Tag: equality

Where Do YOU Stand?

What is OUR story? What is it that WE will create? I’ve been searching for an inspiring message from Historical figures, listening to Martin Luther King Jr, John F. Kennedy, and Robert F. Kennedy, and some are so timeless, it is as if they were written this morning.

But still… I’m STILL left wanting…

I am a younger man. I have an abbreviated frame of reference, but it is of the SAME events that my grandparents have witnessed, and that somehow makes my conclusions different. Or somehow makes their conclusions more just. I believe the worst part of getting older, especially now in our Digital Social Society, is the development of an INABILITY to forget.

A five year old child tries to steal a cookie from the cookie jar, the parent sternly says “No!”, and the child snaps his hand back startled, with concern for having upset their parent… but with a smile, the child turns and chases a cat.

We have Leaders today who bear grudges born by their Fathers. We have Leaders today who do not forget the grudges held by the Founders of this Nation. Today, in the Executive Branch of the United States Government, Leaders who bear the grudges born by men, alive at the time of Jesus, hold public office.

And these are their fights, not OURS. The fights and arguments of dead men rule over Our lives ON LINE. Now, if THAT doesn’t sound upside down…

What makes Our system of governance ‘good’ and ‘just’ is the promise of a second chance, rehabilitation, “… time served.” When a man is sentenced to life in prison, and dies incarcerated, his sentence has been served. He can be interred as a free American, no less than you or I.

And be it true or not is just an opinion, but Americans MUST remember this magnificent system of justice is what EVERY human being seeks to be a part of. The VAST majority of people who dream of escaping oppression based on ancient beliefs, or enslavement based on gender. Our Constitution stands for hope for ALL people who still harbor some hope, that one day, THAT Liberty can become THEIRS.

Idealistic… maybe. UNTRUE….?

The system set by the Vision of Free Men can be thought of as the first successful computer program. All programs, in essence, are ‘ones and zeros’, ‘on or off’, question gates for an electron answering ‘yes or no’, millions per second, running through a predesigned systematic layout, to produce a desired end product.

Predesigned, systematic, to produce an end product.

What do WE want that end product to be? WHAT should that end product look like? And for whom has this product been created?

FOR ALL MANKIND.

We celebrate our Constitution, NOT because it is OURS, but because it is a document worthy of Celebration! And it is only successful because of the ability to Amend the Laws, CORRECT problems, find bugs in the lines of code. It IS difficult, it is tedious, but it IS POSSIBLE, and it MUST be done.

In this new digital landscape we traverse daily, to navigate successfully means we allow ourselves to become part of a machine. To buy movie tickets, to look at cat videos. YOU allow it. And as with OUR Constitutional Government, so too with our digitally projected self-image-

We MUST take PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY.

We must not forget misdeeds and condemn them to the PAST, instead we must understand exactly how and why an injustice is allowed. The ‘Origin Story’ of the outcast devils that are STILL haunting the halls of Congress. THAT is how we prepare for the future.

By understanding the root of our ills. By OPENING UP and demanding an end to what is CLEARLY NOT how Our system should be. When the sign on the door says “Equal Justice Under Law”, we can NO LONGER ALLOW ‘selective service’. America must BECOME that ideological entity NOW, because we most certainly are not ANYWHERE near it today. And, if we continue down it, history stands as guide to show you how far this path really leads…

So OUR Story begins HERE. Do we continue to fight, or do we decide to conclude the discussion, and ratify these decisions?

If we pause, and examine what fuels our passions, what makes us ‘wild’, the root of the problem is SOLVABLE! It CAN be solved, and it SHOULD be solved. Because the VERY ABILITY to have a debate like this is under attack as I write these words. To characterize it as a “civil war” is a false narrative. It is as if our collective ant farm is being shaken from the outside.

… put down your sugar cube, we have to defend the Hill.

With Liberty and justice for ALL is NOT a reality show tag line. It is a blood-oath sworn, that we are called upon again to STAND UP for. Not with GUN IN HAND… with HEART AND MIND. We have envisioned, for more than 200 years, what we want for our monument, to stand through time immemorial. It is Our Constitution.

So True it shall stand, so flexible no earthquake shall bring it down.

It is to these ideals, Liberty and Equality we should ALL aspire. And it is to the same, we should STAND for and pledge our lives, or take a knee and show HUMILITY for,

The ideals of Equal Justice Under Law.

