True North

The scars born of neglect never fade, even after they’re fully healed.

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Scattered throughout the rows of upright stones within Ft. Leavenworth National Cemetery, there are a handful of stones lying flat. Found in the shade of an ancient tree, bearing a scar that has forever altered its shape.

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Lives have been irreparably impacted. Families of fallen HEROES…
Negligence. Blatant disrespect. Did they not know that their INACTION would have such a lasting impact? If they did know… would they have even cared?

And yet, the scars remain. These lives, forever entangled. The future, directly connected to our PAST… life, rising up out of the grave.

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Was it a filibuster that caused all this? Maybe a failed reconciliation package? Another war… an economic downturn? Maybe we just FORGOT… maybe we just wanted to forget. Years of entanglements in deadly foreign wars… I guess Congress just wanted to spend more money on flappers and speakeasies that session… ‘Let the dead lie, we have elections to win.’

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But that could never happen TODAY. Our National Cemeteries are watched, manicured, and maintained. 24/7. 365. They are HONORED and respected. Proudly we remember… not like back THEN. They didn’t know what we know now… we’ve learned that lesson. We’ve seen the damage that can come… Korea… Vietnam… Afghanistan… Iraq…

Did we learn that lesson or did we simply forget? Our grandparents learned that lesson.
Unfortunately… it seems we did not.

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https://apnews.com/article/us-army-veteran-immigration-raid-53cb22251a01599a0c4d1a8d5650d050

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And now we’re raising our own generation of ignorance and neglect. Years from now, our grandchildren will inherit a more broken and chaotic world than the one that we were given. More corruption, less trust in institutions. More debt… more war. More working hours, less acknowledgement and compensation at the end of the day.

Will they re-elect those who allowed this to happen… just as WE have done? Or will they see it for what it is and deny them another term…

Every ACT.
Every ORDER.

Every unconstitutional endeavor can be UNDONE… just as it was created.

With the stroke of a PEN.

Our future is not set in stone. Our trajectory can STILL CHANGE, but that path is up to US. At the ballot box. In this moment, everything is still possible. From the most destructive outcome to the most fortunate. WE are in control. Our VOTE. Our INACTION will be rewarded accordingly.

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CLARITY… above all else. Because that’s the one thing none of us have. What is the Will of the American People? Did our LAST election demonstrate that… what about the one before that?

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Politicians and elected officials make pronouncements based on polling data and election outcomes. In the last two Presidential elections alone, the polls and the outcomes didn’t match up. But then again… I can find a set of data points that can justify pretty much anything I want them to.

The only definitive polling takes place when we cast our ballot on Election Day. And even then, elected officials are able to read the tea leaves however they want them to read.

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The subtlety and nuance go far beyond small business vs. big gov’t. The question of whether our federal government should even exist is now front and center in the conversation. So now we’re forced to pick a side in the fight… do we side with the National Weather Service or do we side with the tornadoes.

We can make America Great again without destroying everything that made us great in the first place.

I think of it like this…

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Every idea, every concept. It’s all right there. Just offscreen. What is allowed to PASS through the lens, the framing of the shot… that’s where we find the problem.

Is there something ELSE not being presented? Is there a BETTER WAY that we’ve missed… and that’s being generous. Is there something else that we’ve been denied access to… hidden behind some PAYWALL… available only for a select few to see.

Those concepts… those assets… they don’t just disappear. They’re still there, just offscreen. Waiting. For someday. When they are needed…

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‘With malice toward none and with charity for all…’ Yes, those are lofty rhetorical words, but they are also a prescription for our ills. We must repair that which is broken, but we must also seek to restore that which is good about this Nation. The path is not set in stone, but we all know the destination- a more perfect Union.

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Empires may rise and empires may fall. Our Constitution shall remain.

-JC

For Whom The Bell Tolls

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The problem of the public’s perception of our current economic environment, lies in the fact that the underlying problems STILL EXIST… the vulnerability hasn’t been properly addressed.

