Friday, October 30, 2015

2 Paragraphs 4 Liberty: #21 “Liberty and Media Responsibility”

hqdefault                  This past month has witnessed yet two more senseless and horrific shootings, this time in Charleston, South Carolina. As a result, we have seen the alleged killer’s name and picture featured prominently in newspapers and the electronic media – thus glorifying his deeds and, in many ways, encouraging other demented people to follow his lead so they too can achieve this notoriety. But by doing this, the media is being irresponsible! I hope that after receiving the prior 20 editions of this “2 Paragraphs 4 Liberty” you understand that censoring the ability of the media to publish and broadcast in this fashion would be a violation of Liberty. But Libertarian Liberty also entails being responsible. So we must all take it upon ourselves openly to chastise and criticize this irresponsible journalism.

Many years ago several newspapers irresponsibly published a picture of then President Jimmy Carter as he put on a bulletproof vest. Of course, that simply sent a message to would-be assassins that they should shoot him in the head. Similarly, glorifying any of these past or present misguided people (I refuse to use their names), and making them into household words, directly encourages others to follow their lead. We all should do our part to stop this practice. Instead, journalists should simply label them as the shooter, or the demented killer, and leave their names and photographs out. That is what responsibility, and Liberty, demand! Help us make it so.

Judge Jim Gray (Ret.)

Please forward this on to your circle of friends for their consideration.  And by the way, now I am on Facebook at Facebook at http://ift.tt/1KPuMEA, LinkedIn at http://ift.tt/1cAMtZD, and Twitter with username as @JudgeJimGrayOAI, or twitter.com/JudgeJimGrayOAI.  Please visit these sites, and pass them along to your social world.

If you wish to unsubscribe, please let your sender know, and it will be done.

And feedback is always welcome!




from WordPress http://ift.tt/1kYA7zt
via IFTTT

Thursday, October 22, 2015

2 Paragraphs 4 Liberty: #20 “Eschew Mediocrity, Pursue Excellence”

7357379_origInstead of our normal 2 Paragraphs, this week I am forwarding to you a copy of a column I published on Thursday, June 4, 2015 in Costa Mesa’s Daily Pilot.  Hope you like it, and if you do, please forward to your e world.

JJG

There is a great musical by Steven Sondheim entitled “Into the Woods.”  If you haven’t seen it, I hope you do soon.  This wonderful work combines several fairy stories like “Little Red Riding Hood,” “Jack in the Beanstalk,” and “Cinderella,” and sets them up so that the characters have to go into the woods to resolve their problems so that they can “live happily ever after.”  And that is what happens in the first act.  But in the second act, the theme becomes “be careful what you wish for,” because unanticipated things can go wrong.  For example, in the best line of the play, when Cinderella confronts Prince Charming for being unfaithful to her, he responds “I was raised to be charming, not sincere.”

But one of the last songs in the show is “Children Will Listen,” and there is a universal lesson in it.  So the old “Do as I say, not as I do” is shown not to work, because children will listen and children will be guided by what you actually do.  In other words, as parents, attorneys, judges or anyone else, integrity is our strongest asset.  That means that if we cheat on our income taxes, accept being paid too much change at the market checkout counter, or tell falsehoods to our friends about social obligations, it is likely that this is the way our children will learn to behave.

The great UCLA basketball coach John Wooden said that character is how we act when no one else is watching.  Of course, we ourselves will know, and probably so will our children as well.  So how can we make ourselves and our world better?  We can do our human best to act with integrity.  In addition, we should eschew mediocrity, and instead always pursue excellence in ourselves, as well as in our children, students, colleagues and employees.

And it also means that each one of us should strive as often as reasonably possible to “make the system work.”  For example, if we see a government official or anyone else wrongly treating people who cannot speak up for themselves, we should do it for them.  Why?  Because when it comes down to it, in a democracy, it is our government and our way of life, and if it isn’t working we have no one to blame but ourselves.

But let me also make two further recommendations before you go out to change the world.  The first is to be selective in the battles you choose to wage.  For example, if you go around the table with great fanfare at a friend’s dinner party and move the desert fork from the right side to the left so that it comports with the dictates of Emily Post, you will probably find that you are not invited back to dinner parties very often.  And second, be governed by the motto of Davey Crockett that was set forth in Walt Disney’s 1950s fantasized story about his life, which supposedly was “Be sure you’re right, then go ahead.”

Back in 1992 when I took a public stand against our nation’s failed and hopeless policy of Drug Prohibition, I was sure I was right, so I went forward.   But before you have your “Braveheart” moment, whether it be in favor of the ability of parents to choose where and how the government money is to be spent for the education of their children, or whether our healthcare system should be run by us or by the equivalent of the local department of motor vehicles, or whether actively to support programs of performing arts in your children’s school, I recommend you keep those two recommendations in mind.

