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

The Liberty to Choose

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Schrodinger proposed the thought experiment to show how absurd the idea of a state of superposition could be.

One century later, we now understand that absurdity to be part of the underlying foundation of our physical reality.

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schrödinger%27s_cat

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In every instance I can think of, the SANCTITY and VALUE of a potential human LIFE isn’t belittled or devalued. It’s central to the entire situation… that potential life is the reason these decisions are so significant.

What seems to get lost in the shuffle is the loss of LIFE that comes when a woman is forced to carry an unwanted pregnancy.

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Taking away a woman’s right to choose doesn’t protect the rights of potential life, it only takes away the rights of women who are alive TODAY. The search for an arbitrary determinative length of TIME shows us… instead of listening to the facts, the goal is to restrict access by shortening the length of time as much as possible.

Disregarding the rights of the women at the heart of these situations… and the person at the heart of these situations isn’t always a WOMAN.

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www.nytimes.com/2021/11/30/opinion/abortion-texas-mississippi-rape.html

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Separate is inherently unequal. That was the determination that made change necessary. Protecting EQUAL ACCESS is what the Court chose, as it should. One person’s rights should not supersede the rights of another. They should be weighed EQUALLY.

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Women are people TOO… that must be dealt with.

There is LIFE within the womb… carried by a HUMAN BEING with certain unalienable rights. They cannot be overlooked. The argument can seem somewhat civil if it’s involving consenting, legal adults… but that isn’t always the case. In many cases there’s more than ONE CHILD involved.

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Who will speak for them?

Which child will we protect when it’s YOUR daughter who is made to carry… something which they have no idea about how it was even created. By someone whom they TRUSTED. Who kept them in the dark. Intentionally. For MONTHS, if not YEARS.

How is it their fault? Why should they be made to suffer? Why is their pain somehow less than any other’s…

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There is no doubt as to when LIFE begins. It should be protected and cherished from the moment it starts.

The decision as to when that life will become a CHILD should be made by a woman in-consultation with her DOCTOR. And even then, women should be in control. Until a woman makes the decision to become a MOTHER, she is a person seeking medical care.

Women make the determinative observation. It’s HER BODY. HER FUTURE. HER CHOICE. Without her… there is NO LIFE.

We must empower women and girls with every tool at our disposal, to ensure they are successful in whatever they CHOOSE.

-JC

A More Perfect Union

Are we willing to trade a little bit of our truth for HUMILITY? Because we ALL want to STAND for what’s RIGHT… right? Not just righteous, but factually correct.

None of us were given the sight to see what is only for the eyes of the Divine, but we were endowed with the ability to LEARN and GROW. To take in new knowledge and new information, to understand things from a new perspective… learning, through compassion and empathy.

Because we can ALL see it! There, beneath the layers of superficial bullshit, at the CORE of all of the radical conspiracy theories is an obscured TRUTH… the impact of such being lost long ago.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/09/us/politics/trump-epstein.html

For GREED? At the expense of well-meaning people wanting to do the right thing… yes, but also BECAUSE of greed. To deliberately dilute and hide uncomfortable FACTS among a bizarre collection of unrelated and easily dismissible ideas.

How do we reconcile FACT with FICTION when an observable fact becomes associated with fantasy and racially charged propaganda? It’s nothing NEW. It’s the same vile storylines that were cast upon undesirable minority populations throughout the last century.

Only now it’s SUPERCHARGED and available in the palm of your hand.

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What is Our LIGHT? What is the pinnacle of OUR efforts, the vision revealed within our nation’s dream? There is a common thread woven through our collective dis-ease… and it’s either elevated or SILENCED at the discretion of MONEY.

Money should not define our legislative moral agendas.
Money should not define who is worthy of Equal Justice Under Law.

It is a slippery slope, but it’s one we must walk down if we want to make things better for generations to come.

-JC

A Scout is Kind

“Boy Scouts of America files for Bankruptcy”– Washington Post (02-18-2020)

I am heartbroken after hearing about the bankruptcy filing of the Boy Scouts of America. As an Eagle Scout, I know my life would not be the same without the lessons and experiences I had as a Scout. While I am hopeful that the storied tradition and mission of Scouting will be around for another 100 years, how this situation is handled will determine if that is possible.

HEALING the damage that has occurred and preventing future harm, should be the FIRST PRIORITY.

If that means this organization must come to an end, sadly… that is the way it must be. If they choose to operate in a way that protects or promotes criminal sexual abuse of any form, I would PROUDLY hand my Eagle Scout Badge BACK to the BSA before I would support them, and I believe EVERY Eagle Scout would do the SAME.

We must remember… the ABUSED are not the criminals here, the ABUSERS are. There should be NO TIME LIMIT against coming forward. Their stories help us PREVENT future abuse and we should welcome their stories. We must be focused on making sure it cannot happen again.

