Toward the Future

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https://www.insider.com/family-pregnant-teen-killed-police-awarded-21-million-2022-6

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And so… here we go again. Paying REPARATIONS to those who have been harmed, by a system that is flawed in its execution, if not flawed at its CORE. Even as we continue to move forward, knowing full well what the problem IS.

The fact that we must continue to pay REPARATIONS… that our system continues to inflict irrevocable HARM… remains unaddressed.

Swept under the rug. SILENCED in the presence of “Good Company”. Because it might be seen as uncouth, or it might make some people uncomfortable.

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https://nypost.com/2017/03/15/inside-the-macarthur-suite-where-navy-brass-were-allegedly-bribed-with-hookers/

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One million American Citizens have now died. Needlessly, due to a pandemic.
But never mind all that… everybody back to BRUNCH.

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https://abcnews.go.com/Health/women-men-develop-long-covid-study-finds/story?id=85527580

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And why is that the case?

Could it be due to the fact that our insurance structure and our healthcare systems discriminate against certain groups of women more so than men? Or possibly the simple fact that having adequate health insurance requires having a JOB that provides that coverage… and becoming pregnant can jeopardize a woman’s career.

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https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2022/01/14/some-gender-disparities-widened-in-the-u-s-workforce-during-the-pandemic/

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https://www.brookings.edu/research/is-long-covid-worsening-the-labor-shortage/

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Our grandchildren will now shoulder the COST of Donald Trump’s ignorance.

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Rub some DIRT in it and shake it off, kid… get your HEAD back in the GAME!

Ain’t nobody got TIME for all that. We’re living in the post-COVID world… we’re on to the next plateau. The Democrats are in POWER now and there’s no stopping them… just ask them! They’ll tell you. Compared to their political opponents, they’ve got this election in the BAG!

They’ve passed TWO major pieces of legislation. That’s DOUBLE what the Republicans accomplished under the leadership of Donald J. Trump…

Just imagine what they’ll accomplish NEXT.

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https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/jun/25/democrats-abortion-roe-v-wade-november-midterms

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C’mon man, don’t patronize me! It’s just the same response that we’ve seen every other time so far under this Administration… a DOLLAR short and a DAY LATE.

For TWO MONTHS we’ve known this decision was coming. Multinational corporations have created PLANS to implement in the wake of this decision. CEOs and Presidents, who have NO POWER over the decisions made by the Supreme Court, have anticipated and prepared to protect the health and safety of women working for them…

What about the people who actually HOLD POWER in our government?

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"I'm spitting mad"

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) says shares her anger over the Supreme Court overturning #RoevsWade and insists that the ruling is not what America wants.

Watch here: https://t.co/hmAFvbmq1F
— CNN (@CNN) June 24, 2022

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… if only there were something that could have been done.

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https://www.whsv.com/content/news/Virginia-Senate-panel-passes-Equal-Rights-Amendment-504158291.html

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I’m not going to patronize you… I’m spitting mad as well. Not because Roe v. Wade was overturned. Not because the lives of HALF this Nation are seen as somehow LESS THAN EQUAL to the other half…

I’m outraged because the Democratic Party isn’t doing what’s necessary to protect the lives of Women and Girls in the FUTURE. There’s only ONE agenda in 2022 and 2024- EQUALITY. Nothing short of Liberty and Justice for ALL American Citizens is on the ballot this fall.

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It sure seems that, no matter how hard we work toward securing our rights, the LEADERSHIP of the Democratic Party remains the SAME.

But thank goodness for Senator Joe Manchin though, right? Just imagine where we’d be if we had passed MORE FINANCIAL SUPPORT for working class families.

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https://www.businessinsider.com/manchin-work-requirements-biden-child-tax-credit-sparking-democrat-2021-9

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassandra

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James Buchanan sat and watched as State after State left the Union. He believed it was illegal for them to go.
He believed it was illegal to STOP THEM…

So he DID NOTHING.

Sometimes inaction is WORSE than war itself.🎯
Our enemy wins when there is DOUBT within our Rule of Law. pic.twitter.com/X5c8KMfEw6
— Jack Charbonneau (@MrJLCharbonneau) February 18, 2019

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Screenshot from: “Meet the Press” (06/26/2022) NBC News.

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Use your VOICE and VOTE.

Yes… that is the plan. The choice is clear.