JC

It’s All Connected…

I wanted to speak about Wilson Montenegro and his cousin Jerrell Frazier. I graduated from Olathe North High School class of 1998. On September 14, 1995, Wilson and Jerrell were shot and killed in a drive by shooting while playing football with some friends on school grounds.

It was Homecoming weekend. I remember on Friday, the football game was the first time I got to dress out and play live with the marching band. It was the beginning of a new year at a new school for me with new friends. Then, later that weekend…

I never got to meet Wilson. We didn’t have the same classes. I saw him only in passing between class. But his life touched all of us. The Monday after, as we walled the halls… silence. No one spoke. No one knew what to say. And we all understood the danger was real.

The things we do make a difference in other people’s lives. It’s a ripple effect. As words leave our lips and reverberate through air, like rocks cast into still waters, what we do touches more than we can see. What we do each day, matters.

Have you ever taken a dandelion gone to seed and blown the seeds into the wind? Have you ever taken a dandelion gone to seed and blown the seeds off up wind of someone with seasonal allergies?

What we do matters and effects people around us.

Like an intricate placement of dominoes, a single motion creates havoc long after you influence the system. And whether done by accident or with intent, once started the result is almost certain.

I have decided to share with you memories of a young man I have never met. Motivated to do so, by a bunch of children from Florida who know the horrors of war. Those children who mourn the loss of friends and family, seek legislation through OPEN and HONEST debate, to ensure this doesn’t happen again, and GROWN MEN say “leave the governing to the adults.”

Adults, who on one hand say ALL LIVES MATTER, but then they don’t raise a finger to seek justice for the family of a child, shot and killed, by a man with a badge and a gun. Or they teach Pro-Life concepts to a teenaged girl carrying her abuser’s child.

Our country, seemingly, is NOT as it once was. Our country, STARVED of leadership, now finds it in the words of children not old enough to be elected to office. We currently have a leader who seeks to protect our country from, FAMILIES, who have humbly asked for assistance and protection. Women and children with nothing, asking for a chance at NOT DYING… for their children’s sake at the very least. Yet, our current elected officials cannot even do that without causing harm.

So we now see what springs from the seeds of dishonesty sown… More of the same.

As a father of two young boys, I write these words with nothing in my pockets, but asking for everyone to lend me your ear. These words may not seem to have much effect here, today, but they will certainly shake the cornerstones of buildings miles away, tomorrow.

Great wealth does NOT a good leader make, but a great leader is more precious than gold. Right now our Country knows what a great President looks like because we have seen what a cheap, morally bankrupt President looks like. Presenting LIES as TRUTH. Protecting GUNS more than CHILDREN. Celebrating the wealth of Our nation as his accomplishment, and unable to spend time nor treasure to save 5,000 lives in Puerto Rico.

“Heck of a job there,” Sir.

But from this dark corner of our Shared history, I want to offer hope. Its currency diminished, its appeal not quite “universal” anymore… but that “… and a prayer” are all I carry on-hand nowadays.

No matter our political affiliations. No matter the State we live in. We ALL bleed for one flag, and that flag stands as a symbol, and ONLY that. What it symbolizes as it flies, is more than what makes it fly. Just as it is with the scripture, it is the “Word” of god, and because it is by the hand of Man, it is NOT god, though it may be OF god.

Our flag symbolizes our commitment to Liberty and Justice, and our dedication to the protection thereof. Up to and including the destruction of that very symbol!

Yes… THAT is worthy of taking a knee, and showing HUMILITY for, our Constitution, OF the People.

Keep your head UP!!

JC

 

Campaign Statement on Foreign Policy Position: “The Company We Keep”

Our county’s greatest strengths come from our diversity of knowledge accumulated and shared with all citizens in our public schools. Found within that community structure we see the common ideals taught to our children. And within that environment, we find our core values. The uniting principles that inform a great statesman take root in the elementary school at the end of the block.

I have avoided stating a definitive foreign policy platform mainly because I felt ignorant of our overall engagement with other nations. In many ways, my greatest strength is pure ignorance of these relationships. I have no preconceived judgement of these situations. Only impressions, or a vision, of how our relationship in the world overall should be presented… Who are We, as a country? Our face to the world community, what our abilities are, and how we can best help every other nation succeed- The United States of America is a PARTNER in the international community because we ALL succeed when we ALL contribute.

