What led to the death of President John F. Kennedy.
Why did the Twin Towers fall.
What brought down the Murrah Building in Oklahoma City.
Why did Madison Cawthorn say what he just said.
What motivated a young man, to seek out some random Pizza Joint in the suburbs of Washington, DC…
What was the actual reason for our War in Iraq.
What motivated the people who stormed our Capitol on January 6.
What motivated Khalid Sheikh Mohammed to set into motion, the events that played out that Tuesday morning in September…
What motivates someone to choose violence over the Rule of Law.
What entitles someone to the perceived power to claim dominion over another… what enables them to do so.
What sanctifies unjust actions.
What enshrines deceitful tactics.
What undermines the Righteousness of the Testimony of TRUTH.
What turns the prophetic into foolishness…
… what metrics should we use to differentiate between the two.
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Why arrest the mother who steals bread to feed her children.
Why ignore the billionaire who cheats on his taxes.
Why move Heaven and Earth to welcome refugees fleeing war in Ukraine… while we spend an arm and a legshipping Haitian refugees back to the home from which they’ve escaped.
Why do we work so hard keeping other people out, when we should be focusing all that time and effort verifying every single person we choose to let in.
In this Hour of Judgement… how can we afford to turn anyone away.
What happens when the FUTURE … suddenly becomes our PAST.
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What happens when we realize, we can take hold the Reigns of TIME and command it all to STOP. What happens when we realize… we are the embodiment of both space and time.
What happens when we finally see, we are all born of the SAME… and to which, we shall ALL one day return…
What happens when the Will of the MAJORITY reigns Supreme.
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What happens when we remember, that OUR struggle is THEIR struggle; and that what happens to ONE will eventually happen to us ALL… no matter how trivial or truly significant…
Those judges are on the bench because they were nominated and confirmed by elected officials, who hold their office because of a discriminatory system. A system that is not representative of The People overall, but only a segment of the population.
A poll is a scientifically accurate snapshot of the electorate because of the deliberate attention paid to BIAS and efforts made to minimize its influence…
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Credit: Breaking Points w/ Krystal and Saagar
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… and any politician worth their salt, pays attention to the polls.
Our response to crime isn’t what eliminates crime or deters people from committing crime in the first place. What drives someone to commit a crime.
The overall societal elements that drive someone to pick up a GUN instead of a PHONE… the dire straits that lead someone to STEAL just to pay the BILLS… the conditions that lead one to find more in common with a criminal organization than with a worker’s union…
That is what changes. That’s what makes fertile ground. Not the actions of police. The police officers are only doing what they’re TOLD to do— Enforce the Law.
The Law… as created, by elected officials who are BEHOLDEN to campaign contributions.
You got a GOOD IDEA? Great! Let’s run it past the DONORS and see what they think… ’cause if they don’t agree, you might not get re-elected. If it hurts their BOTTOM LINE or stands opposed to their ideology, they might not DONATE to your campaign. Worse still, they might DONATE to your political opponent.
Hell… they might back a PRIMARY CHALLENGER for that election.
Did Stop and Frisk work? Crime went DOWN during that period in time, so elected officials took credit for that progress… until it was found to be locking up BLACK MEN disproportionately, then it was shunned and disavowed.
Does the beating and killing of MORE BLACK MEN by police reduce crime?
Unequivocally… no.
Then why does it continue to happen? During periods in time where crime rates are HIGH. During periods in time where crime rates are LOW. Whether we create MORE LAWS or REPEAL THEM. When our Nation’s economic activity is soaring AND when our economic activity is dismal… some things just remain CONSTANT. Some things are just a given.
Getting Tough on Crime is kabuki theater of the Highest Order… an enterprise, worth BILLIONS of dollars.
Throwing BILLIONS at crime does not address the underlying conditions that give rise to the criminality in the first place. So why would we associate a reduction in crime with MORE COPS, MORE LAWS, and MORE JAILS? Because they can’t STOP the crimes already in-progress.
There’s a delay effect… a temporal echo. What was PASSED by previous legislatures creates what we see TODAY. More cops, more policing, more violence does not solve the problem NOW. It only addresses the product of their inadequate and flawed legislation. It’s a parallel to Trickledown Economics.
You want people to NOT do crime? Then you have to present them with a viable alternative to a life of crime.
If life keeps biting you in the ass, eventually you stop caring about all the other noise and just focus on yourself. Me against the WORLD. Do or die…
We must avoid getting to that place.
