Tag: peace

A Restoration.

I did not have clarity of thought when I was a young man. As a child, my father would constantly remind me, “Children are to be SEEN, not HEARD.” He would communicate silently that I was rambling on and on and on and on… by hand gesture. Pinching his fingers and thumb together, as if they were the mouth of a sock puppet, telling me without a word to SHUT UP!

I would usually get the hint. As I try to remember how I acted in my childhood, I remember so little. I don’t remember carrying on like that, but I DO remember the annoyance with it. The problems it would cause at school. The constant drifting within my own mind, consuming HOURS of my life.

In my teenaged years, I became angry and rebellious. Once, during a heated argument with my father, he told me, “Someday you’re gonna have a kid who’s JUST like you!”

Yeah… ha ha, OLD MAN… whatever.

 

Well, you KNOW… with OLD AGE comes WISDOM, I suppose!

I’ve learned EXACTLY how I was as a child by raising my youngest son, Garrett. He is exactly like me in almost every way, and where he and I differ, he is EXACTLY like his mother. She might NOT admit it… but she can be a bit STUBBORN, too.

Shortly after Garrett was born, I sought counseling as part of my recovery and treatment for Alcoholism. During these sessions, the therapist and I discovered… I have ADHD. He referred me to a psychologist, who confirmed what we suspected.

I have been on medication now for 10 years. IF I had been given the opportunity to be diagnosed BEFORE THEN… my life would have been MUCH different! The ability to FOCUS my thoughts… more than that, the ability to control my mind, and actually make the thoughts STOP! CLARITY of the mind… CONFIDENCE comes with CLARITY, two things I could not find as a teenager.

Recognizing the symptoms I had as a child, remembering the problems it would eventually cause in MY life, I realized at an early age that Garrett would need help, as well. Being able to make that decision for him at an early stage in his development has changed his trajectory. He will not have to face the same hardships that I did…

 

… isn’t that the WHOLE IDEA? To LEARN from mistakes. To take lessons from the PAST and reinforce them, to build a STRONGER FUTURE.

 

I began caring about my mental health at age 30. Since then, the steps I have taken to live a happy and productive life have opened up possibilities I would never have been able to TRY… all within the last 10 years. We’ve been working with Garrett to ensure his mental health and well-being since he was 8… I am jealous of what he will achieve by the age of 40!

 

I have ALWAYS challenged authority. As a parent, I’ve found myself questioning the accepted social dogmas of raising a child. “When I was YOUR AGE… that’s how WE were raised, so that’s how it’s done.”

My step-mother would make me eat scrambled eggs with chopped green peppers in them. I did not like them. I was NOT given a choice. Today, as an adult, I have developed an allergy to nightshade vegetables. Was her demand really necessary? At what point should a child be treated more as an individual, with the right to decide CLEARLY, that green peppers ARE disgusting?

Should we make demands of our children, ones that we didn’t like THEN and do not like NOW, simply because they were made OF US? Consider the amount of CHANGE that has happened in the last 20 years!

I told my boys about a time I had a flat tire on a highway in central Wisconsin, and had to walk damn near 10 MILES to reach a phone! They didn’t seem to fully understand what things were like… just a FEW YEARS AGO. On the other hand, I have to keep reminding them of the POWER they hold in their hands. Every time they ask me how to spell something, I answer, “G-O-O-G-L-E”. They take it for granted… they have the ability to answer ANY QUESTION, instantly! My god… You know, back in MY DAY…

To avoid mistakes in the future, we look to lessons from our PAST. With old age DOES come WISDOM, and from wisdom we gain UNDERSTANDING… and THAT is how we find PEACE, through COMPASSION.

 

Tonight, my thoughts are with the Iranian PEOPLE. My thoughts are of PEACE, and ALL that can come FROM it. My thoughts are of INQUIRY, not condemnation. My heart aches as we are moving BACKWARD, not striving together for a BETTER FUTURE… as we have DONE, so recently in our PAST.

As tensions grow, I want to extend a message of PEACE from THE PEOPLE of The United States of America. Not from the elite. Not from the elected. My voice comes from the suburban expanses of endless cul-du-sacs and asphalt city streets. It comes from the families who’ve put the ‘RED’ in our ‘RED, WHITE, and BLUE’… and may do so WILLINGLY again someday.

The American People fight for PEACE.