ONE PARTY wants to roll our rights BACK, while the OTHER PARTY… well, at least they’re not the GOP. Just ask them! They know all about their agenda… but so do the VOTERS.

We already know what it is we are voting AGAINST this November.

What we now need to know is… what will we be voting FOR.

Is it for THIS?

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https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2022-election/rep-cuellar-attacked-anti-abortion-stance-opponent-cisneros-texas-demo-rcna27251

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Or is it for THIS?

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https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2022/05/joe-manchin-vote-against-codify-roe-wade-senate

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Or are we voting for this?

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https://www.politico.com/news/2021/11/05/house-democrats-infrastructure-vote-wait-megabill-519731

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The People have no confusion about what the problem is… it’s the LEADERSHIP. The Old Guard has lost their way. They’re fighting the same fights they were fighting 50 years ago.

The fight for Roe v. Wade is OVER… and a new fight has now begun. Every right we’ve secured over the course of the entirety of the 20th Century is now on the chopping block with this Supreme Court… and they stand opposed to the Will of The People.

The precedent they’ve used to undo Roe v. Wade… can now be used to put that same precedent in jeopardy.

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We must listen to the WORDS of the Supreme Court and ACT.

NOW… while we STILL CAN.

We must give the Court the Constitutional Authority they are looking for.

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“The sacred defense of the Reproductive Liberty of ALL People being our Common Duty, the Right of a Woman to Choose shall be protected.”

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We must Amend Our Constitution.

-JC

The Will of The People

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The recently leaked draft opinion in the case of ‘Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health’, shows us that the rights of Women and Girls are not seen as Equal to those of Men by a majority of the Justices on our Supreme Court.

Their rights are transient. They’re subject to the whims of whomever holds office at any particular time, and they can be given or taken away as those officials see fit. There is no protection or guarantee. The author of that draft opinion sees women as merely a vessel, unworthy of Equal Standing under law.

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The word ‘woman’ appears only 77 times. #ERANow #MenForERA #CEDAW https://t.co/FpRL7HXelK pic.twitter.com/E1fTeyDxjg

— Jack Charbonneau (@MrJLCharbonneau) May 4, 2022

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Below is a copy of the email I sent this evening to President Joe Biden, asking him to call for the publication of the 28th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States.

None of us will truly be FREE… until all of us are.

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With respect,

Mr. President… where are you? Talk about a legislative grand-slam! Right now, at your discretion… with your say so, we can begin celebrating the 28th Amendment to our Constitution!

How long must Equality wait?

Talk about monumental… that’s Walt Disney at the gates of Disney World right there! Open arms and silly hats for everyone.

It’s the realization of the core principle our Nation was founded upon… that we are ALL created Equal. Let there be NO DOUBT!

What President worth a damn wouldn’t want to see the fireworks display they’d put on for something like that? What President seeking RE-ELECTION in the 21st Century wouldn’t want to do all that they could to ensure Equality reigned supreme.

I won’t take up much of your time Sir, but I was reminded today of the relationship between Martin Luther King Jr. and John F. Kennedy; and how when History came calling… President Kennedy had no choice but to embrace it. One step closer to Equality, one step closer to realizing that Dream.

The fight for Civil Rights had to move forward. There was no more time for delay. He knew he had to start that process… if only they had what YOU have at your fingertips today.

OPINIONS. Everyone has one, you know the old saying… the ones that smell the worst are usually dropped by a lawyer. I’m surprised D.C. doesn’t smell more like Dodge City.

Two years ago, 38 of the 50 United States voted to ratify the 28th Amendment to the Constitution, recognizing Equality for Women and Girls. The requirements have been met.

“The time is always right to do the right thing…” and there is no better time to ACT than today. 76% of the States have spoken.

Listen to The People, Sir… let History sort out the rest.

On behalf of the 38 States that have voted for ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment… for the sake of every woman in this country; Mr. President, call for the publication of the 28th Amendment. Let Equality be the Law of this Land.

Now, and for all time.

-JC

It is Self-Evident.

The state of BEING equal… especially in status, rights, and opportunity. A symbolic expression of a FACT, that two quantities ARE EQUAL.

The quality of being fair or impartial. The QUALITY of… the VALUE of. The value of WORTH. Ownership. Rights.

EQUALITY promotes fairness by treating EVERYONE the same, regardless of need.

We’ve all been plodding along, believing what was written, that we are ALL created EQUAL. And everyday… we continue to question why it’s not so.

