Landfall

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Wouldn’t it be nice if we could just STOP all this nonsense and get ourselves back to doing what’s right…

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https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/14/us/desantis-florida-migrants-marthas-vineyard.html

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Immigrants. Seeking asylum. Seeking refuge. From violence, devastation, corruption… things we all know too well.

‘But they’re just living off of the welfare of others… taking away my hard-earned DOLLAR.’

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https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/brett-favre-told-mississippi-governor-not-take-no-answer-volleyball-st-rcna49446

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Yeah… what about that.

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https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/sixth-florida-property-insurer-declared-insolvent/

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As if we needed another reminder of how vulnerable we truly are, when faced with a changing climate.

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https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/everybody-moved-to-fortmyers-just-before-hurricane-ian-hit/2022/09/28/d177699a-3f48-11ed-8c6e-9386bd7cd826_story.html

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As if we need another demonstration of how truly BLESSED we all are.
Well… almost all of us.

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https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/week-power-fiona-puerto-ricans-experience-echoes-hurricane-maria-rcna49323

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Hmmm… how many ELECTORS does Puerto Rico have? Oh, right.
They’ve got the same number of SENATORS seeking re-election this fall.

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https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/01/us/biden-florida-puerto-rico.html

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Doing a heck-of-a-job there, Brownie.

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This is all I’ve got… my WORDS. My VOICE. There but for the Grace of God go I. I’m not a wealthy man. I’m not an educated man… I am merely a Man. But I know I am not alone. I STAND united with the MAJORITY.

Not the MAJORITY as I see it. Not the MAJORITY as I want it to be. The inherent strength and wisdom of the MAJORITY of this Nation, the United States of America.

Let there be NO DOUBT.

Cast aside your preconceptions and give rise to the KNOWLEDGE we have gained. The Will of the Majority of the United States of America is TRUE. It is JUST. The Majority of this Land STANDS for what is Right.

Two centuries of LIGHT have shown us, as if mere speculation were criminal.

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If Ginni Thomas might be SO BOLD…

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https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/sep/30/ginni-thomas-jan-6-interview-2020-election-conspiracy

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If Donald J. Trump might be SO BOLD…

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https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2022/09/30/trump-lawyers-kise-corcoran-bobb/

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Then it is my RIGHT… it is my DUTY to SPEAK OUT as well.

To be SILENT is to be COMPLICIT.

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I will continue to stand in the way. I will continue to CALL OUT the inaction and hypocrisy that I see. I will do all that I can, with all that I have… for as long as the fates allow. I refuse to become well-adjusted to such a maladjusted society.

Unapologetically. Without FEAR or FAVOR. Our Rule of Law protects our Right to Protest. Without it… we have NO RIGHTS.

If we hold their Right to Free Speech as sacrosanct, then there must be some ray of HOPE for an idea such as mine.

I’m not a MAGA Conservative trying to sell you some bill of goods, pretending that I alone can fix it. Any FOOL can tell you that. I’m not a Liberal Democrat, who prioritizes Virtue Signaling or Affirmative Action.

I am a Progressive. From the Great State of KANSAS.

I STAND for Equality.

Full stop.

That is what we are LACKING. That is what this situation desperately needs.

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My thoughts and prayers are with the people of Puerto Rico, the people of Florida, and all of the survivors of these storms.

May their recovery be our priority.

-JC

The Time is Always Right to Do the Right Thing.

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When I first started my 2020 campaign, I ran on ideals… like elevating the Will of The People, ensuring Liberty and Justice for ALL, and fighting for Equal Justice Under the Law. Virtuous, Righteous Ideals. Just as every successful candidate has done.

With practice and patience… with hard work and careful contemplation… a vision was forged. A method that might bring about an end to all this madness… a substantive GOAL to be reached.

The WORDS they speak, are the resume of the candidates. Their answer to the question- ‘What’s your vision for the future of this Nation?’

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That was a damn fine speech.

If that speech had been given by a candidate seeking OFFICE this fall, that speech might have sealed it. It hit all the right marks.

But that speech wasn’t given by a candidate seeking office. That speech wasn’t given by a civilian with NO POWER, someone fighting to make change happen. That speech was given by an INCUMBENT. An ELECTED OFFICIAL, who currently holds the reins of POWER.

The soaring WORDS of an aged historian ring HOLLOW… when compared to the legislative agendas pursued by the man who said them.

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He said, “We The People, are the TRUE HEIRS of the experiment that began more than two centuries ago. We The People, have burning inside each of us, the Flame of Liberty that was lit here at Independence Hall.”

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Indeed we do Sir… every one of us.