The supply chain issues… the inflation and the response… why were these issues not anticipated? The pandemic raged for YEARS. Those problems were allowed to happen due to inaction. The suffering born of that inaction was cause by our Elected Officials, specifically the current Administration.

The polls show it… the American People want somebody else.
The American People don’t want Joe Biden.
The American People don’t want Donald Trump.
How do you combat that kind of thinking?

You engage. You call on everyone to jump into the mix and demand a worthy primary challenge. The BEST IDEAS always rise to the top.

But that’s NOT the strategy currently being embraced.

Donald Trump and the Republican Party have already said they don’t want a primary. Joe Biden has already said he doesn’t want a primary… and now? We’re going to have at least THREE Democrats on the ballot this fall and at least TWO Republicans.

In a country with only TWO major political parties, we’re going to have upwards of TEN CANDIDATES running for President…

Who’s fault is that?

Joe Biden had the chance to quell the unrest. He could have called for the fight, and demonstrated to his party that he was ready for re-election by knocking down every candidate BEFORE the general election.

Now, he’s split his own support. He’s spent all his political capital and has nothing to show for it. The VOTERS have carried all the weight, while he just signs the checks.

His ego and overconfidence has put our democratic process in jeopardy; and now, whomever wins in 2024 will do so with a MINORITY of support from the American People.

Joe Biden can win with less than 50% of the vote.
Donald Trump can win with less than 50% of the vote.
Robert Kennedy Jr. can win with less than 50% of the vote.
Cornell West can win with less than 50% of the vote.

Joe Biden has done more to advance the cause of Donald J. Trump than has Donald J. Trump. Joe Biden is Trump’s BIGGEST SUPPORTER right now… because Donald J. Trump doesn’t need to gain the support of the MAJORITY to win re-election.

All he has to do is hold on to his 46%.

Right now Donald Trump may be the single greatest threat to Our Constitution, but Joe Biden comes in a very close SECOND. I suppose… that’s just how the Electoral College works.

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So, here we are… at the cusp… on the brink. He’s said so HIMSELF that he’s ready to terminate the Constitution. He’s ready to turn the DOJ into HIS servant… and what’s the message from our President?

**‘Look at everything I’ve done for you, you stupid bastards.’**

It’s all the VOTER’S FAULT… they just don’t understand. He’s already told us HIMSELF that he doesn’t want anything to change. Everything’s going exactly how he wants it… HIS party is in control and there’s NO COMPETITION to stop him.

The voters will ‘come home’ this fall… and why wouldn’t they? Judge him by the alternative, not the Almighty, right? Well, last I checked… The Almighty isn’t on the ballot this fall.

Arrogance, Ego, Apathy, and Inaction. The Four Horsemen of our Constitutional Apocalypse.

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But our future is not yet set in stone… we don’t need to go down this path yet again. We’ve already learned this lesson in 2016. FOUR YEARS of degradation to the structural norms of our institutions has shown us where the vulnerabilities lie… we all know what the problem IS.

And so do our enemies… the people who seek to tear it all down.

They’re working OVERTIME, trying to undo this Union. Joe Biden and the Democratic Party should be doing the SAME… yet they are not.

Never underestimate the Will of the American People.

Never underestimate the ability of the Democratic Party to snatch DEFEAT from the jaws of VICTORY.

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I see a future, in which the American People decide who will be our President… not the DONORS.

I see a future, in which Elected Officials don’t need to cater to Dark Money interests; because they won’t need to FUNDRAISE in order to seek re-election.

I see a future in which every Citizen of this Land, in every State and in every city, decides who will be on the ballot each election.

Not just a MINORITY… but the MAJORITY.

Every Citizen. Every election.

More participation equals BETTER GOVERNANCE.

And that’s the problem… every candidate on the ballot this fall wants more of the same. There is no vision. There is no path toward a better future.

That needs to change.

-JC

Grays. Sports. Almanac.

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Once upon a TIME… back when I was a young man, I remember living through a period in time just like the one we’re living through NOW. The only difference is… we hadn’t figured it out just yet. We were walking BLIND with no guidance or direction…

The rules of decorum were being used against us as a tool of oppression.