And that doesn’t happen overnight. You can’t hire MORE COPS and solve a financial crisis. You can’t stop and frisk people and expect to solve the problem of increased murder rates. If you tell someone their JOB depends on them finding CRIME… then they WILL find it. Whether it exists or not.
Because they wouldn’t want to lose their JOB now. That could lead them down a dangerous spiral… and we all know where that could lead.
So why would we allow it to happen in the first place.
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So NOW… let’s reduce crime. Let’s make MORE laws. Let’s get rid of LAWS. Let’s stop enforcing laws or shift the threshold of what constitutes a breaking of the law…
If we do THIS, or if we do THAT. If we tweak it around the edges. If we look into the problem… let’s form a panel. A committee… an Investigative Body. MORE COPS. MORE POLICING. ‘I’m outraged!’… by the apparent result of their own INACTION? By the inability to anticipate the consequences of their legislative actions?
By the intentional limiting of options, caused by their need to FUNDRAISE for their re-election.
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So, how do we fix it? How do we get back to NORMAL… without going back to Business as usual? More SUNLIGHT is always the answer.
How do we CLEARLY interpret the Will of The People? Is it with LESS participation? Will we find it through practices of exclusion and disenfranchisement? One man should not rule over a FREE PEOPLE, but should a small handful of elected elites be allowed to decide FOR US who is worthy of that position?
More participation equals BETTER GOVERNANCE. Everyone has a role to play, and everyone’s VOICE should matter equally.
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With each successive HOUR, with each passing DAY… the generation that came after the LAST, now knows more than their predecessors… BECAUSE of the work they have done. What we have now was unimaginable to them… and what will come, is beyond our wildest dreams.
Because they knew the answers COULD be found, if only we look hard enough. If we refuse to be fooled by those who cling to old ideas and false pretenses…
When we push the boundaries and expand our horizons… when we step outside our own little world… we find the answers. We gain KNOWLEDGE. And, of course… we find the answers to questions, we never even knew existed.
And what will we SEE? The fine points, the details, the minutiae… at the heart of it all, is our LIVES. When the Rule of Law reigns Righteously and Equally, we will know what the opinion of the MAJORITY is. It’s the difference between thinking we know what The People want, and actually knowing what they want.
The answers to these problems exist. The question now becomes—
Do we have the COURAGE to find them?
CLARITY. Above all else. MORE SUNLIGHT is always the answer.
After we left our tour of the White House, I ducked down the stairs to catch the train at McPherson Square. At the top of the stairwell was a musician, playing his heart out on an old beat-up six string… his case was propped open, and a stack of cash had started to pile up.
I stopped and smoked the rest of my cigarette, absorbed in the moment. Blocks away, the HEART of our Democracy… what better STAGE? What better venue than THIS… quite literally, at the Crossroads of our Nation.
I tossed some cash on the stack, gave him a smile and went on my way.
I don’t remember if it was an original tune or if it was a cover, but whatever it was he was playing… it was HIS. In that moment. On that stage. He was playing what he decided. He staked out his place and did what he does best.
To uplift. To inspire. For the sheer joy of doing it. To share something that… no matter how insignificant it may be, might make the difference in someone else’s day. To frame the moment in a different LIGHT… to bring comfort to others as they go on about their day.
The stage may be small, but the connection is REAL none the less. There, on FULL DISPLAY. Sharing a little piece of your SOUL… one person at a time.
He didn’t have to choose that stairwell. He could have played in the park or on the street corner. He could have played by the Smithsonian or the Capitol where more tourists would have had more disposable income.
But he set up shop RIGHT THERE, with less than $100 to show for his efforts… I wish I would have had more to give.
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What are my intentions? What do I want to accomplish? The same thing that young man was doing on that STAGE… everything I possibly can, to inspire CHANGE in the hearts and minds of everyone I can reach.
Be it on a SOAPBOX in a subway stairwell. Be it on a street corner with a sandwich-board sign… whatever it takes. Whatever the cost, for such a Righteous cause as OURS demands no less.
We are the United States. WE decide our fate… until it is no more. Until I have nothing left to give… because we would have nothing without Her. So I continue to STAND.
Until it is done.
IF the Political Divide will not UNITE to reform our laws so that they reflect The Will of The People directly, then The People must assert their place in our Constitutional Democracy and demand the TWO PARTIES be tamed.
For the sake of our Country. For the sake of our National Security.
