2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: #236 "UNIFICATION ON VETERAN'S DAY"

     As can be broadly seen, we are terribly polarized and split apart in our country today in so many ways.  But maybe, just maybe, all of us could unify each year on something that we all have in common, which is to celebrate and give homage to those of our military troops who have given their lives fighting for our country.  Yes, many times we may not have agreed with the political decisions that sent our troops into areas of conflict all around the world.  But we all must remember that our troops don’t make those decisions, they simply do what they are ordered to do.  And many of them have paid a dear price for that service.

      My great wife was raised in Canada, and she tells me that every November 11 since 1921 there has been a national celebration of Armistice Day or, as it is also known, either “Remembrance Day” or “Poppy Day.”  Thus starting on about November 1, people all around the country and from every walk of life wear artificial red poppies on their clothing.  This had its roots in the poem “In Flanders Fields” by a Canadian named Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, and which begins “In Flanders Fields the poppies blow, between the crosses, row on row. . .”  Thereafter the tradition spread to much of the British Commonwealth.  It is in remembrance of troops who have died, especially in World Wars I and II, but also in other military conflicts as well.  The red poppies are worn over the heart, with the red representing the blood of all those who gave their lives, the black representing the mourning of those who didn’t return home, and the green leaf representing the grass and crops growing and future prosperity after the war had destroyed so much.  The poppy should be positioned at 11 o’clock to represent the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.  So I suggest that we adopt that custom in our country as well!  Let’s unify and celebrate our troops who gave their ultimate contribution by universally thanking them at this time of year – nationwide!   Accordingly, this coming January I will make it a point to locate places where we all can purchase these red poppies, and I will pass the word on to you so that, if you would like to help, we can start this new tradition of unification next year.  We should all agree that our fallen troops deserve forever to be honored, and this is how we can do it.  And we can become more unified as a country along the way.

Quote for the week:  “In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock.”  Thomas Jefferson

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.

The Libertarian philosophy - by Judge Jim Gray

I was a lifelong Republican until I realized my party couldn’t be counted on. Not to protect my freedom or my liberty, and not to be “fiscally conservative.”

So I realized I could not be a part of an organization that did not reflect my values, or the values I believe this country is based upon.

Therefore, I decided to change parties. Where to go? Once I started to check out my options, it took me about two minutes to decide that I was a natural Libertarian.

Since that time many people have asked me what are the differences between Republicans, Democrats and Libertarians. Well, using a little poetic license just to make a point, I will tell you.

Republicans basically act like your father. They will let you spend your own money, but they tell you what to do in your personal life. And if you don’t follow their directions, they will punish you.

Democrats, on the other hand, want to act as your mother. They want to keep most all of your money, but promise to take care of you and spend your money on things they think are good for you. And, of course, they will not trust you to make your own decisions. Why? Because “Mommy knows best.”

Libertarians are completely different. Libertarians treat adults as adults. Make your own decisions, but you are bound by the decisions you make. In other words, Libertarians think you are smarter than any politicians about how to run your financial and personal life.

When people first hear about Libertarian philosophy it seems unsettling. But when it comes down to it, the Libertarian philosophy works. Think about it. Had Libertarians been in control of our federal and/or state government for the last 10 years, we would not be in financial trouble today. Instead we would actually be prospering both economically and sociologically.

But putting attempts at humor aside, what is the Libertarian philosophy? It has its roots in the philosophies of Thomas Jefferson, John Locke and Adam Smith. Of course, it is hard to generalize about any group of people. But simply stated, Libertarians believe in freedom, the Rule of Law, limited government, self-defense and free markets. They also have a basic confidence in the ability of ordinary people to make wise decisions about their own lives.

As an example, Libertarians believe that parents are in a far better position than the government to decide where and how their children should be educated.

Think of it this way. Most of the important institutions in society developed without governmental involvement. Examples are the development of language, money and markets. That does not at all mean Libertarians believe “anything goes.”

To the contrary, Libertarians believe adults should make their own decisions and be free to act as they deem appropriate, but only as long as those acts do not interfere with the rights of others. As a result, Libertarians are actually quite law-and-order minded.

Regarding self-defense, Libertarians agree with Jefferson when he said that whoever beats his swords into plowshares will soon be plowing for somebody else.

But Libertarians rebel at attempts by government to legislate all risks out of existence. They also believe in the “forgotten” 9th and 10th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution, which say that all rights not expressly given to the government by the Constitution are retained by the people.

This might sound like “egghead” talk, but it is important.

For example, nowhere in the Constitution by any stretch of the imagination does it say that government can control things like our healthcare system.

When I was growing up, we probably had the best healthcare system in the world.

Back then no one even raised the issue of not having access to good quality doctors, hospitals and medicines. Emergency Rooms were fully available as needed, and healthcare was reasonably priced. But then government began to take control, and look where it has taken us.

Libertarians understand the answer is not to have more government involvement, it is instead to limit government as much as possible.

In fact, Libertarians will tell you that if you think healthcare is expensive now, wait until it’s “free.”

To bring that point home even further, today there are two areas of medicine where we can still obtain top quality healthcare at reasonable and competitive prices. What are they? Cosmetic surgery and Lasik eye surgery. Everywhere you look you can see ads for these treatments at low prices, easy payments and many other nice benefits. Why? Because they are not controlled by government or insurance. These are places where the free market and individual choice are still in control.