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https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2017/world/national-security/obama-putin-election-hacking/?tid=usw_passupdatepg

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https://www.rules.senate.gov/rules-of-the-senate

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To SILENCE dissent. To benefit ONE over ANOTHER. In-service of a PARTY… not in-service of THE PEOPLE.

And this is merely ONE PART of a multi-piece puzzle. The FBI, the Election Interference, the Electoral College… and the arrogance. As it is TODAY, the candidate was decided LONG before the Primaries had even started.

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https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/sanders-obama-meet-discuss-future-campaign-n588946

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It’s not about the VOTERS, it’s all about securing the DONORS… you can’t win The Office if you can’t secure the BASE.

Bernie wanted to EXPAND the footprint of Government and help lower the cost of healthcare for ALL Americans… something that stood opposed to the agenda of the DONORS. The pharmaceutical industry, the owners of the hospitals and clinics themselves, as well as the commercial real estate owners that profit off of the leasing of all those properties.

Hillary Clinton had been working with the healthcare sector since her time as First Lady… Bernie was an Independent Senator from the Great State of Vermont.

The DONORS made their choice and the PARTY fell in line. The machinery started turning… and everyone played their part.

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https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/2016-conventions/democratic-national-committee-chief-stepping-aside-after-convention-n615826

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All that was left were the formalities… the casting of the VOTES. After all that, then we could celebrate our new candidate.

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

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Like I said, a million pieces… but we’ve SEEN THIS SHOW BEFORE. There’s NO WAY we’d allow ourselves to make the same mistakes, we’ve already learned that lesson… right?

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The Democratic Party has a problem. Because right now, the Democratic Party is starting off the 2024 Campaign Season IN THE HOLE. I cannot vote for Joe Biden. I did not vote for Joe Biden…

**Joe Biden voted FOR the war in Iraq.**

A Senator who voted FOR the invasion of Iraq should never be President of the United States. The Presidency of Joe Biden now proves that to be so.

The Senator who voted FOR the invasion of Iraq, demonstrated the same leadership capabilities during our withdrawal of forces in Afghanistan.

The Senator who voted FOR the invasion of Iraq, brought that same vision and foresight to the table while dealing with a broken supply chain and a struggling economy.

The Senator who voted FOR the invasion of Iraq… while Osama bin Lauden was STILL ALIVE… took his place in The White House and WATCHED as Russian Forces invaded Ukraine.

He then went on to do the SAME THING as our President.

Let there be NO DOUBT… Vladimir Putin is the sole cause of the war in Ukraine, but our INACTION every step of the way did nothing to assuage that aggression.

In fact… our INACTION encouraged it.

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https://theintercept.com/2019/09/26/donald-trump-wants-ukraines-president-probe-conspiracy-theories-democrats/

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https://observer.com/2019/04/mueller-report-paul-manafort-konstantin-kilimnik-russia-ukraine/

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INACTION. Born of INACTION…

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https://www.politico.com/story/2016/12/michigan-hillary-clinton-trump-232547

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Party Politics at its finest.

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Even after the election of President Biden in 2020, we still find ourselves sliding BACKWARDS. Legislatures across this Land are working everyday to take rights away from American Citizens… based on their SEX… based on the color of their SKIN… based on the demographics of the community they are FROM…

Hillary Clinton didn’t lose to Donald Trump in 2016 because he was a brilliant orator or a political genius. Hillary Clinton lost because THE PEOPLE didn’t show up. I hate to quote Senator McConnell here, but candidate quality has a lot to do with it.

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https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/meet-the-press/did-biden-win-little-or-lot-answer-yes-n1251845

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Right now, we’re racing headlong toward another 2016 Presidential Election…

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… and EVERYTHING that goes along with it.

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https://www.justice.gov/archives/sco/file/1373816/download

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We must learn from our mistakes, or we are bound to repeat them.

-JC

Thank You For Your Service.

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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?

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

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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.