For the sake of our children, who will inherit whatever it is we leave behind for them… who will have the CLARITY of time to decide who was to blame and who was correct.
Our actions will be judged by the passage of TIME… memorialized appropriately.
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The American People are willing to fight and die for the LIES of elected officials… just so long as they wrap it up in something SHINY and top it off with a red, white, and blue BOW. And we know to a certain extent, that they’re ALL full of shit… they’re OUR politicians. We voted them into office. We bought their lies.
The Gulf of Tonkin. The sinking of the Maine.
Had Roosevelt listened to different advisors, he might have avoided the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Had George W. Bush listened to his IC, he might have read a BOOK on some guy named Usama while he was vacationing on his RANCH that August.
Even with PERFECT hindsight, as we can see the full TRUTH of their lies, we either ignore uncomfortable facts or we selectively forget pivotal news conferences… where a journalist threw a SHOE at the Leader of the Free World.
What will we leave behind, when we’re gone. When TIME has done away with us. We did not choose it, but we live in interesting times. I believe Rachel Maddow was right… that old timey “blessing” is actually a curse.
But we cannot ignore it… because we cannot escape it. There is no safe harbor on this PLANET once Democracy dies. Look no farther than our HISTORY for guidance. Be it the 20th Century, A.D. Be it the 5th Century, B.C.
Let the call go forth across this Land that this is Our Time. We, The People. No ONE MAN shall rule over a FREE PEOPLE. They are but representatives of ourselves, given ascent and allowed to govern because of OUR CONSENT. Let us ensure we bestow that HONOR upon those worthy of such a title. Let us raise the bar, before we lose the ability to do so…
Because it will not BE done, if we allow things to go on without change.
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Shattering the darkness like a bolt out of the sky, in an instant we are shown what was hidden… a snapshot of our place in TIME. Burned like an image onto a silver plate. That clarity will eventually fade… until the next flash of LIGHT comes.
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Should we wait for more information… or should we ACT.
It is with humility that I ask, because I want to know. That is precisely why I ask. To better understand where I am coming from, to help inform my point of view. It’s not born of arrogance or brashness… it is with confidence that I write these words.
I have called upon this Nation to address a simple question. I believe we must find the answer, as the future of our Democracy depends on it.
‘Should the American People be allowed to elect their President by Direct Vote?’
Let us address this problem HEAD ON and solve it once and for all. Because we know we should. Because we know we can… as they could not.
MILLIONS of points of data, spread across 13 COLONIES… transmitted on HORSEBACK. To do this accurately on a Continental Scale consistently, every election, is an almost unthinkable task… in 1776.
Is our 18th Century electoral system secure enough to withstand an assault by a 21st Century Tyrannical Leader, hell-bent on taking over our Constitutional Democracy?
Our National Security is ensured when the Will of The People reigns SUPREME.
And how do we know this? What evidence do we have that can confirm this? Over 200 years of SHARED INTEREST, of UNITED PURPOSE… two centuries of COMMON GROUND.
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Anyone who stands opposed to the ideal of Equal Justice Under Law, stands opposed to the Will of the MAJORITY. “… with Liberty and Justice for ALL.” Not just for SOME or a select FEW… but for everyone. It’s what we’ve all pledged to protect and defend.
Let us waste no more TIME debating the validity of the Experiment. Let us affirm it. Let us celebrate it. Let us cling to it, as if it were our LIFEBOAT… and may the Rule of Law stand as our COMPASS, guiding us all safely back HOME.
May the Will of the MAJORITY of this Blessed Land, always prevail.
To be polarized… what exactly does that mean? Are we referring to the idea that we stand at odds. OPPOSED… as in magnetic polar opposites.
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This polarization suggests opposition is the heart of our problem, because we are unable to find common ground from which to govern… ‘Government is the problem’. Being representative of The People who elected them, a dysfunctional government MUST be the product of a dysfunctional electorate… ‘It’s those damn voters. They just don’t understand’.
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@1:18 in the video: ”Because of the lack of gatekeepers and people who have a historical perspective… there’s a real vulnerability in the electorate.”
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Instead of believing we stand in opposition, could it be that we are actually being polarized? As in photons of LIGHT, forced into a decision between TWO DOORS…
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IF we are the LIGHT that illuminates that Shining City on a hill… maybe it’s time we considered what that means.
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If information must pass through a predetermined filter, we will never realize the full potential of this experiment. Legislative arteries, intentionally clogged by years of LARD and CORRUPTION… now working to ensure our National Security within a 21st Century Information Space.
