The Future

It’s done. The END is in sight. This week I received my first Moderna shot and in a couple more weeks I’ll get my second.

Get the SHOT… and let’s get Back to WORK.

Vaccines SAVE LIVES.
They save YOUR life.
They save NURSES’ lives…
They save AMERICAN LIVES.

A fully vaccinated American Workforce is the ONE sure path back to economic stability at home and economic dominance abroad. We must all do our part. As President Carter said: “It’s up to YOU.”

This is how our government SHOULD function. This is what Leadership is all about! The accomplishments of this Administration should be remembered as extraordinary, for sure… but they must also be remembered as standard. As normal. As the benchmark by which we will compare all future Administrations.

This is how the Executive Branch of our government should function by default.

…

Yet some elected officials still believe we should have listened to the previous Administration.

March 26, 2021… We haven’t even gone SIX MONTHS, and what he did in the aftermath of the 2020 election is now LEGAL in the Great State of Georgia.

CUE: Some future Georgia Secretary of State–

“Upon further review, at the urging of our President, this office has recalculated the votes and indeed…

We’ve found 11,780 votes that were cast in-error.”

God bless the United States of America.

We no longer need to DEBATE. We no longer need to raise counterpoints to their legislation. The States will decide who’s votes COUNT and who’s do NOT…

Don’t worry… everything’s under control!
Just turn off the TV and go back to sleep.

Because of the position they have taken as a PARTY, I will not support or encourage anyone to support, ANY candidate who is endorsed by the GOP or adheres to their Party Line. And because of that fact, there is only ONE viable choice in a TWO PARTY SYSTEM…

The system is Broken.
The American People need a FRESH START.

When we are forced to pick a candidate because there is NO ALTERNATIVE, we become vulnerable. Our National Security is compromised. ONE PARTY supports SUPPRESSING the vote, while the OTHER PARTY appears POWERLESS to stop them, even as they hold a MAJORITY in both chambers.

They are doing exactly what their constituents want them to do, and I’m not talking about VOTERS here…

They work for the DONORS.💰💰💰

And what will they say, after they’ve pushed their case as far as legally possible, and possibly further… ‘We need to come together and not make this all about POLITICS.’

Besides that… what’s the alternative.

“There are GRAVE RISKS associated with eliminating the filibuster… just so you know. Because when we’re in the minority which eventually does happen, the issues that we care most about will be harmed.”

— Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Deadline: White House, MSNBC. (03/25/2021)

We can’t do it. Because if we DID do it, they might take it away… but we COULD do it, though. But only for special occasions. And only if you ask us REALLY, REALLY nicely. If NOT, a Senator might not get re-elected…

… you wouldn’t want that to happen now, would ya’?

I don’t think anyone wants to see Joe Manchin cry again.

Eliminating the filibuster would make them bear RESPONSIBILITY for their ACTIONS. It would force them to WORK and be held accountable for their legislation. They would have the ability to ACT instead of dodging and passing the BUCK onto the White House. Whether intentional or not, the obvious fact that their actions have benefited our foreign adversaries should not be overlooked.

For four years, President Trump made the Office LOOK weak, while Leader McConnell’s intentional inaction MADE the Senate weak. They’ve BOTH made the Judiciary weak, by dragging out court cases seeking testimony and evidence for YEARS without a conclusion. Then, when crisis comes…

We are adrift, lost in a sea of corruption. Navel-gazing… looking for someone ELSE to blame.

… but DON’T WORRY! The Midterm Elections are just a few short months away! Be sure to DONATE your MONEY to the candidate who will do ALMOST anything to get RE-ELECTED… oops! I mean get things DONE for their constituents!

They are holding our potential future HOSTAGE for their political careers.

…

Your VOICE makes a difference… use it. To be SILENT is to be COMPLICIT. But be warned, in this moment if you are silent, it will speak LOUDER than it had once before. Whether this Nation stands or falls, one day it will be asked… Where did YOU stand?

… and what will you say.

-JC

… where did you STAND?

Well good… now that THAT’S over with. I guess we can all move on.
Now that everything’s settled.
Now that everyone’s reached some kind of definitive conclusion.

Some may see things differently than others. Some may disagree completely on what is FACT and what is not. Unfortunately, no matter how you see things, I think we can all agree that there’s no good news to report from our recent PAST. But, things are looking good for our future… that’s if we are willing to learn from our mistakes.