We curse the war and bless the PEACE that follows. We DEMAND our leaders pursue PEACE AT ALL COST, in order to avoid losing that, which has NO PRICE. There is a disconnect now in the United States between the WILL OF THE PEOPLE and the policies being practiced. The American People are beginning to UNDERSTAND this, and we are starting to ask the questions… “WHY?”

Questioning OURSELVES. To become stronger than we were YESTERDAY… and tomorrow, stronger STILL.

“We seek PEACE. WHY is it NOT SO?”

“But THEY attacked US?! WHY…?”

The American People STILL BELIEVE that ours IS the greatest system of governance ever envisioned… AS DO I. To continue working toward that more perfect union envisioned by our Founders, we must come to terms with the fact that our government has NOT been used AS INTENDED for many YEARS. The American People must remember WHO WE ARE, and for WHAT we STAND…

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The United States of America is the HOME of the REVOLUTIONARY! We give SHELTER to those who fight FOR JUST CAUSE. We do not turn away. We do NOT close our doors. We have walked the path of war. We have fought, side-by-side to defend the land of others, and laid to rest our soldiers, side-by-side with THEIRS… with hope that it would never happen again.

Our FOUNDING FATHERS were REVOLUTIONISTS, fighting in-kind for principles and ideals not yet BORN. Seeing how society WAS all around them, watching the depravity that comes alongside corruption, knowing the consequences that come when leadership becomes SELF-ABSORBED, dripping in-excess… They STOOD UP and BRAVELY questioned, “WHY?”

They stepped beyond themselves, and asked the questions that lead to only ONE CONCLUSION- we are ALL CREATED EQUAL.

Their theoretical form of government today, is OUR reality. BORN OF imperfect men, BORN-OUT by our SHARED HISTORY. A common goal REALIZED… or rather, one that has been entrusted to US, to complete.

REVOLUTIONS often happen at the POINT OF A SWORD, through the SITE on a barrel…

 

PEACE only comes once we’ve PUT THOSE WEAPONS DOWN.

 

Wars have been fought to promote the idea of PEACE. PEACE has been SHATTERED under the guise of an avoidance of war. And EVERY TIME… we KNOW what will happen. We KNOW who will fall VICTIM, and we KNOW who will be to blame.

Who we ARE, we CANNOT change. Who we will BECOME is always OUR CHOICE! Do we wish to be DEFINED by the flaws of our PAST? Should we stand against evolution or change, simply to enshrine the PAST… chaining it to our FUTURE? Let us REMEMBER what once WAS and dedicate it, with HONOR, to a RESTORATION OF JUSTICE today. If PEACE IS WHAT WE DESIRE… we should not start a war to PROVE IT.

When we commit to the pursuit of PEACE with the SAME LEVEL of PASSION we commit to the pursuit of JUSTICE… we will SEE BOTH.

I am PROUD to live in the country that helps DEFINE the word REVOLUTION.

JC

“By Hook, or By Crook…”

Donald Trump is Our President, and we should make no mistake about that. The idea that he is illegitimate is wrong. The law provided the structure for our President to be elected. It also endowed the power to remove the President to the elected representatives. In 2017, Our Constitution oversaw the peaceful transition of power, power given by The People.

The Law provided the ‘method’, Donald J. Trump provided the ‘means’.

Now we have to ask, how does that stand within ourselves? Are we “Good with this?” Or do we want the “system” to CHANGE?

“…we do it in LOVE and we do it IN TRUTH.” – Bishop William Barber

Everyone is interpreting the polling data WRONG. More people see this as a “Which Hunt” because we ALL see crimes have been committed, and NOTHING HAPPENS. Dr. Ronny Jackson is passing out pills to the Prez and his peeps, while a black man with a family sits in prison for WEED.

And all along we fight, brother vs. brother, while Russia, China, N. Korea, Germany, France, Canada, and Mexico are watching. As we judge the actions of everyone, from the leader of the Committee to Elect Donald J. Trump for President, to the treasurer on down, we wonder where the equal enforcement of Law has gone. There is a missing piece to this puzzle we are not being given.

All Americans understand why we are not told. We understand classified intel exists for ONE PURPOSE and we accept that. When the HONOR that once was associated with that purpose is discarded, and those who continue to maintain their HONOR are made to look like they stand against our People… AND NO Officer, either elected or appointed, does ANYTHING?!!