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https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/02/opinion/brittney-griner-russia-wnba.html

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https://thespun.com/nba/sports-world-reacts-to-u-s-basketball-brittney-griner-news

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https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/04/sports/basketball/brittney-griner-biden-russia.html

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“We are still, at our CORE a Democracy. And yet, history tells us that blind loyalty to a single leader and a willingness to engage in political violence, is fatal to Democracy.”

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I most certainly agree.

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https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/05/24/us/tulsa-race-massacre.html

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https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/06/28/us/i-cant-breathe-police-arrest.html

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https://www.npr.org/2021/09/22/1039718450/congressional-negotiators-have-failed-to-reach-a-deal-on-police-reform

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“The cynics and the critics tell us nothing can get done, but they’re wrong. There is not a single thing America cannot do.”

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On this point… I must disagree. Right now, that doesn’t seem to be the case.

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https://www.thedailybeast.com/this-is-some-bullshit-womens-group-rails-against-biden-inaction-on-the-equal-rights-amendment

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Because right now, ONE MAN stands OPPOSED to the Will of the MAJORITY. Thus rendering his speech to the realm of the aspirational. A vision of what could BE, if only…

**If only we were willing to accept EQUITY… in lieu of EQUALITY.**

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https://www.npr.org/2022/06/24/1102305878/supreme-court-abortion-roe-v-wade-decision-overturn

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https://www.vox.com/2022/6/29/23187002/black-women-abortion-access-roe

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https://www.texastribune.org/2022/06/30/texas-abortion-black-women/

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EQUITY is not the same as EQUALITY.
Only EQUAL. MEANS. EQUAL.

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Partisan political rhetoric is a TOOL used to secure power, in order to enact a particular legislative agenda. Partisan political rhetoric is NOT a legislative agenda.

Every American Citizen believes in the promise of Our Founding Documents. All of us share in the CELEBRATION of Our Independence. That is not in question. The question is… what are you going to do to secure it?

It doesn’t matter how angry Joe Biden gets… he’s still going to be Joe Biden. The former Vice President of these United States… the former Senator from the Great State of Delaware. The former Chair of the Foreign Relations Committee… the former Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

We all know who Joe Biden is, but I will be voting for Democratic Candidates on the ballot this fall in spite of that. The stakes are just TOO HIGH to do otherwise.

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https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/17/health/abortion-miscarriage-treatment.html

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Partisan political rhetoric will not SAVE LIVES. Only ACTION will do that. And so… we must ACT. We must VOTE. We must sound the siren and STAND UP for our Unalienable Rights.

When you defend the Rights of OTHERS, you defend those Rights for YOURSELF.

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President Biden has called on us to VOTE… so that is what we must do. If he cannot summon the political COURAGE necessary to do what’s required, then we must make it easy for him to change his mind. We must fill the Senate with candidates who will ACT to secure Equality.

Every man, woman, and child who is legally eligible to VOTE, must STAND UP and DEFEND the Rights of Women and Girls this fall. We must SHOW President Biden and the Leadership of the Democratic Party, that it’s in their best interest to listen to the Will of the American People.

As we did in 2018. As we did in 2020. As we will do in 2022.
And if they fail us… as we will do once again in 2024.

We must send them the TOOLS necessary to secure Equal Rights for Women and Girls. Every day, without the protection of EQUAL STANDING UNDER LAW, more women will suffer, and more women will die… needlessly.

It’s no longer hypothetical. It’s a FACT… and we cannot wait until 2024.

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Not for the sake of ONE PERSON. Not for the sake of ONE PARTY.
Let us do this NOW… in 2022.

Because it’s the RIGHT thing to do.

-JC

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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

I Choose to Engage

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There’s only ONE THING that remains consistent in this life… change. People change. Our understanding of the world changes, and our perception of our place within it changes as well.

Our priorities change. As we age, as we take on more responsibility, we gain more knowledge. Leading us to see things as they truly are, instead of just believing whatever we want… or believing whatever we’re told. REALITY can be a difficult concept to grasp… whereas fantasy is so much easier to believe.

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As a child, I thought I knew what was RIGHT… until it was not. Until I was proved WRONG… and then I was faced with a choice. To change myself, or change my perception of what is RIGHT and what is WRONG. To ignore facts or accept them, even when those facts stand opposed to everything I had learned so far.

FACTS don’t lie… but the interpreter does though.

IF my goal is to learn all I can, then I must also learn when I am WRONG and accept new information. FLEXIBILITY in the face of stubborn ignorance… my ignorance. To adapt and evolve is to survive. Rigid adherence to failed ideologies and lies, will only lead us to our demise.

It’s the ONE THING that is guaranteed… nothing will stay the SAME. Everything will change. It seems the trick is… do you want to be part of that change, or do you want to get run over by it.

