obvious that that management style does NOT work well as a governing philosophy… something that every American Citizen should have already known… it’s IN our Founding Documents!

An incoming President has 4000 jobs to fill before DAY ONE.

FOUR THOUSAND… advisors, secretaries, officials, specialists, doctors, scientists, nurses, historians, technicians, Cabinet Members, and Diplomats… and SO MANY more that my ADVISORS will have to inform me that I’ve forgotten them. THAT is the only way things get done! A collection of the BEST and BRIGHTEST with the VISION to see what needs to be done BEFORE a situation arises, BEFORE drastic and costly decisions must be made.

In times of crisis a true leader doesn’t make the life-saving decisions… the people he put in place before the crisis began do. They are a direct reflection of the values held by that leader… whether he be corrupt or a saint.

The Career Public Servants of the United States of America are NOT a burden on our pocketbooks, they are our INSURANCE POLICY against losses caused by catastrophic disasters. The bean counters, pencil-pushers, organizers and planners… LOGISTICS! How do we get the test kits to Walnut Shade, MO? How do we prepare for an escalation BEFORE it happens? Being prepared means we set up pre-determined locations with supplies… inventoried, stockpiled, and ready to GO. And all of it has to be maintained… by GOVERNMENT WORKERS.

It’s the DEEP STATE!

A forklift driver named Joe… who’s in-charge of rotating stock in our warehouses, filled with MREs and BOTTLED WATER.

Now, due to a CUTTING of the size of our government, many of these responsibilities are farmed out. Contracted to CORRUPT companies who are just looking to take advantage of the TAX PAYERS. Corrupt legislators… who are FIRST and foremost, corrupt POLITICIANS… rewarding their DONORS with multi-million dollar contracts, so they can secure FUNDING for their reelection.

“Puerto Rico Power just hired 2 contractors with little experience…” Vox (10-26-2017)

**In the LAND OF PLENTY, where it falls off the tree and ROTS on the ground… people in Puerto Rico couldn’t get WATER after a storm.**

“20,000 Pallets of bottled water left untouched…” CNN (09-20-2018)

Like that storm, experts could see from its earliest days that the potential for loss of life could be HIGH… and this Administration just continues to make it up as they go along. Changing weather maps to make it seem alright. ‘Don’t worry! He knows what he’s doing… why? Do you think he DOESN’T know what he’s doing?’ And now, his downplaying of the severity of potential disasters will cause more unnecessary loss of LIFE.

Even IF he did know everything, he wouldn’t be able to do it all by himself. Roosevelt didn’t take out Hitler alone… he couldn’t have. Imagine if Truman would have come into office with the goal of eliminating the DEEP STATE on his first day…

‘All of this GOVERNMENT WASTE! Going toward some covert military project… in Manhattan?! That’s gotta GO!’

Our LIVES are now in the hands of a President, in-office only because of LIES and DECEPTION, and elected by a MINORITY of the electorate. Our collective fate is being determined by a man who values HIS self-interest over that of everyone else.

When I say #EndTheElectoralCollege, I don’t simply say it to get under his skin (and it obviously DOES!), I say it as a call for STABILITY. A reinstatement of the ideals we have ALL come to cherish. Though the actions of our Presidents have been at times misguided, they have always been carried out with one goal in mind- SECURING this nation. Every action taken by Donald J. Trump as President of the United States, has served the interests of ONE MAN…

Now that man will be Russia’s President for the REST OF HIS LIFE, and he will continue to influence our geopolitical sphere for MANY years to come.

2016 was not the FIRST time… it certainly won’t be the LAST.

To stand SILENT and watch her FALL, makes you COMPLICIT in her demise.

We must End the Electoral College.

50/50

That was the vote in the Virginia House of Delegates on February 21, 2019, on a proposed rule change that would have forced a vote on ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment…

… it failed.

speaker_cox_3 — Kirk Cox, FRM Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates

A bill supported by over 80% of the people of Virginia. It would have PASSED had a vote been allowed… but it wasn’t even allowed out of committee.

