2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: #228 "THE LIBERTY TO SEE THE USA!"

My wife Grace and I have spent the last ten days on a trip first to Portland, and then on a cruise on the Columbia and Snake Rivers (which explains why you did not receive last week’s edition of this series).   We have such a rich and interesting history here, like what we saw and envisioned with the Lewis and Clark Expedition, so why go anywhere else?  As a result, this week’s edition simply recommends that all of us often take time to pause and reflect how truly fortunate we are to be who we are, live where we live and have what we have.  We are genuinely blessed – and all the more so if we appreciate that fact.

                Among my blessings is the fact that I have been able to travel the world quite extensively – but there is nowhere more interesting or beautiful than our US of A!  Most of us actually have the Liberty to be able to go where we want – no walls with the barbed wire fences facing inward instead of outward like were present in East Germany and now are in North Korea!  But I recommend we more often use that Liberty to see the beautiful places in our great country.  No passports, no changes of currency – and many times no changes of time zones.  Good stuff!  So why go anywhere else?

My favorite Winston Churchill story:  Frequently before he would give a speech, Churchill would go to the men’s room to relieve himself so he would not be uncomfortable during his presentation.  But it happened that one time he was doing just that at a urinal when his political nemesis, Clement Attlee, came in right beside him.  So when Churchill stopped doing his business and moved over to one urinal away, Attlee said to him “You’re getting a bit prudish in your old age aren’t you Winston?”  To which Churchill responded: “Clement, I know you, and any time you see something that is big, private and works well, you want to nationalize it.”

Judge Jim Gray (Ret.)

2012 Libertarian candidate for Vice President, along with

Governor Gary Johnson as the candidate for President

Please listen to our weekly radio show entitled “All Rise! The Libertarian Way with Judge Jim Gray” as we discuss timely issues, and show how they will be addressed more beneficially by employing Libertarian values and approaches.  You can hear it every Friday morning at 7 Pacific/10 Eastern by going to www.VoiceAmerica.com, clicking on the Variety Channel and then upon the word “live.”  You can also hear past shows on demand as well.  And, by the way, these 2 Paragraph columns are now on Facebook and LinkedIn at judgejimgray, Twitter at judgejamesgray, 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.

2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: #192 "MAKE THE SYSTEM WORK"

     Those of us who are citizens of this great country are blessed because this brings us many benefits.  But it also brings responsibilities, and this edition of 2 Paragraphs will briefly discuss four of them.  The first is not only to vote, but first to prepare so that we are educated about the candidates and the issues.  The second is to serve on juries when called upon to do so.  That means that we, as civilians, will in many ways have the final say about how various civil and criminal disputes are resolved.   And by doing that we sometimes can exercise great civilian control over our governments.  Thirdly, we should pay our taxes.  Of course, I’m a libertarian and believe those taxes are much too high, but that is a subject for another day.  Fourthly, and no matter what social or economic position we are in, all of us are sometimes in a position in small and even large ways to Make the System Work. 

       For example, if we see some people who are being mistreated, cheated or humiliated, and they are unable to defend themselves, we should, as citizens, step forward and help them.  I’m not saying that we should unnecessarily put ourselves into danger, or be busybodies, but sometimes the situation calls for involvement by third parties, and we should be those people.  Or if we see potentially dangerous conditions either on public or private property, we should report it so that the chances of injury to others or damage to their property will be reduced.  Most of the time things like this don’t take much effort, but they can be effective.  As an illustration, recently when I had a speaking gig at Columbia University in New York City, I noticed that Grant’s Tomb was just a few blocks away.  So I went back to see it.  Inside it was still clean and impressive, but outside there was a beautiful tile bench that went about 270 degrees around the tomb that had weeds growing all through it.  And the National Monument sign from the US Park Service was also sitting on its side.  So I took some pictures of the situation and sent them along with a letter of complaint to the Head of the Park Service, which quoted Bob Dylan that we are “either busy being born or busy dying.”  And, since that is true both for individuals as well as countries, I didn’t want anyone “on my watch” to think our country was busy dying.  This was not a question of money, it was a question of caring.  Happily, I received a letter back about two weeks later saying that the problem was fixed.  The sign was up and the weeds were gone.  (I verified this later with my contact at Columbia.)   Yes, this is just a small thing, but I think it helps  And all of us are sometimes in similar positions to make the system work and, in my view, our obligations as citizens demand it!

Judge Jim Gray (Ret.)

2012 Libertarian candidate for Vice President, along with

Governor Gary Johnson as the candidate for President

   (Silly) Thought for the week: “If you don’t pay your exorcist you can get repossessed.” 

   By the way, these columns are now on Facebook and LinkedIn at judgejimgray, Twitter at judgejamesgray, 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.