Blogs

LET'S USE OUR PUBLIC LANDS!2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: 420As you know, it is a prominent theme of these columns that the private sector utilizes resources better than governments do. Any argument? (I...

THIS CANNOT HAPPEN!2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: 419As our 2 Paragraphs Family knows, as a sitting trial court judge I came out publicly against our nation’s policy of Drug Prohibition back in 1992,...

THIS CANNOT HAPPEN!2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: 418One of the true pillars of our Democracy and Liberties was given to us by our Founders in our Constitution when they provided for three Separate but...

LACK OF INCENTIVES ALLOWS WASTE2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: 417In the summer of 1957 my parents took my sister and me on a trip that included spending a few days in New York City. One of the things that...

A SENSIBLE IMMIGRATION POLICY2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: 416It really is not so hard. In my view, our nation’s immigration policy should be based upon the following five maxims: It is our decision who...

REHABILITATION DOES HAPPEN2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: 415I don’t often do this, but I am sending to you one of the responses I received from Allan Dollison, Esq to last week’s 2 Paragraphs edition...

IT DOESN'T TAKE THAT MUCH2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: 414As I have told you before, a few years ago I was a guest on George Noory’s syndicated national radio show entitled “Coast to Coast” where I was...

THE TOP 10 WAYS TO A GRATIFYING LIFE2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: 413I know it can be dangerous to do, but recently I have been looking through some old files and I found this commentary article I...

LEGAL VOLUNTEER GROUPS2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: 412Yes, there are many things going wrong today in our society, but there are also lots of things that are really going quite well.  And many of those...

BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: 411The first sentence in the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution reads as follows: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States...

SAD TIDINGS2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: 410As you know, last week’s column discussed our country’s upcoming celebration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of our Declaration of Independence. Much of...

OUR UPCOMING CELEBRATION2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: 409Last Tuesday, January 14, 2025, I attended the Inaugural Celebration of USA250-OC at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum in Yorba...

LET'S SHOW SOME UNDERSTANDING2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: 408It was not particularly easy learning Spanish when I was in Peace Corps training, but Spanish is learnable because it has rules regarding...

THE TRUE FUNCTIONS OF NATIONAL GOVERNMENT2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: 407Have you ever asked yourself what are the true functions of the national government in our country? A highly legitimate and...

REFLECTIONS2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: 406Guess what? The year 2024 is quickly coming to a close, and the year 2025 will soon be upon us. (So I’m sure that all of you appreciate reading these editions,...

LET'S TALK WITH EACH OTHER!2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: 405 When is your Christmas or Holiday dinner this month? Cal State Fullerton Assistant Professor William Toledo has tips for talking politics at...

THERE COMES A TIME!2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: 404There comes a time when something said by an elected official is so off base that good people should not be quiet! As you probably have heard, on...

Two Letters I receivedTo our 2 Paragraphs Family, As many of you are aware, back on April 8, 1992 I did something unusual for a sitting trial court: I held a press conference at which I told anyone...

APPRECIATION2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: 401Thanksgiving is one of the best days of the year for me, because it is (or is supposed to be) a day of appreciation. And each one of us has much to be thankful...

THE PRIVATE SECTOR DOES IT BETTER2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: 400So here I go again . . . Yes, in many of the previous 399 editions of these columns I have reported instances in which private non-profit...

FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: 399Back in 1964 Ronald Reagan, while campaigning for Senator Barry Goldwater for President, made a speech that said the election choice was between...

STANDING UP FOR OUR VALUES2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: 398This past week I wrote a short note to some neighbors requesting that they consider removing their front yard Halloween display that has a witch...

A THRESHOLD OF RESPECT2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: 397The theme of this column is treating all people with a threshold of respect. So I begin by adding one more story about my wonderful and even heroic...

EFFECTIVELY REDUCING HOMELESSNESS2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: 395While on my recent vacation I read a book written by four members of the Pacific Research Institute (PRI) entitled NO WAY HOME: The Crisis...

APPRECIATION!2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: 394I just returned from a reunion of my Class of 1962 at John Muir High School in Pasadena. Since pretty much all of us are or soon will be 80 years old our...

GIERACH DRUG POLICY DECLARATION2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: 393Some of the best people I have ever met in my life have come from my involvement in trying to help our country change its drug policy. One...