Of Course we SCREAM “Which Hunt!”

The corruption of unseen money ROTS a system based on HONOR. It creates a conflict of interest within a mortal man, pitting the choice between survival of family vs. survival of society. IF the benefit of society is to create stability and prosperity for ALL who seek it, then Donald J. Trump has beautifully demonstrated where the weaknesses are in our current election system.

He is, under Constitutional Law as it stands today, our Commander in Chief. And until we recognize the scope and abilities that are ‘part and parcel’ of the Office We have created, and own it FULLY…

History shows where “witch hunts” end.

We have been given the Power to CHANGE that destiny. We, The PEOPLE, are the only one’s who can DEMAND it. United. Demand it from Our Leaders… accountability, transparency, ACTION for the People, not the moneyed interests. The Vote, a POWER WEILDED by THE PEOPLE every two years, to enact change, or to ensure our shared prosperity, however We see fit.

End The Electoral College.

JC

 

Attn: JOB OPENING

“Are you a Lawyer? Have you ever wanted to work for a Presidential Candidate… Pro bono?!! If so, Mr. Jack Charbonneau wants to offer YOU a snowball’s chance at becoming the LEGAL REPRESENTATION of the next President of the United States!

…act NOW and the toaster* is yours!” 

(*toaster does not exist.)

I am of course referring to the FEC guidelines for political contributions, specifically the section regarding in kind contributions of services, where the last line reads- “Of course, when an individual personally volunteers legal or accounting services to a committee, the above restrictions do not apply.” https://transition.fec.gov/pages/brochures/citizens.shtml

Oh… I’m supposed to say “I’m Jack Charbonneau, and I approved this message.” Because this is my Official website for my political campaign-

Jack Charbonneau 2020: Political Revolution

Yup. I got a number from the IRS today. I got my FEC Candidate number the other day as well… sigh. They gave me a doozey of a number. P00007666. Out of all the randomness and chaos in the universe, THAT’S the number I get!? But it’s just a number. It’s like the thirteenth floor of a building, or the impulse to knock on wood or toss salt over your shoulder. Or looking at the digital clock everyday at 5:55 or 11:11.

I’ve always found numerical oddities like this interesting. This particular number is seen as quite powerful, to some. Growing up as a Southern Baptist in my teens, I have read the stories and heard the Word about who this number is for. Now, even though I am an Atheist, (or as my Aunt Marty would say, He’s walking his ‘path’) I still hold tight to the lessons gained from that book. That the light will always conquer darkness. And I stand on the side of the light. Anyway… I like the power of the seven that comes before it!

So this is my first Official Campaign posting. And I should say, to everyone, I only want to ask ONE question:

“Can you name ONE issue that you care deeply about, that could be solved if we eliminated the corruption of our current campaign finance system?”

I can name MORE than one!

If that answer is yes, then consider another question:

“Would you sign a petition to allow an INDEPENDENT candidate, funded only by INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTIONS, on to the ballot for President in the 2020 election?”

I know… It is a HUGE ask. No… I get it. I was mad at Ralph Nader for TWO YEARS. No joke! And I had a friend who voted for Ross Perot… as a write-in in 2000. I understand what this means. But, if you consider the choices that were on the ballot in 2016, and consider the possible choices coming in 2020…

I cannot think of a single person who could change all of this for the better. No political figure could unite us. They are too polarizing. And their record is tainted by the corruption as well. No celebrity could do it. They are too entangled in their financial web to run. To many, public service could cost them millions in income. No corporate titan like Bill gates or Mark Zuckerberg… for obvious reasons.

…and that brings up another point.

We stand at the precipice of a pivotal moment in our country. We are about to see the conclusion to an investigation into an attack on our country by a foreign adversary. Many wealthy countries, organizations, individuals, good and bad actors from all corners of the globe, are watching and waiting. When decisions are made and legislation is passed, we must act in the light of Full Disclosure. The American People need to know as much as possible as to the true nature of the events of this attack. With OPENESS and OVERSIGHT being supreme, only Full Disclosure will ensure we make the best decisions, as a governing body AND as individuals. Everyone benefits with MORE KNOWLEDGE.