Because it’s on full display! Right NOW, upon the World Stage… HYPOCRISY! In the United States Senate. Evidence, if presented in any other Federal Courtroom would lead to conviction… dismissed and IGNORED by our Elected Officials.

It must be nice to have a Senator in your pocket.

… but that sort of thing doesn’t happen in my daily life.

If I break the law, or one of my friends or a family member were to act in such a way… there’s no special consideration given to that situation. There is no Gang of Eight who will attempt to sway opinion by withholding evidence or testimony in that case… the Wheels of Justice simply turn.

… and oh, isn’t it sad. Isn’t it a shame. Another life wasted, fallen to a life of crime. Another criminal behind BARS, another perp off the street…

Who ARE these people?! Ye, GODS amongst Men? How is this even close to being Representative of our NATION, of our DAILY LIVES?

This is the Vision of Governance they wish to see.
This is Justice, in the eyes of our Elected Officials.

Who’s interests do they REPRESENT.

…

This is the road they have paved. Through their actions, by their VOTE. They have affirmed this action. This is not a conclusion to anything… it’s now complete. The Leader of the Republican Party for the foreseeable future will be Donald J. Trump. Everyone needs to understand and prepare for that.

Be it two years, be it four years. Even if it is eight years from now, eventually this question will be raised again. This is not the time to be SILENT. The defense of Democracy means we must act. If we do nothing, THIS is what it will continue to BE!

Fix the gerrymandering, secure the right to vote for ALL Americans, secure our elections from foreign interference, yes to all of it! But at the heart of it all, we’re still securing and defending the same old broken electoral system, that allows us the privilege of choosing between the candidates the DONORS have deemed acceptable.

Government by the dollar. Justice to the highest bidder.

… we all know what the problem is.

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.

…

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

50/50

That was the vote in the Virginia House of Delegates on February 21, 2019, on a proposed rule change that would have forced a vote on ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment…

… it failed.

speaker_cox_3 — Kirk Cox, FRM Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates

A bill supported by over 80% of the people of Virginia. It would have PASSED had a vote been allowed… but it wasn’t even allowed out of committee.

ONE YEAR LATER, after the delegates were held accountable at the ballot box for their INACTION in the legislature, Virginia voted to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment, thereby meeting the Constitutionally required threshold of 38 States.

Just last month, the United States House of Representatives voted to clear the way for final ratification by removing the original deadline, and now…

ONE MAN, in the United States Senate stands OPPOSED.

While it was shocking to see the Virginia Speaker of the House deny equality to more than HALF of his constituents, it was even more shocking to see the Democratic Presidential Candidates stand SILENT as it played out. FIVE WOMEN. 37 States. Only one more to go…

What a lost opportunity to educate the public… about Equality and the legislative process. About Income Inequality and Economic Disadvantage.

A lost opportunity to bring us closer to that more perfect Union.

“ERA bill dies for good…” -Washington Post (02/21/2019)

I have NO DOUBT that if the Democratic Women running for President would have stood on the steps of the Virginia Statehouse in solidarity with the ERA activists, they would have swayed ONE MORE VOTE. With the national media bringing SUNLIGHT to the situation, we would now be standing one year CLOSER to equality.

Then again… we would STILL be standing right HERE, no closer than we are TODAY.

The Majority Leader of the United States Senate does NOT support equality.

The Majority Leader of the United States Senate stands OPPOSED to the MAJORITY of this nation.

The Senate Majority Leader is opposed to the Rule of Law, as conceived by the Founders of this nation, and will not move to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment.

38 of the 50 States… 76% of this nation now DEMANDS it.

It does not matter his rationale, the PEOPLE have spoken.
Equality should be the Law of this land.

The Senate must Ratify the ERA.

When storms rage, you cannot simply seek SAFE HARBOR, as your ship will be smashed upon the shore. You must sail headlong into the winds and face it, with full faith in the strength of your ship & its crew… and press ONWARD. Even if that means just treading water, because the alternative…

… well, the alternative is no alternative at ALL.

In years past, leaders have spoken of the ‘Fog of War’. In this digital era with the adversary we are engaged with, the entire WAR is FOG. There is no battle. There are no physical sides being drawn.

When we forget who we are, and what we STAND for… our enemies win. When we begin to selectively administer Justice and forget that we are ALL created equal, we FALL BACK… being pushed closer to the rocky shores of our PAST.

We know where we have BEEN. We must remember where we are GOING.