ONE YEAR LATER, after the delegates were held accountable at the ballot box for their INACTION in the legislature, Virginia voted to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment, thereby meeting the Constitutionally required threshold of 38 States.

Just last month, the United States House of Representatives voted to clear the way for final ratification by removing the original deadline, and now…

ONE MAN, in the United States Senate stands OPPOSED.

While it was shocking to see the Virginia Speaker of the House deny equality to more than HALF of his constituents, it was even more shocking to see the Democratic Presidential Candidates stand SILENT as it played out. FIVE WOMEN. 37 States. Only one more to go…

What a lost opportunity to educate the public… about Equality and the legislative process. About Income Inequality and Economic Disadvantage.

A lost opportunity to bring us closer to that more perfect Union.

“ERA bill dies for good…” -Washington Post (02/21/2019)

I have NO DOUBT that if the Democratic Women running for President would have stood on the steps of the Virginia Statehouse in solidarity with the ERA activists, they would have swayed ONE MORE VOTE. With the national media bringing SUNLIGHT to the situation, we would now be standing one year CLOSER to equality.

Then again… we would STILL be standing right HERE, no closer than we are TODAY.

The Majority Leader of the United States Senate does NOT support equality.

The Majority Leader of the United States Senate stands OPPOSED to the MAJORITY of this nation.

The Senate Majority Leader is opposed to the Rule of Law, as conceived by the Founders of this nation, and will not move to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment.

38 of the 50 States… 76% of this nation now DEMANDS it.

It does not matter his rationale, the PEOPLE have spoken.
Equality should be the Law of this land.

The Senate must Ratify the ERA.

When storms rage, you cannot simply seek SAFE HARBOR, as your ship will be smashed upon the shore. You must sail headlong into the winds and face it, with full faith in the strength of your ship & its crew… and press ONWARD. Even if that means just treading water, because the alternative…

… well, the alternative is no alternative at ALL.

In years past, leaders have spoken of the ‘Fog of War’. In this digital era with the adversary we are engaged with, the entire WAR is FOG. There is no battle. There are no physical sides being drawn.

When we forget who we are, and what we STAND for… our enemies win. When we begin to selectively administer Justice and forget that we are ALL created equal, we FALL BACK… being pushed closer to the rocky shores of our PAST.

We know where we have BEEN. We must remember where we are GOING.

Well-trodden paths are safe and familiar, but they will only lead us to where we’ve been… back to where we are TODAY. Even in the dark of night, even in the deepest fog… we know our path is TRUE when we listen to our moral compass, as it always points us HOME.

We cannot allow ourselves to be complacent. We must fight to hold on to what we’ve already secured. The Constitution outlines a process for RATIFYING Amendments to the Constitution, it does NOT outline a process where ONE MAN can override the overwhelming majority of the PEOPLE.

Anyone who stands opposed to the opinion of 76% of this nation, should not be referred to as Majority Leader… and this fall, the PEOPLE will show him that.

Equal. MUST. Mean. Equal… or we will lose this fight before it’s even begun.

Jack Charbonneau 2020: Political Revolution

It was just my initial idea… I didn’t know Bernie had that phrase actually IN his campaign title. I thought it was just his way of expressing what he was trying to do.

I’ve always anticipated that it might be necessary to change it someday if Senator Sanders requested, but so far it has not come up. In a recent interview, he actually said that his organization really isn’t so much a “revolution” as it is a “movement”…

Well, that’s a bit disappointing. Change doesn’t often come from Political Upsettedness.

Then again, how can an insider, a United States Senator, command a revolution? From within the Legislative Body that has given rise to the anger and frustration fueling calls for change. I’m reminded of the hijacking of the Tea Party movement in 2010. Any large, sustained, organized group that shows promise always seems to be infiltrated by institutional agendas, watered down by individuals who sympathize with incumbent legislators… and their DONORS.

