Thank You For Your Service.

…

Fifty-fifty… split right down the middle.

The extremes are still extreme. California is still BLUE… Texas is still RED.

There was no Political Earthquake. There was no Political Tsunami… this is our political landscape.

This is the pinnacle of our Political System. This is the BEST it can produce, and this is what it will produce once again in 2024.

Is that the way it should continue to BE?

…

AP reporter: “What will you do differently… between now and 2024?”
President Biden: “Nothing.”

…

…

Is that why you voted this fall, for nothing… for more of the same? Did you cast your vote in celebration of what Democrats have accomplished… with control of the House, the White House, and the Senate?

Joe Biden sure thinks so… and so do his DONORS.

…

Joe Biden stood in the breech, long before the HEROES of the Capitol Police did on January 6. He stood up and faced the metaphorical fight, in HOPE that it might not come to that.

Joe Biden marshaled every tool at his disposal, to secure victory for his Political Party…

…

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/09/nyregion/sean-patrick-maloney-lawler.html

…

A Political Party that now stands in the MINORITY.

…

Just look at how hard we have to VOTE to make sure things stay NORMAL. Never mind moving AHEAD… just fighting to ensure we don’t move BACK. Taking rights AWAY. Denying HALF the people of this Nation access to lifesaving HEALTHCARE.

Joe Biden stood in the BREECH to defend this Union, and we will always be grateful. We will always owe a debt of gratitude to Joe Biden and the Leadership of the Democratic Party… and we thank you for your service.

But I didn’t vote FOR nothing. In fact… that’s exactly what I voted against.

If I wanted NOTHING to change, I would have voted for the Republican Party. But now things have changed. The lives of Women have changed, and they will have to bear the consequences of this election for the next TWO YEARS.

If the Democratic Party isn’t given a reason to change, then they will not change. This fight is no longer theirs… it is OURS.

Every election cannot continue to be THE existential election of our lifetime. It cannot continue like this. The rotational speed of our two-party system has exceeded its limits and the balance has been destroyed. One side is seen as “illegitimate” by the other, and the other side AGREES. It’s the ONE THING we all agree on-

The SYSTEM is the problem.

Everyone agrees. Everyone… except the DONORS.

They’re just fine with the way things are going. Their profits are safe and secure. Let’s just MOVE ON to the next election… $17 BILLION well spent.

…

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/midterm-elections-2022/democrats-republicans-2022-midterms-spending-b2220297.html

…

The Democratic Party did not win this election, yet they are celebrating. As of right now, the Democratic Party still has a slight chance of securing the House Majority… but that’s all they’ve got. 51 Senators does not a MAJORITY make. Therefore, when the gavel changes hands… the agenda will be decided by the GOP.

Can you imagine… running against the agenda of a 20th century dictator… and only BARELY squeaking by? Just like they did in 2020. Just like they did in 2022…

‘Thank god! We only lost the HOUSE!‘

‘This is what The People want. This is what they voted for…‘

‘Time for us to go and work with the GOP.‘

It’s not like the majority of their party supports INSURRECTION or something. Sure would be nice if there was an ongoing Presidential Commission looking into the events of January 6… but unfortunately, that train has already sailed.

…

Just before the election, Jen Psaki was on Deadline: White House, discussing conversations she had with voters in the Suburbs of Detroit. One voter brought up the issues surrounding the 2000 election, and the fact that Democrats feel the same way about the Presidency of George W. Bush as Republicans feel about the Presidency of Joe Biden.

Jen Psaki said that worried her. She was concerned that the narrative surrounding election integrity was starting to spread… as if it were something NEW within the Democratic Party.

I’m not sure if that’s her opinion or if it’s the opinion of the Democratic Party, but it shows us the mindset of Party Leadership… as reflected in the observations of a former White House Press Secretary.

The Leadership of the Democratic Party has no plan to change a system… that works just FINE for them.

The filibuster? The Electoral College? A Woman’s Right to CHOOSE? Yeah, that’s ALL on the ballot. Every election. Every time. It’s always on the line… and if you want things to stay the way that they are, then you’d better DONATE all you can before the NEXT election.

That’s their plan. That’s the way things are. Legislators legislate based on MONEY and the pursuit thereof. Therefore, legislation favors those with MONEY over those WITHOUT.