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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…

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https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/09/nyregion/sean-patrick-maloney-lawler.html

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A Political Party that now stands in the MINORITY.

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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

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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.

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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.

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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

A Pyramid Scheme

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https://theintercept.com/2022/07/29/bank-of-america-worker-conditions-worse/

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How can this be seen as a viable path toward a stable economic future? Focusing on the financial stability of corporations and financial institutions ensures there will always be something out there for people to BUY… but it doesn’t ensure there will be someone out there able to BUY IT.

Our Government goes to great lengths to ensure financial support for producers and manufacturers, but it often overlooks or is indifferent to the financial needs of the American Working Class.

They’ll step in and take action when the price of GAS or OIL starts to skyrocket, whether they actually have an effect on prices or not; but when people start losing their JOBS due to a pandemic… they hesitate. They drag their feet.

They fail to anticipate or understand the knock-on effects of an event like that. The generational trauma that can result from a family losing it all.

Companies and corporations, they have insurance payouts and golden parachutes. When things go SOUTH, they file for bankruptcy and then try it all over again…

Man, wouldn’t that be nice.

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https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/08/07/us/climate-tax-deal-vote

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So, we’re COOL now… right?

See… they’ve been working for the American people all along.

‘Democrats get shit done! This is the People’s Agenda!‘

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https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/04/climate/trump-paris-agreement-climate.html

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All of it is ‘transitory’… because through all of it, there is no consistency between Administrations. It’s all or nothing. Do or die. What’s done under the leadership of ONE party is immediately undone by the NEXT. And it’s all done in the name of POLITICS.

Our Elected Officials play GAMES… while Americans DIE.

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https://www.npr.org/2022/08/02/1115325176/pact-act-veterans-burn-pits-toxins-passes-senate

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Of course they were gonna pass that BILL. C’mon, it’s just POLITICS! They’re not monsters… just Senators. But you see… the problem is though; this is just what we’re able to SEE. Just the TIP. What other practices do they engage in that We, The People, aren’t privileged enough to see?

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https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/08/07/insulin-cap-budget-congress/

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“Republicans left the portion that applies to Medicare patients untouched but stripped the insulin cap for other patients.”

The ⁦@CDCgov⁩ says 1.6 million Americans live with #T1D.

The @GOP must think those people don’t #VOTE.

FYI… we do.🇺🇸
https://t.co/cW5KzelqkM
— Jack Charbonneau (@MrJLCharbonneau) August 7, 2022

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**If you’re not a fan of the sausage being made, then maybe we should change the way they make the sausage.**

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Our Right to LIFE, LIBERTY, and the PURSUIT of HAPPINESS is not transitory. It’s not an entitlement or a government handout… it’s what makes this Nation GREAT.

It’s not the WARS we’ve won.
It’s not the GODS we worship.

It’s the UNALIENABLE RIGHTS that we’ve been given by Our Creator; enshrined in Our Constitution and protected by Our Bill of Rights.

These Rights are UNIVERSAL… regardless of the STATE in which you live.

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https://www.npr.org/sections/2022-live-primary-election-race-results/2022/08/02/1115317596/kansas-voters-abortion-legal-reject-constitutional-amendment

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Because it is SELF-EVIDENT.

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https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2022/05/mitch-mcconnell-acknowledges-a-national-abortion-ban-is-possible-if-roe-is-overturned

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The most PARTISAN among us should not be allowed to dictate to us which of our Basic Human Rights are acceptable… and which ones are not.

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https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/kavanaugh-conundrum-trump-s-fbi-grandstanding-highlights-flaw-bureau-s-ncna911991

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https://www.snopes.com/news/2022/08/04/fbi-kavanaugh-wray-whitehouse/

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The laws are written to benefit those at the TOP, while the rest of us must work just to get by. There is no SAFETY NET for the majority of this Nation. If we FALL, we fall. We start back at ZERO and pray we will somehow work our way back UP… Golden Parachutes be damned.

The people at the TOP of the pyramid must remember… it’s a long way DOWN without the support of the people at the BASE.

-JC