Well-trodden paths are safe and familiar, but they will only lead us to where we’ve been… back to where we are TODAY. Even in the dark of night, even in the deepest fog… we know our path is TRUE when we listen to our moral compass, as it always points us HOME.

We cannot allow ourselves to be complacent. We must fight to hold on to what we’ve already secured. The Constitution outlines a process for RATIFYING Amendments to the Constitution, it does NOT outline a process where ONE MAN can override the overwhelming majority of the PEOPLE.

Anyone who stands opposed to the opinion of 76% of this nation, should not be referred to as Majority Leader… and this fall, the PEOPLE will show him that.

Equal. MUST. Mean. Equal… or we will lose this fight before it’s even begun.

The Eye of the Storm

THIS is how it begins. Someone takes a STAND. One soul brings forth from the ether, a vision of something not seen before. How or where it comes from… religions are established to investigate such thoughts! But once it appears, it brings joy and excitement, and an unstoppable passion to give it LIFE, to share that joy with all who will listen.

I never considered that it was possible to do such things for the benefit of my country, as opposed to creating the merely decorative or aesthetic. Being a writer and composer is similar to that of someone who earns their degree in the History of English Literature… That’s great, but what do you DO for a living? Every artist is in search of their fifteen minuets of fame… but now, the artist realizes the very canvas upon which he creates, is threatened by what we see.

That which was unimaginable just a handful of years ago, feels closer than ever before. What once was brewing “over there”, now comes ashore, imported and repackaged, FOR SALE here in our own backyard. The HISTORY of those who fled, seeking SAFE HARBOR on our shores, now gives pause to their grandchildren, forcing them to consider doing the SAME…

As the Light of Liberty has begun to turn against them.

Our HISTORY has not changed, yet it is being rewritten as we speak. The lessons we have learned from our great- and grand-parents, flies in the face of “truths” being sold to us today. Wrapping them in the flag, embracing ideals espoused by regimes who have, in the past… done exactly the same.

Illegal actions undertaken by ONE MAN can be corrected, they can be forgiven. They can be seen as an example, taught to others as a lesson of what we should not do. Once those actions become certified, given approval and allowed ascent by the highest legislative body in the land, they will become CANON.

Through active affirmation… OR passive SILENCE.

Let our arguments STAND or FALL on their merits! No one’s position is so strong that it should not be challenged in open debate. An innocent man does not FEAR the facts… he EMBRACES them. He DEMANDS them. And he is outraged when he is denied them.

There is NO HONOR in SILENCE.

The hard part has already been done, over 200 years ago. So that their children may have the right to study painting, poetry, and music. TODAY it is entrusted to us. Shall we do the SAME… or will ours be the LAST?

CAST ASIDE ALL DOUBT! Let the principles of our forefathers guide us now. In these days of historical gravity we must walk with sure footing, as we will surely leave precedent-setting steps. What will we leave behind? Will they remember, IN HONOR, our words and our deeds? Or will they be remembered in disgrace… will they even be remembered at all?

If not for ourselves, if not for our children and those of others, then for whom? As we make our STAND here inside the eye, we can find the answers within the CALM… as we brace for the inevitable conclusion of this STORM.

Tomb of the unknown soldier Arlington cemetary with honour guard marching

ARLINGTON, VA – MAY 27: Mary McHugh mourns her dead fiance Sgt. James Regan at “Section 60” of the Arlington National Cemetery May 27, 2007. Regan, an American Special Forces soldier, was killed by an IED explosion in Iraq in February of this year, and this was the first time McHugh had visited the grave since the funeral. Section 60, the newest portion of the vast national cemetery on the outskirts of Washington D.C, contains hundreds of U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Family members of slain American soldiers have flown in from across the country for Memorial Day. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Mary McHugh

Will our actions stand to honor THEM?

Would our decisions in this moment, ever be seen as so honorable they could be remembered in the same LIGHT as theirs?

Is ours a future of Liberty or of Oppression? Will this be a Nation of Justice or of SILENCE? The Politics of FEAR and DIVISION must end if we are to succeed! In-congress, incongruent, yet indivisible, we STAND… these, the UNITED States.

… with Liberty and justice for ALL.

The eyes of the Nation focus on our Senate. The Nations of the World STAND and listen. In the balance we are, being weighed against ALL TIME. At stake is nothing short of the LIGHT for which our Liberty STANDS…

The HOPE and PROMISE of Equal Justice Under Law.

It is not OURS to do with as we wish… nor should we ever be so ignorant to believe that we could.

It is for THE PEOPLE. May it be so for all time.

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