Is this still a Democracy or is it not?
I believe more participation equals BETTER GOVERNANCE.

…

If the Democratic Party has a PLAN to secure our Democracy, then let them speak it. Now. Before the 2024 campaign begins. In the SUNLIGHT where everyone can see. We cannot afford to go into the fight with the same tired strategies that were employed this time around… just ask Rep Maloney.

Complacency. Insincerity. Political hypocrisy. These are not the values that will secure our Democracy.

Will the Democratic Party RISE to the occasion, or will they continue to cling to the PAST… elevating failed candidates to leadership positions, simply because they raised a BOATLOAD of CASH in the last election…

The People of the United States of America deserve a BETTER WAY.

-JC

A Pyramid Scheme

…

https://theintercept.com/2022/07/29/bank-of-america-worker-conditions-worse/

…

How can this be seen as a viable path toward a stable economic future? Focusing on the financial stability of corporations and financial institutions ensures there will always be something out there for people to BUY… but it doesn’t ensure there will be someone out there able to BUY IT.

Our Government goes to great lengths to ensure financial support for producers and manufacturers, but it often overlooks or is indifferent to the financial needs of the American Working Class.

They’ll step in and take action when the price of GAS or OIL starts to skyrocket, whether they actually have an effect on prices or not; but when people start losing their JOBS due to a pandemic… they hesitate. They drag their feet.

They fail to anticipate or understand the knock-on effects of an event like that. The generational trauma that can result from a family losing it all.

Companies and corporations, they have insurance payouts and golden parachutes. When things go SOUTH, they file for bankruptcy and then try it all over again…

Man, wouldn’t that be nice.

…

https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/08/07/us/climate-tax-deal-vote

…

So, we’re COOL now… right?

See… they’ve been working for the American people all along.

‘Democrats get shit done! This is the People’s Agenda!‘

…

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/04/climate/trump-paris-agreement-climate.html

…

All of it is ‘transitory’… because through all of it, there is no consistency between Administrations. It’s all or nothing. Do or die. What’s done under the leadership of ONE party is immediately undone by the NEXT. And it’s all done in the name of POLITICS.

Our Elected Officials play GAMES… while Americans DIE.

…

https://www.npr.org/2022/08/02/1115325176/pact-act-veterans-burn-pits-toxins-passes-senate

…

Of course they were gonna pass that BILL. C’mon, it’s just POLITICS! They’re not monsters… just Senators. But you see… the problem is though; this is just what we’re able to SEE. Just the TIP. What other practices do they engage in that We, The People, aren’t privileged enough to see?

…

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/08/07/insulin-cap-budget-congress/

…

“Republicans left the portion that applies to Medicare patients untouched but stripped the insulin cap for other patients.”

The ⁦@CDCgov⁩ says 1.6 million Americans live with #T1D.

The @GOP must think those people don’t #VOTE.

FYI… we do.🇺🇸
https://t.co/cW5KzelqkM
— Jack Charbonneau (@MrJLCharbonneau) August 7, 2022

…

**If you’re not a fan of the sausage being made, then maybe we should change the way they make the sausage.**

…

Our Right to LIFE, LIBERTY, and the PURSUIT of HAPPINESS is not transitory. It’s not an entitlement or a government handout… it’s what makes this Nation GREAT.

It’s not the WARS we’ve won.
It’s not the GODS we worship.

It’s the UNALIENABLE RIGHTS that we’ve been given by Our Creator; enshrined in Our Constitution and protected by Our Bill of Rights.

These Rights are UNIVERSAL… regardless of the STATE in which you live.

…

https://www.npr.org/sections/2022-live-primary-election-race-results/2022/08/02/1115317596/kansas-voters-abortion-legal-reject-constitutional-amendment

…

Because it is SELF-EVIDENT.

…

https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2022/05/mitch-mcconnell-acknowledges-a-national-abortion-ban-is-possible-if-roe-is-overturned

…

The most PARTISAN among us should not be allowed to dictate to us which of our Basic Human Rights are acceptable… and which ones are not.