THE RIGHT THING FOR THE RIGHT REASON2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: 392When I was seeking to become a federal prosecutor in Los Angeles part of the application process was to emphasize that, as a...

LET THE FREE MARKET DO IT2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: 490There is an old saying that “In politics reality is irrelevant; it is only the voters’ perception of reality that matters.” And, regretfully, I...

Dr. Milton Friedman Still Lives!Just thought you might be interested. This past August 16 I published an article entitled “Incentivizing work and family values: Dr. Milton Friedman Still Lives!” in...

A TINY BIT OF PRAISE2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: 489As I have told you before, about five years ago I was on the syndicated radio show called “Coast to Coast” with George Noory discussing criminal...

MY TOP TWELVE HEROES2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: 488Of course no one can narrow their heroes in life down to just twelve people, and what does the word hero mean anyway? I don’t have Jesus Christ on my...

CURIOUS2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: 487Happily many people from widely different backgrounds and experiences have reached the same conclusions that I have about the failure of our country’s policy of...

QUESTIONS TO STIMULATE THOUGHT2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: 486As is said routinely, the purpose of this column is to stimulate thought and discussion. So in that pursuit I am passing along to you, with...

BEING CHOKED BY REGULATIONS2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: 485The first paragraph of the article entitled “Rationales for New Regulation” in the Summer 2024 edition of Regulation: The CATO Review of...

THE HEALING POWER OF FEDERALISM2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: 483To state the obvious, today our Great Nation is in many ways divided and even polarized. How can we address and overcome this difficulty?...

FEEDBACK2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: 482Last week’s 2 Paragraphs column entitled “The Biggest Threat to our Country” received a great deal of feedback.* Thank you all, because the entire purpose of this...

THE BIGGEST THREAT TO OUR COUNRTY!2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: 481In my view, the most dangerous threat to our safety and security is not the possibility of being invaded by another country, terrorist...

BRINGING US TOGETHER2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: 480I have just found a follow-up to my wonderful father’s statement that “You have every right to disagree, but you have no right to be disagreeable,” and...

UCI IS COMMITTED2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: 479Years ago 23 men committed offenses that resulted in their eventually being committed to R. J. Donovan Correctional Facility, which is a state prison for...

TOO MUCH GOVERNMENT2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: 478The June 12, 2024 edition of the Orange County Register told us that the State of California has more than 220,000 full-time employees! Of course, that...

INFLATION IS A TAX!2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: 477All households must budget to stay within their means. Why? Because otherwise they will go bankrupt, which will cause all of the family members...

BROKEN HEARTED2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: 476Cute as a button and smart as a whip! Our beloved little Golden Retriever puppy Nyxie Marie! We taught her how to differentiate between colors and answer...

A MEANINGFUL MEMORIAL DAY!2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: 475As you know, tomorrow we celebrate Memorial Day. (And I will proudly fly our Great Country’s flag again tomorrow!) This was originally known as...

MORE ON THE MINIMUM WAGE2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: 474I have never seen a stronger argument against the minimum wage laws than the one published in the May 8, 2024 edition of the Orange County Register...

OUR SYSTEM OF JUSTICE2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: 473We as judges we have two critically important mandates. The first is to do Justice based upon the facts and law of the case and the ethics of our...

2 Paragraphs Follow-UpAs you know, our 2 Paragraphs columns are meant to stimulate thought, reflection and discussion of the various topics of our day. I acknowledge that I “don’t have all of the...

SINGLE-PAYER HEALTH CARE IS A TRAP2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: 472One of my all-time heroes, Dr. Milton Friedman, once said that we should judge our programs by their results, not their good intentions....

SOLITARY CONFINEMENT2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: 469Some of you may have seen some recent newspaper stories that a federal judge is appointing a Special Master to oversee the Federal Correctional...

My Interview this coming Tuesday at 10 p.m. PacificTo any of our 2 Paragraphs Family that are available and interested, I will be on George Noory’s “Coast to Coast” syndicated radio program this...

THE GOAL IS GRATIFICATION2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: 468Let me get philosophical by asking you what is the most important thing in life, at least in this world? My answer is that it is not wealth, fame,...

PARADISE IN PERIL?2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: 467Recently my daughter Jennifer went on vacation to the Turks & Caicos Islands, and said that she had a great time and that the islands were truly...

