2 Paragraphs 4 Liberty: #146 “Liberty Fights Back”

          Thomas Jefferson famously said “The natural progress of things is for Liberty to yield and government to gain ground.”  And that is what has been happening – for decades – with federal and state governments in too many areas.  There are many areas of infringements, but here are a random few. One is civil asset forfeiture, where governments take/forfeit people’s property when their agents “have a reasonable belief” that the property was either used for or gained from illegal activity.  And then it is the obligation of the person from whom the property was taken to file a law suit and prove that the property was not so used or gained – which turns our system of justice on its head.  Another is to require business licenses before someone can work at such occupations as hair braiding, tree trimming or roofing (and frequently people who have been convicted of felonies are precluded even from applying).  And many too many colleges today are putting limits on free speech and open discourse by enforcing so-called “trigger warnings” and free speech zones so their students can be free from being placed in “uncomfortable” circumstances.

But, fortunately, groups like the Institute for Justice, Mercatus Center and Reason are fighting back – for all of us.  They are fighting by filing lawsuits that would require the government to hold hearings promptly to address and decide about people’s seized assets, educating the media and citizenry about the importance of free minds and free markets, and bringing political pressure to cut back numbers of intrusive laws and executive over-reachings.   So we can also stand up for Liberty by supporting these and other similar organizations.  For further information, please visit www.IJ.org, www.mercatus.org or www.reason.com .

Judge Jim Gray (Ret.)
2012 Libertarian candidate for Vice President,
along with Governor Gary Johnson as the candidate for President

 

**Here’s another of the daily posts from the gasoline station in Gauteng, South Africa: “Don’t do something permanently stupid because you’re temporarily upset.”

 

 

Please forward this on to your circle of friends for their consideration and to further the discussion. And by the way, these columns are now on Facebook and LinkedIn at judgejimgray, Twitter at judgejimgrayOAI, and wordpress at judgejimgray@wordpress.com. Please visit these sites for past editions, and do your part to spread the word about the importance of Liberty!

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2 Paragraphs 4 Liberty: #145 “Let Children Again Have The Liberty To Fail”

           Only supervised activities for our children; safely drive them to school; don’t let them go out on Halloween by themselves, etc., etc.  As aptly stated in the December 2017 edition of Reason Magazine, “Play is training for adulthood.”  And today not only aren’t our children playing much on their own, they’re not doing much of anything on their own.  But only when children fall down and skin their knees in some “resilience moments” without parental guidance will they learn from their mistakes.  And this is virtually the only way that they can effectively grow into adulthood.

Our kids are tougher than we give them credit for.  And we should actually want them to be insulted that we feel they are too shallow and sensitive to be able to take care of themselves on their own – because that is how they learn to be careful.  Or to be unsupervised in their playtime – because that is the way they learn to be creative.  Or to take calculated risks, and sometimes fail in those efforts – because that is how they learn entrepreneurship.  Or to hear conflicting viewpoints – because that is how they learn skepticism.  Or to be devoid of “safe spaces” – because that is not the way the real world operates.  In large part we, their parents, were afforded these liberties, and not only did we “live to tell about it,” most of us learned from those situations and thrived.  So we should let children again have the Liberty to fail.  It is how we have prospered and how we have made our great country successful!

Judge Jim Gray (Ret.)
2012 Libertarian candidate for Vice President,
along with Governor Gary Johnson as the candidate for President

 

** Here’s another of the daily posts from the gasoline station in Gauteng, South Africa: “In a world where you can be anything you want, be kind.”

Please forward this on to your circle of friends for their consideration and to further the discussion, and also be sure to visit http://ift.tt/2yi4Ldx to read more about him and his book on judging. By the way, these columns are now on Facebook and LinkedIn at judgejimgray, Twitter at judgejimgrayOAI, and wordpress at judgejimgray@wordpress.com. Please visit these sites for past editions, and do your part to spread the word about the importance of Liberty!

 

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2 Paragraphs 4 Liberty: #144 “How Could This Be?”

        Recently some militants set off a bomb in a crowded mosque in the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt during Friday services, killing many people, and then machine-gunned many others as they attempted to flee.  How could this be?  Who could claim that any god would countenance, much less demand, such barbarous acts?  The only answer I can fathom is that these militants had been callously inculcated with narrow, radical and warped views, while continually being cut off from other viewpoints for a long time.

And what is the antidote?  To the degree there is one, it is to be able freely to travel, read, compare and contrast, think, dream, question, criticize and explain.  So the antidote is Liberty, which includes an education exposing people to alternative points of view and a Justice System that holds people responsible for their actions.  Of course, all societies will always have demented people like Charles Manson to lead others astray, but the best way to keep them from infecting others is to break into the cocoon of hate by encouraging Liberty.  In addition, understanding the two old sayings that “The most dangerous people in the world are those without hope,” and “There can be no Peace in a Land without Justice,” the antidote also is a system of Justice and Equal Opportunity for All, which means jobs and a way for people to better themselves – particularly the young.  These are long-range remedies, so obviously civilized society must take some short term steps for protection against such barbarity.  But we must also not lose sight of the big picture, and continue to pursue the cause of Liberty.