…

https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/kavanaugh-conundrum-trump-s-fbi-grandstanding-highlights-flaw-bureau-s-ncna911991

…

https://www.snopes.com/news/2022/08/04/fbi-kavanaugh-wray-whitehouse/

…

The laws are written to benefit those at the TOP, while the rest of us must work just to get by. There is no SAFETY NET for the majority of this Nation. If we FALL, we fall. We start back at ZERO and pray we will somehow work our way back UP… Golden Parachutes be damned.

The people at the TOP of the pyramid must remember… it’s a long way DOWN without the support of the people at the BASE.

-JC

The Promise of Renewal

What allows the opinion of the MINORITY to rule the day…
It’s nothing more than the appearance of DOUBT.

Another possibility. Alternative facts. That legal grey area… where in one instance, if one person shoots another in the middle of 5th Ave, that person goes to JAIL. But of course… there are some instances where that doesn’t happen.

Because the shooter has a BADGE and LEGAL AUTHORITY.
Those people… they get TIME OFF.

With pay.

…

https://www.vox.com/2022/7/7/23197430/jayland-walker-police-shooting-akron-ohio-footage

…

I’m not a Branding Expert. I’m not a Media Guru or a Messaging Consultant.
I’m not an expert, period. Always a student… never the teacher.

But THIS? This is a branding exercise… this is a message.
When you see this, you know what it’s about.

…

https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/05/us/jayland-walker-handcuffed-autopsy-report/index.html

…

That didn’t just happen. That wasn’t an accident. That wasn’t done out of fear for the safety of others. There was no judge. There was no jury.

There was no Enforcement of LAW… just an execution.
No one to hold accountable for their crime, and no one held to account.

Has anyone stopped and considered the consequences of our just carrying on like nothing ever happened? You know, back to business as usual. Nothing to see here! Just move along to the next shiny object…

Never mind that gaping WOUND we’re walking around with… the soft underbelly exposed for all to see.

…

Why does our Democracy STILL STAND?

Because there was someone there, to PUSH BACK against the depravity. To uphold Righteous Values. Because evil prevails when men of HONOR stand silent… and this Nation is worthy, of every ounce of effort called for in this moment.

To be SILENT is to be COMPLICIT in Her demise.

…

Every year we till the fields, in anticipation of the bounty we will receive. With patients and practice, our gifts continue to grow. Our work only rewarded once the harvest is done.

Every year we toil and every SPRING we start anew, but every year brings with it new challenges. In the blink of an eye, our hard work can be washed away or left to whither… all dependent upon the desires of the STORM.

But every year regardless of the outcome… if we CHOOSE to start anew… our fields must be cleared, the remains turned back into the soil. With hope that someday… maybe this year… our bounty and our harvest will only GROW.

I believe in the Promise of Renewal.
I believe in the Infinite Potential of what might BE.

I long for our FUTURE with the same nostalgic passions, that some people harbor for our PAST. Our Better Days may still be ahead of us, but I question embracing a strategy of inaction, as the means of making it come to be. Watching. As TIME passes… just hoping someday, those dreams might become reality.

…

It’s one of the fundamental laws that govern our physical reality. The pendulum will swing TRUE… because it must. That energy doesn’t just go away. It remains. It must be released. Like a hammer striking chisel or a sledge raining down destructive blows… that choice is always OURS.

**The American People retain the POWER to do BOTH.**

-JC

Variations On a Theme: D.S. al finé

…

IF I were to sit down and think about it hard enough… I’ll bet I could come up with a list of at least 100 reasons why I cannot vote for anyone running as a Republican this fall. Chief among them, the delegitimization of the Office of President of the United States.

Because of that, they delegitimize the continued relevance of their own Political Party… so I will vote accordingly.

…

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/04/14/rnc-debates-commission/

…

On the flip side of that, right now I can’t seem to come up with a list of 10 reasons why I should vote FOR the Democratic Party. Yes, the GOP is running on NO national agenda, other than to OPPOSE. Their dog whistles have now become blow horns. They champion causes that disturb the MAJORITY of Americans and they slow any attempt to further the causes of Social Justice and Equality, even as their party holds a MINORITY in Congress.

The Democrats can’t protect a Woman’s Right to CHOOSE. The Democrats can’t protect our Right to VOTE. A Police Officer murdered a man with his knee while he had his HANDS in his pockets… yet the Democratic Party can’t pass a Justice Reform Bill that has that man’s name on it.