So who do YOU want making the calls with this classified information? It is a heavy time in our country. Non disclosure agreements, backroom handshakes, smiles and cigars, then a plea to the voters for support to fight a fictitious “enemy within”. Partisan politics played out with classified intel, partisan conclusions presenting selected facts, and all at the cost of the MEN AND WOMEN, dedicating decades of their lives to our system of Justice… like a criminal would do.

The criminal enterprise that has grown along side our partisan political structure has cast a shadow upon Our Government. The taint of political contributions from the highest bidder has led to laws that benefit the donors. The need for Congressional candidates to raise money for re-election takes time away from legislating. HOURS every day, calling wealthy donors ‘back home’, asking for their support. And all of that support comes with an implied price tag.

When We choose to UNITE behind a candidate Of the People, one who lives the issues and ills of our society daily… Someone who truly represents the ideals, not ideas, of our Nation. A candidate that understands the struggles a working class family faces, because I am part of a working class family. And I believe that those values, the ones I have been taught and the ones I have learned, are shared by the majority of the electorate. And until We see someone like myself, in The White House, we will remain divided.

If we can see past the division of our daily left/right battles and realize it doesn’t HAVE TO BE ONE OR THE OTHER. Why MUST it be ONE or THE OTHER? When we can have unity and consensus.

When we work together in good faith, We can put a MAN ON THE MOON!

Please consider OPEN and HONEST debate on my idea of creating a ONE CITIZEN=ONE VOTE tax payer funded Federal Election System. By achieving only this, we open the door to solving ALL issues that directly effect voters. The States have representation. The districts have representation. The President transcends regional politics and is a representative of ALL the People of Our country. The President should be decided DIRECTLY by the People.

We must End The Electoral College.

Keep your head UP!!

JC

 

Doing the Same Things, Expecting Different Results

“You’ve never run a company, OR been in government.”

To be honest, an inexperienced leader is NOT a GOOD THING! Look at Our Current situation. I doubt the voters will allow such a ‘noob’ take the reigns of Our country again. Consider this- Can the president do anything alone in DC? It is not the President alone who does the hard work of legislating. It is NOT the President alone who will shake hands with our partners around the world. It is not the President alone who champions issues to be legislated.

The People direct the process. What issues are we wanting to focus on? Who best visualizes the solution to the issues at hand? If the People are wanting to avoid war, we vote for the person who’s record shows support for peace. Even specific issues have different solutions, some better than others. But, no matter what the President thinks is the best solution, the Congress must work to support the President and create solutions.

Werner von Braun would not have been able to fly himself to the Moon.

FDR would NOT have been able to defeat Hitler in a fist fight.

Our government is an amazing creature! As we are all seeing today, it can run itself without any assistance. Accountability offices, oversight and regulation advisors, deputy positions, assistant deputies, and lawyers advising them, in the interest of the People’s Government (NOT on the interests of individuals in the government, which is pretty cool) all ensure that we have a government that, at the VERY least, is not working to harm citizens. At a minimum it is helping to protect us.

When it’s at its VERY BEST….? When Our Government comes to the table to play ball and get stuff accomplished, we can move the World! We can loosen any bondage. We can protect Liberty. We can put a MAN ON THE MOON. And EVERYDAY we enjoy the fruits of past labor, from the Interstate System, to the Jazz on Bourbon Street.

Our government can do great things, but ONLY when our VERY BEST people are leading us.

“…I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth.” JFK to Congress, 1961.

(Read transcript here- https://www.nasa.gov/vision/space/features/jfk_speech_text.html)

The most able leader in the world could not lead this country without vision. Without an ability to see what will be, and how to achieve that end. Not just the micro management of minute details, not just the ability to hire and fire. Anyone can do these things in a successful manor. The focus should be “What can you accomplish?” What is the limit to your vision? Where do you want to take us? How high should we be aiming? Who’s got our back if we slip and fall? And who’s gonna lend a hand, lift us up, and slap our back, encouraging us to try again?

“Not because it is easy, but because it is HARD.”

Our Country finds itself in a position of societal upheaval at this moment. An awakening of the spirit of our shared interests. Our common needs. Our common desires. We believe in the idea of our better angels, but are discouraged when all we see are the details of devils. Positive intentions are nothing without positive actions. A group of positive actions leads to movement of our overall societal evolution. Growing pains can be unbearable! Trust me, I’m 6’4″!