“Certainly the Constitution does not require discrimination on the basis of sex. The only issue is whether it prohibits it… it doesn’t. No one ever voted for that.”

-Justice Antonin Scalia

… no one ever voted for that.

In the beginning, they did not know. It had never been proven before… it had never been done. As new light was being cast upon old paradigms of thought, revelations of a new way forward were forged.

IF they proved to be superior to those that came before, it could break the cycle of enslavement humanity had endured for thousands of years. IF they proved to be wrong… it could lead to the enslavement of the entire globe.

They chose to believe in the fundamental laws of nature, as proved by countless minds across thousands of years. That we are ALL created EQUAL. A fact so universally profound, our Founders believed it to be SELF-EVIDENT. It is the foundation upon which our Democratic Experiment is built. A fact so basic, we now take it for granted.

If that which we believe to be FACT becomes a variable, the entire experiment falls apart… that’s why they Declared it to be so from the start.

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Our words matter… every one of us. We are united in common cause, our destinies entangled. Our fates dependent upon the actions of others. It is by choice and design that we stand today, not by chance. Some would say it was preordained, as if a gift from the divine.

If that’s the case, we must remember- it is a gift given with FREE WILL… a choice. The ability to see that which is OF divinity, and that which is NOT. It’s up to us to use these gifts we’ve been given, in the way they were intended to be used…

For ALL MANKIND.

And at the heart of it all stands that universal truth… EQUALITY.

Just read the WORDS as they are written. Therein lies our ANSWER! That’s why OURS is to be celebrated! Any path we follow must bring us closer to Equal Justice Under Law for everyone. From the President to the Postmaster, from Senator to Sanitation Worker. It’s what we’ve all pledged to do.

Anyone who stands opposed to EQUALITY, stands opposed to the MAJORITY of the people of the United States of America… and we now have the DATA to back that up.

STAND UP for the RULE OF LAW!

STAND UP for the CONSTITUTION.

-JC

Disunion is BORN of Inequality

In the President’s Inaugural Address, I heard a lot of talk about UNITY… but there was little talk of EQUALITY.

**Disunion is BORN of Inequality.**

Unequal pay for women restricts Liberty by creating financial barriers; restricting access to education, job opportunities, and financial security. Without the affirmative protection of Equal Standing, the rights of women are subject to change at the discretion of whomever holds elected office.

Unequal application of the law gives rise to LIES by creating an apparent enemy where there is NONE. Mandatory minimum sentences for drug charges, imposed disproportionately upon communities of color, create the illusion of a “trend”. But in reality, if those laws were enforced EQUALLY we would see that addiction impacts the lives of ALL Americans, without regard for the color of our skin.

Systemic Inequality makes it possible for a white man to yell and scream at an officer of the law with NO FEAR, while a black man is killed in front of his children while breaking NO LAWS.

Inequality enrages protesters to march in the streets for CHANGE, where they are met by Federal Agents firing tear gas and flash grenades. Inequality makes it possible for a violent MINORITY to successfully storm our Capitol with NO RESISTANCE from the National Guard, intentionally…

Because it would have looked bad.

Inequality creates separate classes of citizens; where one group follows a specific set of rules, and the other is exempt from any accountability when those rules are violated.

Inequality causes people to lose faith that their voice is being heard, and leads them to look for alternative methods to elevate their opinions. Inequality reinforces the belief that the system is rigged, and because of that fact, there is no other way…

All because of the perception of Inequality.

All because of the REALITY of Inequality.

We can have Union without Equality, but without Equality… that Union will not last. Do we need Justice? Yes, but the need for that Justice was created within a system that is currently unjust. A system that is lacking in Equality. A system where Justice is determined based on the amount of money you have. The injustice and disunion only grows because of Inequality.

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The People of the United States have declared, by their VOTE, that Women should have EQUAL STANDING under our Constitution. Thirty-eight States have now voted to Ratify the Equal Rights Amendment, guaranteeing Equality for Women and Girls. It is SELF-EVIDENT… equality cannot wait.

Now is the time for our new President and our new Congress to act. Thirty-eight of the fifty States… 76% of the United States DEMANDS Equality! Let us celebrate our new Constitutional Amendment and RATIFY EQUALITY.

100 years is Long Enough.

Equal. Means. Equal.