ONE PARTY is doing everything they can to roll back the clock, denying us that More Perfect Union, while the OTHER PARTY can’t seem to tie their OWN SHOES. And when they lose this fall, they’ll say it’s all OUR fault… THE VOTERS.

…

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

…

I guess they’ll have to spend more MONEY on “voter education” next time around.

…

I have no desire to vote FOR the Democratic Party. They have NO AGENDA. No message. No unifying principle that defines who they are… other than pleasing their DONORS at all cost… and yet somehow they say, it’s not THEIR fault.

It’s the VOTERS’ fault.

Yes, it is the voters’ fault… because we’ve allowed this BS to go on for way too long. The charade is UP. The jig is OVER… the “BIG LIE” walks hand-in-hand with the “BIG GRIFT” and we are ALL being taken for a RIDE.

The Democratic Party has become the Neville Chamberlain to the Republican Party’s Adolph Hitler. The President continues to seek bipartisan solutions to problems caused by the OTHER PARTY… while the other party won’t even recognize him as the legitimate President of the United States.

And why do we feel like it’s all our fault? WE VOTED! Just like they told us to.

But it always seems just out of reach… ‘Not this election, but the NEXT! Next time, with YOUR HELP… your financial support… we’ll get this DONE!’

… tick tock tick tock…

Time passes, and the narrative rolls along.

The conversation moves on, and the crisis de jure dominates the front page. War. Terrorism. Climate change. Inflation. Jobs. Jobs. Jobs…

Same as it ever was. Same as it ever was.

The People haven’t moved on… the Politicians have. Leaving in their wake a mountain of DEBT. A heaping PILE of unfinished business and unresolved problems, many of which they’ve raised MONEY on while they were in office.

Don’t talk to me about being a PRO-CHOICE party if you can’t pass a bill protecting a Woman’s Right to Choose. If the ACA can continue to STAND because it’s seen as Congress exercising its power to levy TAXES, then there must be a legislative path forward that will secure the support of all 50 Democratic Senators.

Yet one Senator still stands opposed.

And NO ONE seems surprised! He’s just doing what his “constituents” want him to do. He works for the people he represents… THE DONORS.

…

Women are the MAJORITY in West Virginia Senator…

STAND UP for the rights of your constituents.📢⚖️🙌 #RoeVWade #AbortionIsHealthcare #MenForERA #ERANow #CEDAW pic.twitter.com/2BIi8C8t7A

— Jack Charbonneau (@MrJLCharbonneau) May 11, 2022

…

https://www.vice.com/en/article/jgmwqp/greg-abbott-baby-formula

…

This isn’t a story of US vs THEM. This is a story of preparedness. This is a story of an inability to anticipate the consequences of enforcement of rules and regulations. This is a story about the real-life impact bad government has on ALL our lives.

This is a story demonstrating how incompetent our government has become, as they can’t even get the SIMPLE THINGS right.

It’s as if we must TEACH our government how to WALK all over again.

I can SEE the problem, just as clearly as everyone else. We’re stuck with no alternatives. BOTH parties contributed to this crisis… and it’s not as if this crisis couldn’t have been anticipated.

It was the Federal Government that enforced the law, shutting down that producer. It was the Federal Government that failed to anticipate the downstream impact of shutting down only ONE PRODUCER… knowing that they produce 1/3 of our domestic supply of formula.

And it was the Federal Government that crafted the legislation, that turned a BLIND EYE to the rise of a monopolistic takeover of our FOOD SUPPLY.

From the FIELD to the TABLE. Every aspect of our agricultural industries, from production to logistics has been SLIMMED DOWN. Cutting the FAT. Leaving more meat on the BONE at the end of the day… for less mouths.

…

https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/news/investigations/2020/03/09/climate-tariffs-debt-and-isolation-drive-some-farmers-suicide/4955865002/

…

All we have to do is read the news and everyone can SEE it. It should have been a Presidential priority from DAY ONE. Where’s the Democratic Party? Where’s the party that supposedly represents our FARMERS… the GOP?

IF we assume that our legislators work for the DONORS, then it is clear that they are getting exactly what they want.