My Boy Scout Troop dealt with an experience of sexual abuse while I was an active Scout. During one of our monthly camping trips, our newly elected Scout Leader subjected a group of first year Scouts to an “underwear check”. I didn’t attend that camp out… I can’t remember why. I know at the time it was an important reason, but the events of that weekend seem to have overshadowed everything else around it.

As a youth organization, I believe the BSA must address two issues in order to prevent future abuse:

1.) Why did those boys not know that that situation was unacceptable and should have SPOKEN OUT about it immediately?

2.) Why did that boy believe it was possible for him to subject those Scouts to a situation like that without accountability?

Preventing sexual abuse requires SPEAKING about sexual abuse, which naturally means educating kids about what IS and IS NOT acceptable. At such a pivotal point in their development, the BSA should take a more active role in educating Scouts about these things, and clearly define expectations to actively promote a safe environment for all members… parents, volunteers, and Scouts.

Everyone must feel SAFE, and the BSA must create an atmosphere where Scouts feel comfortable SPEAKING OUT when they are not. The experiences of the Boy Scouts are not an isolated incident. Many organizations are beginning to open their eyes to abuse within their ranks, and we are learning that many lives have been affected. Many people live their entire lives without speaking of it… and some are affected by it everyday.

SILENCE will not fix the problem in the future, and it will not help victims heal.

If the goal truly is to protect CHILDREN, then we must give them the TOOLS necessary to someday do so for themselves… they need KNOWLEDGE.

What better group is there to provide that knowledge than the BSA?

Day One

I believe the three previous Administrations overused the power of the Executive Order. Then again, the DEADLOCK in Congress forced their hand in many instances. In others, it was a usurpation of the Checks and Balances of our Constitution, and Congress has been more than happy to rid themselves of the POLITICAL BURDENS of endless war, as well as accountability for their actions.

Bottom line… IT ALL STINKS.

I see the Executive Order as a tool to deliver justice where it is obvious it should be done, and it is clear a court of law would eventually make it so.

The motivation for the President of the United States to issue an Executive Order must ALWAYS come from a desire to protect MORE Liberty for MORE citizens everytime they choose to do so. The beauty of our Constitution can also be its DETRIMENT. Due Process can take many years and ALL are entitled to that process…

And in the mean time, LIVES can be destroyed. Damage caused in people’s lives that can NEVER be undone… needlessly.

That is where the discretion of a LEADER, taking the pen and striking true, SHOULD be used. Never AGAINST, but in the interests OF, and for the sake of the people… especially for those with NO VOICE.

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My first official act in office will be the complete and total criminalization of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in the United States.

A crime punishable by 10 years imprisonment for performing the procedure, subjecting someone to the procedure, or participating in the act of subjecting someone to the procedure.

This will include the “vacation” procedures as well.

The Freedom of Religion, the Freedom of NO RELIGION… the LIBERTY to walk that path and find the TRUTH for yourself… THAT should be a guaranteed right for EVERYONE.

A belief can change. Once subjected to FGM, that can NEVER CHANGE.

So it must end.

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My second act as President will be to end the deployment of Armed Forces at our Southern Border.

The “crisis” is not at the Border. The “crisis” lies within the policies being implemented. The “crisis” is the corruption of our current leadership, and their inability to set aside pasrtisan politics to SOLVE THIS PROBLEM.

I believe we can solve this problem WITHOUT armed, boots-on-the-ground, military force.

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Our Rule of Law is what ensures our Freedom. To ignore injustice when it stares you in the face makes you COMPLICIT. That is why I have taken up the causes of Equal Rights for Women and protecting the Basic Human Rights of Children.

To be SILENT makes us COMPLICIT.

On DAY ONE, Barack Obama signed an Executive Order to Close Guantanamo Bay. EIGHT YEARS LATER he was still trying to get it done… WHY.

I cannot be the Commander-in-Chief of a nation that declares ALL MANKIND is created EQUAL and turn a blind eye to indefinite detention. I cannot turn a blind eye to violations of established international law. Laws forged by our great- and grand-parents at the end of the last World War. Laws that ensured THEIR children’s safety…

We must now re-affirm our commitment to those laws… for OURS.

I will issue an Executive Order closing Guantanamo Bay prison,

ordering all remaining prisoners be given Due Process in the American Justice System; and where the verdict requires, they will be secured within the Department of Corrections at a supermax facility. And if they are found innocent, they will be set free as required by our Constitution… because I believe in our Rule of Law, and I know JUSTICE must prevail.

Included with the closing of Guantanamo, will be the closing of every immigrant holding facility opened since 2016.

All migrants being held MUST be processed appropriately, in the sunlight, with the goal of ensuring individual security and national security, then RELEASED, to be fully processed at a later date.

Let us begin this process, to start the path to citizenship, and begin healing and repairing the damage that has been done.

As a nation, we are STRONGER than the fear and anger that tries to divide us. Walk a mile in their shoes, and consider what YOU would do if this were done to you…
I cannot let it STAND.