But they are necessary. We all want to be the better angels we imagine. We must avoid believing we ARE the better angles, in order to hide the painful truth. We have walked down all the paths before. We have tried the left, we have tried the right. We tried the exciting leader, we tried the even-keeled leader. They have all led us to THIS MOMENT. Every right and every wrong has shaped the people we are today. Every misstep, every yard gained. Every broken heart and every burden lifted. We must own that now. Today is how it is because of the choices that were made.

If we take actions using choices already made, we will be back in the SAME SPOT AS TODAY.

Who we choose to be, tomorrow, begins with how we see ourselves TODAY. Are we leading or following directions? Are we in control of our densities, or is that only an illusion? VISION is a powerful creative tool. It can be wielded to destroy civilizations, or produce the cotton gin. It can free slaves, or create slaves of the free. If we want things to get better, we must “see” it happen. To make that vision a reality, we must unite and support each other. For the common good. For us ALL.

THAT is where real power comes from- leadership born of the People who benefit the most. If you haven’t lived it, then you cannot change it.

That’s how I see it. Keep your head UP!!

JC

How Should the Constitutional Amendment Read?

What do We want Our government to look like? Who should Our government represent? When the choices that appear on the ballot look and act nothing like me or my family, why should I expect they will make choices with my family in mind?

Our election system currently forces a candidate to acquire money to have their voices heard. Therefore, the more money, the LOUDER your voice becomes. THIS has led to the upside-down view of “government is not the solution to our problems- government is the problem.”

I believe this should change.

When We elect a President born OF this country, A President who is FROM The People, we can see the change We need. Our government is seen by special interest groups and MASSIVE corporations as an obstacle to overcome. But this is NOT the case.

It IS the FRAMEWORK that holds us ALL together. A ‘referee’ in the daily battles of life, for the economic world AND the consumers. BOTH are dependent on the other for survival. And Our government ensures the playing field is fair for everyone. It protects the field’s VERY EXISTANCE.

Money should NOT DECIDE who can become President.

ideas should.

The government (We) should create the “venue”, the “vehicle” for the debate on ideas. A “Coliseum” for a “Battle Royale of the Minds”. To decide the President of THIS Country?!! We deserve No Less!

We need a Constitutional Convention to create a ONE CITIZEN=ONE VOTE, OPEN, SECURE, Election system to change the way the candidates are selected. In an open and honest debate, the BEST ideas ALWAYS rise to the top. We can do better than the system we have now. End the Electoral College.

Considering that an amendment requires 2/3 Congressional approval and 3/4 of the States’ Legislatures for ratification, this is a process that requires everyone to speak up and participate. EVERYONE benefits from this. This change will also require us ALL to take full personal RESPONSIBILITY for the HONOR and POWER of the Office of the Presidency. It is, after all, an embodiment of the unified spirit of all who participate in this system. Whomever holds the Office, holds it for us all. So my following text is an idea.

Proposal for Amendments to the Constitution of the United States of America

Article II, Sec I.2 shall be undone.

Article II, Sec I.3 shall be amended to read as follows-

I.3 Each of the Several States shall select, by ballot of eligible voters, in the respective States, an eligible candidate for President. The Chief Executive of each State, the elected Legislatures of those States, as well as the Secretary of State of the respective States, shall sign and certify, and transmit sealed to the Seat of Government of the United States, directed to the President of the Senate, the name of the selected candidate. The President of the Senate shall, in the presence of the Senate and the House of Representatives, open and announce the name and State of each candidate.

At the end of the announcement, discussion/ decent shall be voiced and heard by the President of the Senate. At such point, either by determination of ineligibility or by majority vote by both Houses in separate votes, dismiss any candidate. If the votes of the House and the Senate stand in opposition, deference  falls to the original Vote of the State that had certified the candidate.

Article II, Sec. I.4 shall be undone and Amended to read as follows-

I.4 The Congress may determine the timing of a series of primary debates and discussion designed with the goal of narrowing down the list of eligible candidates, by ballot of eligible voters, to a choice of two eligible candidates. The two remaining candidates will be announced by the president of the Senate no later than July 4 of the election year to give the electorate sufficient time to become familiar with the candidates, to be voted upon for President in November.

The integrity and security of Our Intellectual Debates for Our Elections shall be overseen by the Secret Service, with full Congressional oversight and direction.

-END

Keep your head up.

JC