Libertarians know we can reclaim what was once the best healthcare system in the world by bringing back that same free market choice.

Another program that has completely failed, especially for the poor, is our government’s welfare system. Government has trapped the poor on both sides with its bad policies.

On the one hand, minimum wage laws and licensing requirements make it harder for the poor to find that all-important first job.

On the other, it makes not working much more attractive by paying people not to work! (Then government looks at the problems it has created and naturally decides to do more and more of what has been shown not to work.)

In summary, Libertarians understand that a system of market incentives works better. Libertarians do not want to abandon people who are poor, downtrodden and disabled. But they want government “solutions” to be a last resort, instead of the first.

So I hope this has piqued your interest in America’s largest third party. If you would like to give it more thought, I recommend you read a book by David Boaz entitled “Libertarianism: A Primer” (The Free Press, 1997).

And about my new political party?

I believe the more you think about it, the more you will be favorably impressed.



JAMES P. GRAY is a retired judge of the Orange County Superior Court, the author of Wearing the Robe – the Art and Responsibilities of Judging in Today’s Courts (Square One Press, 2009), and can be contacted at JimPGray@sbcglobal.net or through his website at www.JudgeJimGray.com.

“WHY WE NEED THIRD PARTIES” by Judge Jim Gray

  IT’S A GRAY AREA (7) by Judge Jim Gray 08/26/07

  “WHY WE NEED THIRD PARTIES”
   

What’s the matter with our government today? Why has our political world descended into such ugly partisanship, and why don’t politicians more often address and act upon the real issues that affect us all? In many ways it is because the two main political parties have become more and more alike, and increasingly comfortable with the status quo.  


But there is a way for us to get our political “leaders” again to confront real issues, and that is to allow third-party voices to be an accepted part of the political process. Comfortable main party candidates won’t take positions until they are forced to, and real competition is the only way for that to occur.


  Historically, third parties have played a critical role in American politics in at least two different ways. On several occasions, a third party has actually risen to become a main party, although the last time that happened was when the Republicans took over from the Whig Party in the middle 1850s. However, many times over the years third parties have voiced new ideas that have resonated well with the voters, with the result that soon these ideas were assimilated into the mainstream of political thought. It is this new blood that has helped to keep the American political process vibrant and responsive.


  But mostly today our entire system seems to be weighted against third-party voices. The gerrymandering of congressional districts by the two main parties has kept political races non-competitive. Political pollsters don’t include the names of third party candidates because their campaigns are not covered by the media, and therefore not known to the public. And the media do not cover the third-party campaigns because they do not get good polling numbers. So with this vicious circle, it is almost impossible for third-party candidates to break out of obscurity, unless they are able to be self-financed like the campaign of Ross Perot.


  How can this cycle be broken? The best way is voter unrest, and that is beginning to be seen. However, a good intermediate step would be to allow every candidate that is on a statewide ballot in some fashion to be a part of every public debate. Obviously, if there were too many candidates, this format would be unwieldy, and the debate itself boring. But there are remedies for these practical problems.


  One remedy would be to allow each candidate that is on enough ballots technically to win a particular statewide or national election to make at least a three-minute statement at the beginning of a debate? This would allow the voters to hear and consider each candidate’s most important issues first hand. In addition, every candidate with a serious campaign should be allowed to participate fully in every debate. Most of the time it would be fairly obvious which candidates were involved with serious campaigns. Do they have a formal headquarters, a paid staff, organized fundraising and a major commitment to spending the time necessary for the campaign? If so, the voters will be cheated if that candidate’s voice is not heard.


  In the last California debate involving the U.S. Senate candidates from only the two main parties, there was little focus upon the issues because each candidate had staked out a “safe” position. As a result, there was no discussion about issues like the Patriot Act, possible drug policy reform, a possible amendment to the three strikes laws, viable health care programs, or the present war in Iraq. Had there been a third voice, it is quite likely that these issues would have been fully and interestingly explored.


  Finally, the thing that would most breathe life into our democracy would be the adoption of the “instant runoff” voting procedure. This would allow all voters to vote for their first and also their second choices in each election. Then when the votes are counted, if it is determined that a particular voter’s first choice is not one of the top two contenders, by pressing a button on a computer, there could be an immediate “runoff” election of those top two candidates in which that voter’s second choice vote would then be counted. This procedure would address both the “don’t waste your vote” and the voting for the “lesser of two evils” syndromes, and would actually revitalize both our political campaigns and our elections.


  There is an old saying that the cure for defects in a democracy is more democracy. Third parties have a major role to play in our democratic system. However, today they are being frozen out of the process. The result of this freeze is quite good for established politicians and for the two major parties, but it is harmful for everyone else. Third party candidates have much to add to the free-flow of ideas. If their voices are stifled, democracy loses.



  James P. Gray has been a trial judge in Orange County since 1983, has written books entitled Why Our Drug Laws Have Failed and What We Can Do About It, and Wearing the Robe – The Art and Responsibility of Judging, and composed a musical entitled “Americans All.” http://www.judgejimgray.com