Our county’s greatest strengths come from  our diversity of knowledge accumulated and shared with all citizens in our public schools. Found within that community structure we see the common ideals taught to our children. And within that environment, we find our core values. The uniting principles that inform a great statesman take root in the elementary school at the end of the block.

When we extend our hand in trust and compassion, we help another person learn how to be kind. When we stand side by side with others of sound principles, we present strength through inclusion. When we help our friends when they hurt the most, we rekindle the fire of fraternity that so often can be taken for granted in a family. And it is through our ACTIONS… THAT is how we lead in this world.

We show others how we want to be treated by how we treat them.

We support Liberty and justice for ALL, so at home, so abroad. We support open markets in nations abroad because our markets are open to ALL. We support EQUALITY, as endowed by our Creator, for all of our countrymen, and wish it were so thought the world. How we treat the least amongst ourselves at home, is how we will be seen throughout the world… If you want a ‘clean house’, you gotta start in your own ‘backyard’.

To read the words of true statesmen, like those of Ronald Reagan to Canada in his last official visit in 1987, reminds me of how little I know of world diplomacy. The technical ‘ins and outs’ of political calculations in order to protect rights and interests…

The message attempts, made in ‘good faith’, in honesty and respect, will be received the warmest, even if they are ignorant of some facts. The credibility of the person delivering the message can carry more weight than the message itself. As a citizen of The United States, I expect everyone to respect the Commander in Chief, not ONLY because of the honorable office they occupy, but because they are someone WORTHY OF THAT RESPECT. Someone who holds the values written in Our Constitution within their essence, we should all hope to elect.

As an Eagle Scout, I believe I know what those ideals are that make a President. I live my life within that framework, daily. “On my honor, I will do my best to do my duty.” That is all a person has at the end of the day… their word. Their honor. That is where leadership is born. That is where success begins. That is where we should allow the power of Our President to reside. Because lasting progress only comes when built upon a firm foundation of just moral principles.

And we stand with those who feel the same. Those who do not stand for Liberty and Equality, we will not walk away from our community, but we will not support any nation who seeks to separate instead of unite. We stand strongest when we can declare these ideals to all the world as a benchmark to be measured by, especially when we LIVE it, daily.

That is where my journey will begin. We must be sure of our own position, at home, before we can go and demand to others THIS is how it should be done. Our own moral hypocrisy has diminished our standing around the globe. If we wish to remain free and indepenent, we must assess what we see in the mirror. Then, our desire to be better each day will reflect in those who desire to surround themselves with the same.

That is my agenda. When we expect better from ourselves, we can expect the same from everyone else. “In truth, and in love.”

-Jack Charbonneau

 

“Let Experience Solve It.”

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George Washington’s Farewell Address. I am awe-struck at the vision these men had when considering the possible outcomes of a newly created government! He knew that his words would be tossed about for as long as the Union stood. He ENSURED it would by how he acted. How he set the tone, for the respect of the Office. So long as man puts pen to paper, the words of true fellowship and liberty will always win the day.

As true visionaries tend to do, Washington saw how this could all end. As he said, “prevent our nation from running the course which hitherto marked the destiny of nations.” He knew because it had happened before. As did ALL the Framers of our Constitution. The evil of Man has corrupted countless souls, as far back as one can see. The historical tyrants recounted today, number far fewer than the ones long forgotten, who’s actions, though less known, still led to the moral corruption of nations just the same.

The greed of corruption. The self-enrichment from the treasure of our nation, sometimes at the cost of our nation. Blood money. Pork. Lard. Pay for Play. Payola. How ever you frame it, it has stagnated cesspools and swamps, burdened the citizens, and upended civilizations throughout history. And knowing this, Washington spoke after two terms as the first President. Seeing how the nations of humanity reacted to this new ‘organization’ “…what did they call it, an ‘experiment?’ Those crazy colonists…”, and knowing this ‘experiment’ would prove a success, he gave some advice as he left-

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“… the JUST pride of patriotism…” Not that the act of patriotism is just, but the patriotism that, today, We take for granted +200 years later. The strong footing on the moral high ground. Not passively enjoyed as passing fad or trend, but hard won over two centuries of shared loss, and triumphant joy in re-unification.