…

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/12/us/politics/meatpackers-trump-covid.html

…

One party is BEHOLDEN to the DONORS while the OTHER party is hesitant to ACT, because it might scare away their DONORS… and that’s why nothing gets done.

They can’t FUNDRAISE on a problem that’s already been SOLVED.

…

Madam Speaker, @amazon has a plan for women who will be effected by this decision… they’re not waiting til Nov.

In 2018, this issue gave you the gavel.
In 2020, this issue gave your party the hat trick.

In 2022… your party needs to EARN our #vote.🎯 #ERANow📢⚖️🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/Wqvry7UJ5C

— Jack Charbonneau (@MrJLCharbonneau) May 6, 2022

…

Our two-party system is now BROKEN, and the parties will not seek to reform themselves. They continue to thrive on the dysfunction. They’ve become masters of the GAME they’ve created… and the losers of past political contests become the LEADERS of their party.

…

@3:58 in the video: “I know folks- Republicans, Democrats, Independents; purple people, blue people, white people…”

…

And why is that? Because he raised a massive amount of MONEY.

…

https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/11/politics/jaime-harrison-fundraising-record-south-carolina-senate-race/index.html

…

In my experience… the phrase ‘purple people’ is a dog whistle.
I can now see why he lost.

…

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/06/27/harris-attacks-bidens-record-on-busing-and-working-with-segregationists.html

…

… be sure and “Get out the VOTE” this fall.

…

And so now we’ve come ‘round FULL CIRCLE. It was the ultimate catalyst that drove me to start my political endeavor back in February 2018, and the crisis continues to this day… unchanged.

…

https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/15/us/buffalo-supermarket-shooting-sunday/index.html

…

And it’s all like variations on a theme… I swear I’ve heard this song before. The People demand it with their VOTE, but after the election the conversation starts to change.

The answers we seek as a Nation can be found… but only if we stand UNITED. As EQUALS. MY rights are not secure unless YOUR rights are secure. My Liberty is not secure unless your Liberty is secure as well…

And right now, neither Political Party is doing what’s necessary to secure our Democracy.

…

That needs to change.

-JC

Insert Issue HERE ______ .

…

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/11/26/kevin-strickland-gofundme-donations/

…

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.

On this ideal we stand UNITED.

…

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

…

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.

…

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.

…

https://apnews.com/article/fact-checking-160551360299

…

https://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/Is-shoplifting-forcing-Walgreens-to-cut-back-in-16536960.php

…

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.

…

https://www.archdaily.com/972133/lehrer-architects-designs-new-tiny-home-villages-for-homeless-residents-in-los-angeles

…

… it’s not a permanent solution, but it is a good start.

The answers we seek already exist. We’re being presented with what’s leftover… only after it’s been approved of by the DONORS.

…

…

Explains why Democrats could only get HALF their agenda passed.

…

https://nypost.com/2021/11/11/manchin-against-tax-credits-for-union-made-electric-vehicles/

…

https://www.axios.com/manchin-senate-spending-biden-87a445c2-cfdf-4bba-bc20-dd62db2a613a.html

…

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/manchin-dems-2t-bill-faces-senate-gauntlet-81366189

…

https://www.dailyposter.com/pharma-front-group-has-spent-1-2-million-backing-sinema/

…

**Insert issue HERE _____.**

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.

…

http://www.immigrationimpact.com/2018/08/28/john-mccain-legacy-immigration/#.YaQWCi9MEgo

http://www.vox.com/2020/10/22/21529710/trump-debate-family-separations

…

http://www.politico.com/story/2019/08/21/federal-scientists-opioid-crisis-1673694

http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/americas-heroin-epidemic/drug-overdose-deaths-rise-dramatically-places-president-trump-calls-home-n810186

…

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_of_Eric_Garner

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_George_Floyd

…

http://www.thehill.com/homenews/senate/454742-mcconnell-blocks-two-election-security-bills

http://www.cnn.com/2020/12/16/politics/mitch-mcconnell-donald-trump-election-fraud/index.html

…

… and the struggle marches ON.

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.

…

“An error doesn’t become a mistake, until we refuse to correct it.”
-John F. Kennedy

…

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.

…