Each one of us has it within ourselves, in our own way, to be a leader by eschewing mediocrity and pursuing excellence, and by making the system to work.  And – each time – it matters!  Why?  Because children will listen; children will see; and children will be inspired.  And so will most other people throughout our communities – and our nation.

James P. Gray is a retired judge of the Orange County Superior Court, a private mediator and arbitrator with ADR Services, Inc., the author of “Wearing the Robe: the Art and Responsibilities of Judging in Today’s Courts” (Square One Press, 2009), and the 2012 Libertarian candidate for Vice President, along with Governor Gary Johnson as the candidate for President.

Please forward this on to your circle of friends for their consideration.  And by the way, now I am on Facebook at Facebook at http://ift.tt/1KPuMEA, LinkedIn at http://ift.tt/1cAMtZD, and Twitter with username as @JudgeJimGrayOAI, or twitter.com/JudgeJimGrayOAI.  Please visit these sites, and pass them along to your social world.

If you wish to unsubscribe, please let your sender know, and it will be done.

And feedback is always welcome!




from WordPress http://ift.tt/1hZhsRO
via IFTTT

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

2 Paragraphs 4 Liberty: #19 “Liberty vs. the Drug War”

images                  By now you have probably heard numerous arguments in favor of or against our nation’s policy of Drug Prohibition, and you also probably know that I have called this approach the biggest failed policy in our nation’s history, second only to slavery. But putting aside the practical failures, the policy of Drug Prohibition also results in a huge deprivation of Liberty. Why? Because the government has as much of a right to dictate to adults what they can put into their bodies, as it does what they put into their minds. When it comes down to it, it is the same thing, and Liberty dictates that this should be a choice adults should be able to make.

Thus it makes as much sense to put that gifted actor Robert Downey, Jr. in jail for his past heroin usage as it would have Betty Ford in jail for her use of alcohol. It is none of the government’s business, although it certainly could be an issue for those people’s healthcare professionals. However, if Robert Downey, Jr., Betty Ford or you or I drive a motor vehicle while impaired by any of these mind-altering and sometimes addicting drugs (including alchol), that is and should be a crime. What is the difference? Now by our actions we would be putting the safety of other people at risk. And the Criminal Justice System is not only designed for, it is also good at holding people accountable for their actions. So, once again, Liberty not only is effective in principle, it is also effective in a practical way as well.

(Next week: Make the System Work)

Judge Jim Gray (Ret.)

Please forward this on to your circle of friends for their consideration.  And by the way, now I am on Facebook at Facebook at http://ift.tt/1KPuMEA, LinkedIn at http://ift.tt/1cAMtZD, and Twitter with username as @JudgeJimGrayOAI, or twitter.com/JudgeJimGrayOAI.  Please visit these sites, and pass them along to your social world.

If you wish to unsubscribe, please let your sender know, and it will be done.

And feedback is always welcome!




from WordPress http://ift.tt/1RX23P8
via IFTTT

Tuesday, October 13, 2015

2 Paragraphs 4 Liberty: #18 “Liberty and Healthcare”

Judge1When I was growing up in the 1950s and middle 60s, it was not even a topic of conversation that people could not get quality healthcare for reasonable and competitive prices. And we had all of the Emergency Rooms we needed. But that is obviously not true today. Why? Because in the middle 1960s the government began its significant intrusions into the healthcare area, and with every increase, the system has demonstrably gotten worse. If you want your healthcare to be overseen by the equivalence of your local department of motor vehicles,that is where we are going.

But today there are two areas in which all of us can still obtain quality healthcare for reasonable and competitive prices. Where? Lasik eye surgery and cosmetic surgery. Why? Because they are not controlled by the government. We all have seen the advertisements: “Come to Dr. Jones. I have done this surgery 10,000 times, and I will give you great results along with an attractive payment plan.” So once again, Liberty for both the consumer and the provider to be able to make their choices independent of government dictates brings the best results. Thus people who can take care of their own healthcare needs should be empowered to have medical savings accounts, which they can use both to pay for their normal healthcare needs, as well as their purchase of catastrophic medical insurance. And those who need some help can be provided with an insurance voucher which they can use on the private market to purchase their own healthcare insurance. Getting the government out of our healthcare and bringing back Liberty of choice will bring back excellence to our healthcare system.

(Next week: Liberty vs. the Drug War)

Judge Jim Gray (Ret.)

Please forward this on to your circle of friends for their consideration.  And by the way, now I am on Facebook at Facebook at http://ift.tt/1KPuMEA, LinkedIn at http://ift.tt/1cAMtZD, and Twitter with username as @JudgeJimGrayOAI, or twitter.com/JudgeJimGrayOAI.  Please visit these sites, and pass them along to your social world.

