OUR UPCOMING CELEBRATION

2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: 409

Last Tuesday, January 14, 2025, I attended the Inaugural Celebration of USA250-OC at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum in Yorba Linda, California. And it was wonderful! The purpose of the gathering was to inspire us all to be involved in the upcoming 250th Anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, which will be on July 4, 2026. The event was moderated by Ambassador Gaddi Vasquez and included remarks by General George Washington, the first President of our great country, and Jeffrey Rosen, who is the President of the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.

I had once interviewed General Washington on our Zoom broadcast, which was called “America is the Perfect Idea; the United States of America is a Work in Progress,” and the General was tremendous! And he was just as good last Tuesday. The focus of his remarks was that there is no such thing as happiness unless it is accompanied by virtue: i.e. “Without virtue, happiness cannot be.” And it appeared that everyone present agreed with him. General Washington also recounted the time when he was young when his father asked him the question: “George, of what use will you be to your fellow man?” To which Washington replied: “I will serve others.” He also said that one of the best traits a human being can have is to learn to postpone gratification. All of these characteristics were present in our nation’s Declaration of Independence, as well as our subsequent Constitution. And they have carried our country quite well in these almost 250 years since they were written.

So the evening was inspiring, and we all expect that inspiration to continue as we celebrate our country’s roots, among other things, by:

  • Exploring the history and fundamental principles of our constitutional government;
  • Equipping all of us to engage in the civic life of our community;
  • Advancing the ideas in the Declaration, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights;
  • Inspiring the American spirit embodied in our shared heritage, common rights and responsibilities, and respect for each other; and,
  • Celebrating together to make a lasting impact for generations to come.

If you are interested in being a part of this celebration, please visit www.usa250oc.org.

Question for the week: What do you call a reptile that looks into and often solves crimes? Answer: An Investigator.

Judge Jim Gray (Ret.) Superior Court of Orange County, California 2012 Libertarian Candidate for Vice President

Please listen to our radio show entitled All Rise! The Libertarian Way with Judge Jim Gray as we discuss timely ssues and show how they will be addressed more beneficially by employing Libertarian values and approaches. The series has concluded, but you can still hear any edition On Demand at https://www.voiceamerica.com/show/3883. And, by the way, these 2 Paragraphs columns are now on my website at www.JudgeJImGray.com, 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. In addition, my new book with the same title as my radio show is now available at Amazon.com., as is my wife Grace’s and my new novel centered about School Choice entitled 2030 KIDS: We are the Rising Heroes of the Planet. Please read and discuss them with your friends, and send in a review.