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Can we see through the shadows… their shadows… and still see the LIGHT?
Let there be NO DOUBT!
It’s part of who we ARE, a light so bright it pierces the DARKEST night. Recognizable, no matter where you STAND.
Now… I may be just a simple man, but it doesn’t take an Albert Einstein to see what’s happening here. It’s the motivating factor and it’s the catalyst that allows the misinformation to GROW.
I know it. The Legislators know it. The American People know it…
Do the DONORS know it?
Do they understand that the short-term gains will not outweigh the devastating long-term consequences? I don’t know… we don’t know who they ARE.
They could be titans of industry or any number of wealthy individuals, all pooling millions of dollars into dark money SUPER-PACS. Facelessly. Anonymously… have they no sense of history at all?
Left or Right, Red or Blue. We all know what the problem is. 💰
It does not matter who you are or how much money you have, there will come a time where it’s not enough… appeasement is never an option.
But we must remember, polarized light passed through multiple filters will restore CLARITY. Our polarization unites us… we are the target of their polarization.
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Demonstrated within the first two minutes of the video
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We must secure our elections from outside interference, ensure our elections reflect the Will of The People directly, and defend the right to vote for every citizen. That is how we secure our Democracy.
Corruption is inevitable, no matter what laws we create. It’s up to us to CHOOSE who should have access to the reins of power. THE PEOPLE.
More participation equals BETTER GOVERNANCE. Always.
Is that not the embodiment of ALL our worst fears? There are few things that compare to false imprisonment… how can we call ours JUST, if this continues to happen. Is THIS what we’ve fought and died for… when it could be so much MORE…
Because I am SELFISH. I don’t want what happened to Mr. Strickland to happen to ME. Because I don’t want what happened, to happen to MY friends or MY family. Because I know… if we are SILENT, we could be next.
Railroaded. By those who were entrusted with AUTHORITY and POWER. The inkwell may have SPILLED all over this case, but how many others are sprinkled with the ink of their quills… how many lives were impacted by their office, in such ways that we’ll never know…
And this is just ONE case. In ONE city. In ONE STATE.
When we allow bias and prejudice against ONE, it leads to MORE. Based on race… based on gender… based on nation of origin… based on MONEY. Ideals that are not held by the MAJORITY thrive when we stand divided… chasing SHADOWS instead of establishing LAW.
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Clarity. Before ALL ELSE… let us establish what it is we are striving FOR… is it for HATRED? Is it for EXCLUSION? Or is it for UNION… already established. Does anyone else worry we’re fighting amongst ourselves, while the other side doesn’t understand what it is their opponents are fighting FOR?
We’re just throwing around a bunch of pre-packaged political rhetoric that means NOTHING when exposed in the light of actual thought and conversation. It evokes within us a guttural response. Instead of asking QUESTIONS we simply rely on our preconceived notions… most of which were misinformed from the start.
That was the solution for overcrowded prisons? Changing the dollar amount has the window-dressings of addressing a societal problem, but it does so at ARMS LENGTH. It doesn’t address the underlying issues that lead people to resort to such extreme measures.
The insanity generated by a vocal MINORITY on both sides is being amped up by BOTH political parties, in order to motivate people to DONATE. Legislators legislate based on MONEY and the pursuit thereof. Instead of solving problems, they FUNDRAISE… they can’t raise MONEY on a problem that’s already been SOLVED.
Because this has been going on for GENERATIONS… beyond my lifetime. I was born the year Kevin Strickland went to prison. My kids will be 18 in just a few years.
Will they be just as frustrated as I am today, attempting to teach their children the SAME LESSONS tomorrow… fighting the SAME FIGHTS for things that seem so close, yet just out of reach?
Kevin Strickland is PROOF they will not.
Ahmaud Arbery is PROOF they will not.
Laws have CHANGED. Knowledge has been codified. Acknowledging that, what once was believed to be Justified… is not. Changing the way we live our daily lives. A new understanding… lessons, learned the hard way.
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“An error doesn’t become a mistake, until we refuse to correct it.”
-John F. Kennedy
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If we put aside the confusion and focus solely on the GOAL… the Mission Statement, the Ark of OUR Covenant. As She STANDS, with no biases to blind us… humility and compassion will guide us HOME.
Because that could be YOU… because that could be ME.
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End The Electoral College NOW!! 