If you wish to unsubscribe, please let your sender know, and it will be done.

And feedback is always welcome!




from WordPress http://ift.tt/1PeHX48
via IFTTT

Sunday, October 11, 2015

2 Paragraphs 4 Liberty: #17 “Is This A Failure of Liberty?”

0                  Have you noticed? Many of our colleges and even high schools are getting away from the teaching of marketable skills, and instead are focusing upon studies like multiculturalism, social justice and other debatable subjects. Unfortunately, these classes actually train our students to be able to do virtually nothing. (And then we wonder why many of them are not able to get jobs.)   Of course, these classes would not be offered unless the students were “buying” them. So is this a failure of Liberty, because the free choice of the students is leading them into unemployment and frustration? No, the concept of Liberty includes being responsible for our choices. So if people choose poorly that is their responsibility, and they must live with the consequences.

If you think about it, there really can be no other way. As an example, some laboratory studies train rats by providing a pellet of food to them each time they turn on a light switch. This works fine for the rats, but only as long as they stay in the lab. Similarly, rewarding students for getting good grades in dead end courses of study in college “labs” is also fine – until the students get out of school. But the real world is not like that. So the fault is with the students (and their mentors!) for not realizing they are making poor choices at the time they are making them. Liberty isn’t heartless, it simply encourages us to face reality.

(Next week: Liberty and Healthcare)

Judge Jim Gray (Ret.)

BTW This particular column was inspired by David Mamet’s The Secret Knowledge: On the Dismantling of American Culture (Sentinel, 2011), which was given to me by two of my great friends. (Thank you!) And I strongly recommend the book to all of you!

Please forward this on to your circle of friends for their consideration.  And by the way, now I am on Facebook at Facebook at http://ift.tt/1KPuMEA, LinkedIn at http://ift.tt/1cAMtZD, and Twitter with username as @JudgeJimGrayOAI, or twitter.com/JudgeJimGrayOAI.  Please visit these sites, and pass them along to your social world.

If you wish to unsubscribe, please let your sender know, and it will be done.                                          And feedback is always welcome!




from WordPress http://ift.tt/1MmgEPn
via IFTTT

Wednesday, October 7, 2015

2 Paragraphs 4 Liberty: #16 “The Common Thread: Liberty”

JudgeJimGray_W141THE COMMON THREAD: LIBERTY

The one common thread throughout our history that has been the link to progress and prosperity is Liberty.  Not only is Liberty the soul of our country, it has been largely responsible for most of our commercial, social and artistic successes.  And in large part Liberty is the answer to most problems that are still facing us today.  For example, please reflect upon the following.

Education: In places where parents have had the Liberty to choose where and how the government’s money would be spent in educating their children, they have demanded – and received – excellence!  How was this done?  They were able, in places like Milwaukee, to choose their children’s schools on the open market, and this promoted competition among all schools, whether they were public, private, military, vocational or religious schools.  And that competition resulted in excellence in education.

Healthcare:  In the 1950s and 60s, before government intruded heavily into the system, we had the best healthcare system in the world.  Back then it was not even a topic of conversation that people could not find good quality healthcare for reasonable and competitive prices – and we had all of the emergency rooms we needed.  But ever since 1965, when the government began its major intrusions, the healthcare system has transparently become worse.  So how do we get our prior excellence back?  A combination of medical savings accounts, for those who can take care of their own healthcare needs, and coupons that can be used to purchase medical insurance of their choice on the open market, for those who need some help.  This still provides an important safety net, but also gets the government out of decisions about availability of healthcare services and prices.  For example, today there are still two areas in which customer/patients can receive good quality medical services for reasonable and competitive prices.  What are they?  Lasik eye surgery and cosmetic surgery.  Why?  Because the government is not involved.  We can reclaim the same for the rest of our medical system, if we again bring back Liberty and competition.

Free Trade:  Our Founding Fathers showed great insight in prohibiting states from establishing trade barriers among themselves.  Can you imagine how prosperity would have been limited had this not been the case?  The same principle applies to trade among countries.  If there were Liberty in trade, each country could emphasize those areas in which it excels.  This would both bring more prosperity to each country, and also provide more goods and services to customers around the world at lower prices. Thomas Jefferson once said “I think all the world would gain by setting commerce at perfect Liberty.”  He was right.

Housing: Wherever you find rent controls, you will also find a scarcity of housing.  Why?  Because investors want a good return on their money.  And if the financial return in owning apartment buildings is artificially restricted, they not only will not invest in new apartment buildings, they will do everything reasonably possible to turn their existing apartment buildings into condominiums or even parking lots, thereby increasing the return on their investments.  So this will logically reduce the supply of housing.  But by taking away these restrictions and allowing Liberty, the supply of housing will be increased and, thus, the costs of housing will be reduced.