-JC

“Indelible in the Hippocampus…”

The Scouts of Boy Scout Troop #86 had, for many months as their leader, an older Scout who was a bit of a hard nose. He was a drum major for the Olathe South Marching Falcons, and he led our Troop with an emphasis on structure and discipline, with rigidity and order…

Needless to say, 50 or 60 high school kids on a Monday night weren’t exactly stoked to comply with his sanctimonious leadership style.

As his 18th birthday approached, we began considering who we wanted to be his replacement. It was more or less assumed that our new leader would be one of the older Scouts that had been with the Troop for a longer period of time. More than likely, our new Senior Patrol Leader would be one of the Scouts that were in his Patrol, the term for a group of Scouts within the Troop itself.

The Senior Patrol Leader is the Scout who decides where the Troop will go for the monthly camping trips. One weekend a month, every month, the Troop spends a weekend learning important skills at various locations throughout the Kansas City area. Some locations are near facilities that can help Scouts earn Merit Badges that they wouldn’t normally be able to earn.

One weekend we camped at a park located near an airport, operated by the University of Missouri, where we spent the weekend earning our Aviation Merit Badge. Another weekend, we camped near the depot of an old railroad that once served the States of Kansas, Texas, and Arkansas (KTA) in the 19th century. We helped their museum change railroad ties on the still-operating line, and in the process we earned our Railroading Merit Badge.

But those trips had happened under previous leadership, and we wanted our new Senior Patrol Leader to plan future trips to places like those, to the places that we wanted to go. I guess that sounds about right for a bunch of adolescent teenagers. (NOTE: Back in MY day… teenagers were rebellious and self-centered. FYI)

At some point before the election, proposed as more of a joke than anything else, the name of one of the younger Scouts was recommended. He wasn’t part of the youngest group of Scouts who had just recently joined the Troop, he joined with the group before that. He had been with the Troop no more than nine months.

The argument was made that as a younger Scout, it would be easy to convince him to see things our way. In essence, we believed he would do as we said because he would be a “pushover”. A young Scout, wanting to fit in with the older Scouts…? Every camping trip would be where we told him we wanted to go.

No one in the Troop was excited to vote for any of the candidates… so the majority of the Troop voted for the “pushover”. One month later, our new Senior Patrol Leader subjected the younger Scouts to an “underware check”. It was the first camping trip with him as our new leader.

We enabled that to happen by electing someone we wouldn’t have chosen under different circumstances.

The Catholic Church.

The Boy Scouts of America.

The United States Military…

The United States Supreme Court.

The Movie Industry.

The Music Industry.

The Hotel and Service Industry.

The Fast-Food Industry.

Even in small businesses. “Ma and Pa” shops that only employ a handful of people…

Like the United States Senate.

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Once the light pierces the darkness, it’s hard to go BACK to the way things were before. To do so would mean ignoring what has been seen, forgetting what has become KNOWN.

That is why the DARK AGES are part of our PAST… our HISTORY. Not our future.

wyco_lake — Wyandotte County Lake under quarantine- 03/27/2020

At the end of the day, it’s all about making sure THEY have a better shot at making it. That they start out with more opportunities than I had. By working to make sure their future is successful… MY future will be as well.

What will we leave behind when we go? In this moment, I’m thinking not so much as will I be remembered… but will anyone be around to do any remembering? Will they have the luxury of leisure, to sit and contemplate the past; or will they be so busy just trying to SURVIVE in the moment, that they’ll be unable to take the time to expand their horizons?

When you must spend every waking moment in a constant struggle to put food on the table, things like education take a back seat. You know… “When I get around to it.”

So much is up in the air right now as our nation stands watching… faced with a choice that is all too clear. There is so much that we must do, and so much of it must be done RIGHT… as we may not have this chance again.

What will our children make of this moment? How will democracy be judged by future generations? The political structure that we grew up with is now gone. It died with the passing of the Republican Party. All that remains is a hollow shell of what once was, held up only by our belief in it… a stiff breeze is now all that’s required.

When you SEE something… SAY something!

Because that’s how things CHANGE.

“Woman broadens claims…” NBC News (04/12/2020)

Right now the men on the ballot this fall are TWO SIDES of the SAME COIN, and I cannot in GOOD CONSCIENCE, vote for either. That worries me…

That should worry EVERY American Citizen.

Shall we RATIFY equality… or must women wait ANOTHER 100 years?

The choice must always be ours!

**“… with Liberty and Justice for ALL.”**

-JC