Or, as was the case with the Occupy Wall St. movement… pass a few laws and all of a sudden, Out of SIGHT is out of MIND. ‘Can’t have all these protesters out on the streets… we’ve got ELECTIONS to FUND!’

I am amazed at the depth of the depravity the President expresses… in his Tweets, in his dismissal of Constitutional Norms, in his refusal to follow the Rule of Law… this cannot become the New Normal for a President. It has to change. I have NO DOUBT, it WILL change.

Cut through ALL of the rhetoric and political posturing, and get to the CORE of it… no American wants to see our Commander-in-Chief become known to the rest of the world as just a Carnival Barker, taking anyone who will listen for a RIDE.

How do we maintain PEACE with someone like THAT? How do we sustain PROSPERITY for ourselves, and foster other nations who seek the same for themselves, with a transactional leader like THIS?

Institutional, transactional legislators… did you see it?! When the call came, like good little soldiers they all fell in line. Just like the Republicans have done. The stage has now been set for an Electoral Showdown between two entrenched and established Political Titans. BILLIONS will be spent to determine a winner… and THEN the people will pick from whomever is left. Who will win…?

Party Politics, in a LANDSLIDE. And who will lead them… the best FUNDRAISER.

Revolution is born out of NEED. A hunger. Fueled by a steady course of events, witnessed by generations of individuals who have seen the decay.

Who have felt the pain. Who have LIVED it… not LEGISLATED it.

LAS VEGAS – NOVEMBER 13: A warning sign is posted on the front door of a foreclosed home November 13, 2008 in Las Vegas, Nevada. A report by RealtyTrac Inc. found that Nevada had the highest foreclosure rate in the nation for the 22nd consecutive month in October with one in every 74 homes receiving a foreclosure filing. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

What should our government LOOK like?

What do we want our government to BE?

It should be representative of the PEOPLE from whom it receives its authority to govern. Right now, legislators do just that… Government by the DONOR. Not bad work if you can get it.

TWICE now, in 20 years, we have witnessed a breakdown in our Election System. We stand poised on the verge of a THIRD. This Revolution is not one led by a disgruntled old man with a chip on his shoulder, it is ELEVATED in status because of the ideals at its core. Ideals that empower THE PEOPLE, by ensuring EVERY CITIZEN is included and EVERY VOICE is heard.

More Participation = Better Governance

The current struggle between the GOP and the Democratic Party reminds me of a fight between siblings, fought with an anger and passion reserved only for FAMILY. Blinded by ego, they tear into each other screaming- “It’s MINE!”, “No, it’s MINE!”

Yes, you’re BOTH right… It’s OURS. It’s for ALL of us.

Why are you fighting? It’s for all of us to SHARE.

“… with Liberty and Justice for ALL.”

It doesn’t get much clearer than THAT! That is the pledge that I have made, and that is the cause for which I fight. When you defend the Rights of others, you defend those Rights for yourself.

Our Democracy is secure when every citizen is guaranteed access to the ballot. We ensure it is so when all candidates for office are funded by THE TAX PAYERS and not special interests.

This Revolution started when it was declared that ALL Mankind is created EQUAL. We must HONOR those brave men by reaffirming our commitment to their ideals, by amending the parts they got WRONG… as they so wisely knew they would.

ONE CITIZEN= ONE VOTE

We must End the Electoral College.

“… in Common Cause”

Wyandotte County Lake

I find a lot of my inspiration when I’m lost in nature… always have. In high school, I would spend the two hour gap between classes and work exploring the coves lining the shore of Lake Olathe. On my days off, I would drive up to Shawnee Mission Lake and build a fire in the old limestone fire pit, cook up some hot dogs, and watch the sparks fly off into the night.

Being a space nerd, I would think random thoughts… like how amazing is it that Earth is the only body in the solar system that can sustain an open flame in its atmosphere; or what would wind sound like on the surface of another planet; or simply… fireflies. What evolutionary side-step caused THAT trait to be a success? AND… did you know, there are no fireflies in France?