To engage, or NOT to engage. To BE, or NOT to be… that is why I choose to engage.

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What do we know of struggle, on a personal level and on a National scale? What do we know of LOSS… of hardship… and what comes after those events? What is born of them…

I have no grand experience to offer. Mine is a story of the mundane. Of the ordinary. The everyday. I am OF The People. Of the streets. Yes, those suburban cul-de-sacs were always well-paved… but there are some lessons you learn, regardless of the hood you grew up in.

Because the BANK will come for your house regardless of your zip-code, and they make sure you understand that from a very early age… so plan accordingly.

I know who I am, as well as who I am NOT. I know this… because I have seen what happens to those who I am not. And that is why I choose to engage.

If not… who will? Who will represent the MAJORITY in this moment… the Bankers? The Hedge Fund Managers? The Kings of Commerce? How’s that been working out for us SO FAR? Let there be NO DOUBT… if we don’t make a change now, then this is how it will continue to be in the FUTURE.

Is that how we want to be seen upon the World Stage… as a giant PIGGY BANK? As a massive ARMS CACHE? Again… how has that worked out for us SO FAR?

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https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/17/middleeast/us-saudi-yemen-bus-strike-intl/index.html

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https://www.gunviolencearchive.org/reports/mass-shooting

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How will that work out for us in the FUTURE?

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https://www.wsj.com/articles/saudi-arabia-invites-chinas-xi-to-visit-kingdom-amid-strained-u-s-relations-11647284211

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Who’s interests do our elected officials represent…
On who’s behalf do they ACT.

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… and our response?

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Our actions NOW will not prevent World War III from starting… those shots have already been fired. Our actions now will determine whether or not World War III has already begun.

The opening salvo has been offered. Decisions are being made. Sides are being drawn… RIGHT NOW. In this moment.

Based upon every piece of evidence that we have at our disposal… the Pandemic… the Housing Crisis… January 6th… securing our Right to VOTE…

How will GOOD INTENTIONS turn out in the end.

Who will BENEFIT… who will NOT.

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

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We mustn’t let the mistakes of our PAST, cloud our judgement on events of the FUTURE… just as we shouldn’t forget the lessons that we’ve learned from our own stupidity. How long does it take for us to secure an occupied territory… how long does it take for us to get that territory back.

We act when it is JUST. We show restraint when it is NOT.
To act in this moment is JUST. Our INACTION is not.

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https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/2022/03/19/mariupol-theater-satellite-images/

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We do not act to engage in WAR, we act to prevent it. To secure… not to occupy. To defend… not to advance. To secure PEACE as we now know it, and prevent the necessity that comes, when one nation declares WAR on all the rest.

At that point… that is war. We must avoid the campaign that played out through the Spring of ‘45. That is what we should be working to achieve. NOW. Because tomorrow… it will be TOO LATE.

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https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/03/18/russia-ukraine-war-news-putin-live-updates/

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Had my family and I been living in one of those Ukrainian cities, where they’ve been without electricity since the earliest days of this invasion… my TIME would be just about up.

Juvenile Diabetes… diagnosed at age 36. My body doesn’t produce its own insulin. If I don’t find a pharmacy with a working refrigerator within 28 days… I don’t live to see day 40.

Without intervention, my LIFE would be lost.

But, considering the sorry state of our Healthcare System and the inability of our Congress to change it… I face that possibility EVERY MONTH.

The fight is JUST. So I choose to engage.

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While I support the decisions made by President Biden so far, I believe there are more actions we should be taking that are not currently being employed.

Though we do not have access to the same information that he has… we do have our own EYES. We do have the WORDS of President Zelenskyy… and we do have the WORDS of President Putin.

History shows us what becomes of leaders who place POLITICS over the well-being of our Nation. Like an aged soldier… they simply FADE AWAY. Their policies eroded and their legacies chipped away, until all that’s left is the TRUTH. Stripped BARE by the passage of time.

No SPIN left to disguise it. No window dressing to hide their mistakes. Just the results of their own ACTIONS… and the ever-present, nagging regret… that there might have been something more, they could have done.

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… and may it soon be for the people of Ukraine.🙌 #StandWithUkraine🇺🇦 https://t.co/jxN61TOa51

— Jack Charbonneau (@MrJLCharbonneau) March 1, 2022

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Our independence shines brightly in this hour, a burning passion that illuminates the night. And now, beneath the rubble… those SEEDS have started to grow. Those roots are breaking solid ground.

And we know… those roots are STRONG. That plant is stubborn. Through the rock, through the refuse… in fields long forgotten by the PLOW…

Toward the LIGHT. Ever toward the light.

And as the days grow longer… may there only be MORE LIGHT.

-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