Drug Prohibition:  Today marijuana is the largest cash crop in California.  (The second is grapes, if you care.)  Actually, this should not be a concern, because if adults decide to use marijuana instead of another mind-altering and sometimes addicting substance, like alcohol, that should be their choice.  Thus it makes as much sense to put that gifted actor Robert Downey Jr. in jail for his heroin problem as it would have Betty Ford for her alcohol problem.  It is the same thing: it is a medical problem. But if any one of us drives a motor vehicle under the influence of any of these substances, that is – and should be – a criminal violation.  What is the difference?  Because now we are putting other people’s safety at risk.  But Liberty rightfully says that the government has no more right to dictate what adults put into their bodies than it does what they put into their minds.  So if we were to regulate and control these drugs, we will support Liberty.  And along the way, we will take unimaginable amounts of money away from drug cartels, juvenile street gangs, and other thugs, and instead use it to pay our firefighters and teachers, and fix our roads.  So once again, Liberty works!

Free Competition: Crony capitalism, or government treating one business differently than its competitors mostly through subsidies or tax breaks, is the opposite of Liberty.  But it is pervasive in our country today.  Government choosing to insure some loans but not others, bail out some financial institutions but not others, grant subsidies for planting or not planting some crops but not others, or dictating which products must be used to manufacture ethanol are just some of the examples of today’s politics in action.  So not only does this handicap the competitors of the favored businesses, it also tends to make those favored businesses more lazy, because they can win without competing as strongly.  But where government favoritism has not reared its head, like in the developing and manufacturing of cell phones, computers and ipads, quality has gone up and prices have come down.  And Liberty is the reason.

Taxation:  Imagine being able to have the Liberty to make business and personal decisions for business and personal reasons, instead of for tax reasons!  But the tax code is a leading area in which politics has favored the politically powerful, at the expense of the less so.  Implementing a more simplified, understandable and uniform system would go a long way to bringing back Liberty and prosperity for all.

So these are some of many examples of the common thread of Liberty being involved in stories of success, and there are many more.  But Liberty is far from a situation of “anything goes,” because genuine liberty also requires responsibility.  Thus the legal system has a big part to play in protecting ourselves from each other, and in enforcing rules for safety on our streets and highways, in the workplace, and in our lives in general, as well as enforcing voluntary contracts and warranties.  And by and large this entire system is working.  So we should not only support it, we should be proud of it!

James P. Gray is a retired judge of the Orange County Superior Court, a private mediator and arbitrator with ADR  Services, Inc., the author of “A Voter’s Handbook: Effective Solutions to America’s Problems” (The Forum Press, 2010) and the 2012 Libertarian candidate for Vice President, along with Governor Gary Johnson as President.

Please forward this on to your circle of friends for their consideration.  And by the way, now I am on Facebook at Facebook at http://ift.tt/1KPuMEA, LinkedIn at http://ift.tt/1cAMtZD, and Twitter with username as @JudgeJimGrayOAI, or twitter.com/JudgeJimGrayOAI.  Please visit these sites, and pass them along to your social world.




from WordPress http://ift.tt/1hqWX08
via IFTTT

Tuesday, October 6, 2015

2 Paragraphs 4 Liberty: #15 “Liberty and Marriage Equality”

judgejimgray_ocregister            To Libertarians, the 14th Amendment dictates that people should not be discriminated against due to their race, religion, gender, place of origin or sexual orientation.  The first successful case under this Constitutional amendment was made for racial equality, then for gender equality, and now it should be made for sexual orientation, which is now in the form of marriage equality.  This means that the Constitution dictates that, among other things, two adults should be able to receive the governmental benefits of being married if they have entered into voluntary legally-binding  contracts to do so.  In fact, historically that was the situation in our country until some legislators passed anti-miscegenation laws, and used marriage licenses as their means to control inter-racial marriages.

Actually, the government should not be involved in the licensing business for two adults getting married at all.  But as long as numbers of federal and state statutes remain on the books providing benefits for people who are “married,” those laws should be applied equally – as a matter of Constitutional law.  Of course, if any religious institutions do not wish for the couple to get married under their banner, they would have every right to withhold it, and even not to recognize the union.  But the government, as a matter of Liberty for all, should have no such power.

(Next week: Free Speech under attack again)

Judge Jim Gray (Ret.)

Please forward this on to your circle of friends for their consideration.  And by the way, now I am on Facebook at Facebook at http://ift.tt/1KPuMEA, LinkedIn at http://ift.tt/1cAMtZD, and Twitter with username as @JudgeJimGrayOAI, or twitter.com/JudgeJimGrayOAI.  Please visit these sites, and pass them along to your social world.

If you wish to unsubscribe, please let your sender know, and it will be done.

And feedback is always welcome!




from WordPress http://ift.tt/1LgHRCf
via IFTTT