Judge Jim Gray (Ret.)
2012 Libertarian candidate for Vice President,
along with Governor Gary Johnson as the candidate for President

 

** Recently, I read about a particular gasoline station in Gauteng, South Africa that posts signs daily on a blackboard visible from the street.  And they are so interesting that many people drive out of their way just to see them each day.  So for the next few editions, some of those sayings will appear in these editions of “2 Paragraphs.”  Here is the first one:  “Be the person you needed when you were young.”

 

Please forward this on to your circle of friends for their consideration and to further the discussion. And by the way, these columns are now on Facebook and LinkedIn at judgejimgray, Twitter at judgejimgrayOAI, and wordpress at judgejimgray@wordpress.com. Please visit these sites for past editions, and do your part to spread the word about the importance of Liberty!

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Our Current Drug Policy Is Not Working | TEDx Talks

Hi everyone!

Just thought some of you might be interested in a Ted Talk that I recorded in Bakersfield recently about Drug Policy Reform.  As always, feedback is always appreciated.

Here is the link:

 

Judge Jim Gray (Ret.)
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 to further the discussion. And by the way, previous talks and columns are now on Facebook and LinkedIn at judgejimgray, Twitter at judgejimgrayOAI, and wordpress at judgejimgray@wordpress.com.  Please visit these sites for past editions of 2 Paragraphs 4 Liberty, and do your part to spread the word about the importance of Liberty!

 

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2 Paragraphs 4 Liberty: #143 “The Deprivation Of Liberty”

          Many years ago when I was a federal prosecutor in Los Angeles I found myself waiting at a red light while walking over to the Federal Building Cafeteria for lunch when a judge widely known for his harsh sentencing came up beside me.  When I greeted him and asked how his day was going, he surprised me by saying “Jim, Mondays are always hard because they are sentencing days.”  Without pausing at all to reflect on who I was or who he was, I responded “In many ways, Your Honor, when it stops being hard you will be in the wrong job.”  What followed thereafter was an awkward silence.

But to this day I stand by that comment.  To deprive people of their Liberty should always hurt – and mostly be done as a last resort.  Yes, we certainly need jails and prisons, and short periods of confinement are useful in getting people’s attention and enforcing responsibility.   But in too many ways, and for too many decades, we have become a mindlessly punitive society.  Of course, some people like Sirhan Sirhan and Charles Manson should never get out of prison due to their crimes.  And, regretfully, some people who see the rest of us as their natural prey should be removed from society.  But a large number of people are in prison today who simply should not be there.  Geriatrics who couldn’t throw their walkers at us, even if  they tried.  Many non-violent offenders who deserved to be deprived of their Liberty for five years or maybe even ten who are now model prisoners serving sentences of 20 or even 30 years.  (Close your eyes and imagine serving even one year in prison, much less five or more!)  In imposing those mindlessly draconian sentences we have made victims not only of the offenders, but also their families – and the taxpayers!  In fact, mostly the only people winning from these decisions are the members of the prison guards unions!  No, Your Honor, depriving people of their Liberty should never be done lightly.  And it should always hurt!

Judge Jim Gray (Ret.)
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 to further the discussion. And by the way, these columns are now on Facebook and LinkedIn at judgejimgray, Twitter at judgejimgrayOAI, and wordpress at judgejimgray@wordpress.com. Please visit these sites for past editions, and do your part to spread the word about the importance of Liberty!

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2 Paragraphs 4 Liberty: #142 “Liberty On The Front Porch”

       During the past year my wife and I have devoted more special time in the evenings to sitting on our front porch, sometimes with a Manhattan or wine, sometimes not, but always with our dog.  What have we found?  Lots of things and all of them good.  Neighbors walk by and we chat, joke and laugh with them.  We notice things that had escaped us before because we were too busy: a hummingbird (we call him “Dart”) that always rests on the same twig; and not only sunsets and moon risings, but also the sense of the breeze and the seasons – and we also utilize the casual opportunity to explore each other.

But overall what we have really noticed the most is that life has slowed down, and that we are enjoying it – and each other – more.  The trite way of saying it is that “Life is what happens while we are busy making other plans.”  But we have much more than we need, or even want.  The real gift is to slow down, focus on the positive more than the negative, and savor our lives out on the porch with friends and each other.  Liberty gives this opportunity to all of us, no matter what our station.  We have only to accept the gift.  Try it, because it is a wonderful thing!

Judge Jim Gray (Ret.)
2012 Libertarian candidate for Vice President,
along with Governor Gary Johnson as the candidate for President

**  We just returned from our two-week trip to Morocco, which explains the gap in these editions. But if you haven’t been to Morocco, I truly recommend a visit.

 

Please forward this on to your circle of friends for their consideration and to further the discussion. And by the way, these columns are now on Facebook and LinkedIn at judgejimgray, Twitter at judgejimgrayOAI, and wordpress at judgejimgray@wordpress.com. Please visit these sites for past editions, and do your part to spread the word about the importance of Liberty!

 

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