(My step-dad’s niece came from France to visit him one summer. As we sat on the patio, enjoying the sunset on her first evening in Kansas, her expression suddenly changed to shock and disbelief as she was staring at a group of trees off in the distance. She said something to my step-father in French and he started laughing, “She’s never seen a lightning bug before!”)

As an artist and musician, I found the peace I needed to let my mind go. To explore the nooks and crannies of thought… to search for meaning, looking for that glimpse of something no one has ever seen. In the sprawling concrete and asphalt jungle of suburban Kansas City, these parks and lakes provide sanctuary for wildlife being pushed out of their natural habitats. More importantly, they are a gift given to us, providing the community a space to reconnect with nature, and share that beauty with our children.

Every Father’s Day I take the boys out to Wyandotte County Lake and feed the geese.

This is Garrett doing his best impression of a goose. (… he’s the one wearing a blue shirt.)

In recent days, I’ve spent time contemplating the task at hand. Searching for words to convey a message and create a vision of something… no one has ever seen. Instinctually, I’m drawn back to these familiar waters, once again searching the depths of my soul. I drive the loop around the lake, sometimes twice… allowing the day’s events to show me where I should look…

Inspiration found at the water’s edge is a fairly new phenomenon here in the Great State of Kansas. Judging from the limestone cliffs… there hasn’t been this much shoreline here in a few million years! Even as recently as 100 years ago, in the Kansas that Eisenhower grew up in, the only significant shorelines were those of the untamed rivers, the Kaw, the Arkansas, and the Mighty Missouri.

The lakes and reservoirs of the Great State of Kansas were constructed out of necessity, to mitigate the damages caused by a changing climate in the face of historic drought. The vicious circle of economic disaster and climate change helped give rise to the Great Depression, and in order to solve those problems, the Roosevelt Administration put people to work modernizing our nation’s infrastructure.

A 505 foot by 255 foot American Flag was flown from the downstream face of the dam. The flag weighed 3,000 pounds and was hoisted by three separate cables located at the top of the dam. The flying of the flag was part of a ceremony in which the 1996 Summer Olympic torch, on its way to Atlanta, Georgia, was carried across Hoover Dam.

Projects like the Grand Coulee Dam and Hoover Dam, electrifying rural communities, making sure every community had access to water… but most importantly, these projects made it possible for Americans to get back to WORK. By providing the FUNDING to get these projects off the ground, the Federal Government helped bring new opportunity to communities that desperately needed an economic boost.

1936-1942 WPA project: Construction of the Marshall Creek dam to create Wyandotte County Lake [Wyandotte County Historical Museum] from KansasCityKansas

Wyandotte County Lake is one of the many projects funded by the WPA.

Roosevelt didn’t envision the Marshall Creek Dam… he created the vehicle necessary for that project to take shape. He empowered Americans to envision what could BE, and then STOOD BEHIND THEM, confident because we work in common cause.

He didn’t work the levers of government just so he could say, “See what I have done!” He didn’t create the WPA for the benefit of the United States Government. He saw a way that he could direct our government toward helping THE PEOPLE… to help make the lives of EVERY AMERICAN better. Because more participation makes better outcomes for everyone.

I do not seek power for myself, I seek power so that I might give it away. Securing it in the hands of THE PEOPLE… its one true safeguard.

“No President should fear public scrutiny of his program. For from that scrutiny comes understanding; and from that understanding comes support or opposition. And both are necessary. I am not asking your newspapers to support the Administration, but I am asking your help in the tremendous task of informing and alerting the American people. For I have complete confidence in the response and dedication of our citizens whenever they are fully informed.” – John F. Kennedy

“The President and the Press” (1961)

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When we guarantee access to the ballot for ALL citizens of this nation, EVERY issue will gain CLARITY. The solutions to our nation’s problems will be realized once THE PEOPLE have UNIVERSAL ACCESS to the ballot.