A Well Worn Relationship, Of Union Celebrated, and not of one Unknown!

We KNOW these words, because they were taught to us in public school. We know these words because we BELIEVE in these ideals, and have lost family to keep them. We see the words of George Washington and take them for granted. Because we have now given our all, for generations, to these conceived principals, and it lives WITHIN US! It is real, it is “good”, and THAT is why it is a “…JUST Patriotism”. “You have in a common cause fought and triumphed together!” His words, now amplified over 200 years.

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“… to listen to mere speculation in such a case were criminal.” Let experience solve it!

We have now reached a sizable data pool to extrapolate from. The Office of President has been filled as prescribed by the Constitution, 45 times. 45 times our country has elected a President! Yet, to many people in this country, that rings hollow. To many people I know, this doesn’t matter, because they say “my vote doesn’t count. I live in____.” (insert red/blue State) OR “The President is only chosen by Electors, not popular vote.” The disconnect between the value and power of the voter and reality is real. And it is costing lives due to impotent leadership in dealing with natural disasters.

Many of us have forgotten the power to create positive change in our country is balanced… there is a shared responsibility. We are TIED to each other, for better or worse. Most assuredly, we WILL all hang together! No one is doubting that for one moment! That is why it was enshrined in the “Bill of Rights”… Our solution. The ability to Amend, to bend, to create a more perfect union. The existence of a “blank sheet” at the end of our Constitution. It is the most brilliant part of the whole document… nothing. everything. anything. The People’s will. Where the wellspring of fraternity flows strong, that is where OUR just patriotism comes from. Washington KNEW that the exponential growth of human minds, burning brightly within the kiln of a fair and just system, would always provide a solution.

Because the alternative… Our Constitution is a patchwork quilt, made of the beautiful parts of corrupt civilizations long fallen. It’s multi-textural structure, the framework of Laws paired with the flowing and ever changing interpretation, is a singular powerhouse BECAUSE WE SEE IT AS EVER CHANGING… as we should. Our endeavors, though blessed by Universe, are executed through the ‘Word’ of Universe. And as we advance in knowledge, so too must our system of governance. AND KNOWING THIS…  over two hundred years ago, fully envisioning how a free country would likely fall, The Framers made their ONE FATAL ERROR. It is the “experiment” directly spoken of.

The ability to FULLY share responsibility for another soul, whom you will surely never meet. Can that SHARED responsibility be given FREELY to others? AND fully reciprocated? For myself, my family… our future? They balked… They had DOUBT. They had NO DATA to base a conclusion upon.

WE HAVE THAT DATA! THAT DATA IS GOOD DATA! And we now face a point where the worst envisioned fears of the Framers has come to pass. Sadly, it was of their OWN MAKING. But they left us the SOLUTION…. Because the alternative has been done before.

The intensity of the conflict at the heart of Our American struggle is unrecognized among the media, the polling, the leaders and legislators. The voters KNEW the choices for president, and their disgust for the whole corrupt political system was shouted loud and clear… “These are NOT the two best choices for the HONOR of the Office of President of OUR UNITED States.” THAT was the message. That was the demand. “FIX IT!” Not “BURN IT DOWN!”

So long as we follow the Law, and hold sacred the same values and fears our Founding Fathers held, We should re-affirm our Union and create, through Regular Order, and ratified as prescribed in our Constitution, a more perfect system. Dissolve the Electoral College, and establish in Law, our firm faith in the ideals of LIBERTY, EQUALITY, and FRATERNITY.

As this idea surely will create some panic, as change suggests an unmooring will occur, we must not forget, ALL voices MUST BE EQUAL. Though we all come from differing places, we ALL live our daily lives under the common structure that Every One is Created Equal. And ONLY from that shared equality can we have the balance, for our shared economic prosperity, our shared security, and the comfort that comes from connections unseen but treasured none the less. Values we celebrate not because they are Our values, but because they are WORTH CELEBRATING-

“With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation’s wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.” –Abraham Lincoln, second Inaugural Address

To a just and lasting peace.

JC

 

 

 

 

Race, Sex, and Gender IRL

As a white male, when I interact with humans (being socially awkward to a degree, I avoid this interaction as much as possible), I have come to expect a certain reaction from people. Maybe not reaction, a better word might be impression. As I assume all people do, they look a person in the eyes and usually see from most people some type of reaction. Inquisitive eyes, happy eyes, etc. Often, I see happy eyes looking back at me since I wear a yellow SpongeBob SquarePants hat. One of the main reasons I like wearing it.

I have learned to appreciate this, as not everyone receives this. As a young man, one of my Father’s best friends was a 6’6″ black man named ‘Magic’. His real name was Verdon, so I see why he preferred Magic. He had a chance to go pro and play for the KC Royals back in the ’80s, but due to a family illness, he chose not to try out. Very good man with a big heart. He went on to greatness when he helped my Father coach my little league baseball team, leading us to second place overall, and 1st place in the B-flight tournament.

That’s not my point… Some time after I turned 21, we went out to a local dive bar named “The Crossroads”. So, suburban Kansas City, after work. Handful of Harley-Davidsons out front,  couple of pick-ups… average white suburban hole-in-the-wall bar with darts, pool tables. This was the FIRST time I had gone out with my Uncle Magic just him and myself.

I will never forget it.

When we walked in, a quick pan across the room showed 20 to 30 middle aged white men, a handful of white, middle aged women, classic rock playing on the jukebox, people laughing can carrying on… A bar. BUT, as Magic and I walked in. He’s 6’6″ and BLACK,not brown or tan, but BLACK. I’m a 6’4″ white beanpole, maybe my whiteness helped contrast the difference, like a polar bear in a tropical forest, but EVERY set of eyes turned and trained on us. EVERY ONE. For a good couple seconds, they looked. To me, it was like a punch in the face. I stopped. I assume my mouth was agape. In my head it was! But Magic slapped me on the back and said something like “Come on, what’cha havin’?”

We didn’t outright discuss it. But I said something like “Did you see that?” He noticed that I had never seen that before. But it was obvious that he sees that ALL THE TIME. As if the situation was just another day, he blew it off and we went and grabbed a pool table.

It angered me. As I thought about it over time, I tried to empathize and thought “Maybe they don’t have a whole lotta black friends? Maybe its just Magic’s massive build?” I didn’t realize at that time. Not for many months, it didn’t occur that that situation could have been a dangerous situation. As I sit and write this now, I wonder how many times a situation like that DID turn dangerous for him. Just because he is a black man.

I look at a person and begin to size them up from the get-go. Nothing concrete, impressions can change, as they should. But a person’s outward appearance says a lot about where they come from, where they’re going. To me, in my mind, these things say NOTHING about a person’s inner character. They give information about ones decision making process, but say nothing about their future potential. I went to the Urgent Care center a few years back with a persistent cough. After an hour wait in the lobby, I went back, saw a nurse, answered the questions (where’s it hurt, how long, let’s take your temp) and then waited for the doctor. She came in, sized up the situation, and wrote me a prescription. She said, “This will take care of it. Have any problems, call or come back and see me.”

I said thank you and extended my hand to say thanks, to wrap up the evaluation and show my appreciation. She was shocked. A bit ecstatic, but shocked would be the word. As if she did not expect I would want to shake her hand, or did not receive this simple gesture of appreciation from men too often? There is a lot of assumption on my part here. Maybe she was happy I didn’t ask for Percocet or Oxy, IDK. But, to me, its seems insane that a medical professional would NOT be shown this simple gesture by everyone she evaluates.

Regardless a person’s race, gender, age, we ALL have important attributes that are valued by everyone, and we should remember to show appreciation for that. Sometimes our ignorance can come across as judgement of others if we do not express how we are feeling. Communication. It’s required by businesses of its employees to be tolerant of others differences, because we know everyone has the SAME CAPABILITIES ON THE INSIDE. As HUMANS, we ALL work the same, we are put together a bit differently from model to model, but the ‘manufacturer’ is the same. Expressing this from time to time is important.

In real life, we all want to feel we have a role to play, a place we are needed. Sometimes expressing a limitation within yourself to someone else,as a sign of empathy or compassion can change a mind, and open a dialogue once thought impossible.

Expressing our own ignorance, AND the desire to become more enlightened, will see unity FASTER than a speeding bullet. I may not know EVERYTHING, but I CAN someday, with help from others, know everything. And that is the path I am on, and I know I share this path with many others. We just gotta talk about it more often, to more people, with confidence.

And, again, being introverted, I understand it can be hard. Baby steps, right?

Keep your head UP!!