MINIMUM WAGE LAWS ARE HARMFUL2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: 446Recently I read a rather revealing article written by Jeffrey A. Tucker in the January 17 to 23, 2024 edition of The Epoch Times entitled “The...

LET THE MARKETS DECIDE2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: 445As we all have seen, in the past few years there has been a strong political push for the United States to turn away from fossil fuels and move...

FREE MARKETS2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: 444How is it that the United States has led the Free World since the end of World War II? Yes, democracy and individual Liberty have been successful in achieving...

HAPPY NEW YEAR2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: 443I think that I wrote the following poem called “Cast A Glance Around You” back in 1970 withHappy New Year feelings in mind. So with that thought, I want to...

THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: 442 The words “Merry Christmas” are rightfully omnipresent at this time of year. But what does that really mean? In many ways Christmas has been taken...

A CONTINUING BLIGHT ON WHO WE ARE2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: 441A story we simply do not hear enough about concerns our military compound at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where about 780 foreign detainees have...

MEDIATING DISPUTES2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: 440Over the years I have gathered some insights about how most effectively I can assist people to resolve their disputes with each other, and I now use them...

WORD SCRAMBLES TO SHARE2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: 439So here’s a word scramble for you that I just made up: “mader gbi dan keam ryuo feil nctuo!” Answer: “Dream Big and Make Your Life Count!” And,...

Where should we go from here?To our 2 Paragraphs Family, I am happy to forward to you a copy of an article that I published in today’s Los Angeles Daily Journal, which is the premiere periodical for...

DEAR ABBY'S THANKSGIVING PRAYER2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: 430A few years ago I read a Thanksgiving prayer penned by the original “Dear Abby.” It continues to stay with me to the degree that I wanted to...

MORE 'LESS IS MORE2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: 439Last week’s column about reducing the size and cost of government drew numbers of responses. So I want to pass along to you some of the thoughts I have...

REDUCE THE SCOPE OF GOVERNMENT!2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: 438The saying that “The government that governs best governs least” is often attributed to Thomas Jefferson, but it could have been from John...

LEGALIZED PROSTITUTION2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: 437The idea that “Laws Reflect Society’s Values” is basically true. But it is also true that, in many ways, “We Can’t Legislate Morality.” So in writing...

SCHOOL UNIFORMS!2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: 436When I went into the Peace Corps in Costa Rica to teach Physical Education to high school students I requested to be placed in the smallest town in the...

WISDOM STARTS WITH MENTORING2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: 435British journalist Miles Kington purportedly said “Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.”...

SCAMS ARE EVERYWHERE, SO BE CAREFUL2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: 434Last week I received a telephone call ostensibly from one of my sons who sounded terrible. He said – in a very low voice – that he had...

TRUMP GAG ORDER CONUNDRUM2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: 433We have all been aware of the New York trial court judge’s threat to impose a Gag Order on former President Donald Trump. But we should also be...

SOME GOOD THINGS ARE HAPPENING2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: 432We all know that many bad things are happening here and around the world, and we get hit in the face with news about those often terrible...

END ALL TAXES ON SOCIAL SECURITY2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: 431Here is a great idea that I have lifted from Wayne Allyn Root, who was the Libertarian candidate for Vice President in 2008: Candidates...

THE PROCESS IS CRITICAL!2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: 430Like many of you, recently I have been reading about a federal judge declaring illegal a revised version of the Deferred Action for Childhood...

ATTACKS UPON OUR LIBERTIES2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: 429As most of you are probably aware, today is the 22nd anniversary of the violent attack upon our country by Osama bin Laden and his al Qaeda group...

NOT ACCOUNTABLE!2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: 428During our recent trip I was able to read the book Not Accountable: Rethinking the Constitutionality of Public Employee Unions, by Philip K. Howard (Rodin...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ADAM SMITH!2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: 427According to Reason Magazine this year is the 300th anniversary of the birth of Adam Smith, who is considered by many to be history’s strongest...

REPEAL FISA SECTION 7022 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: #426In the continued frenzy that followed the attacks on September 11, 2001, Congress amended section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act...

TO BRING US TOGETHER2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: #425My longtime and great friend Judge Andy Guilford (Ret.) gave me a suggestion for a 2 Paragraphs piece which provides suggestions about how we can...

Freedom Lies in Being Bold2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: #424According to the Pacific Legal Foundation, when American poet Robert Frost was being interviewed on a 1952 television show, he said that he...

EDUCATION, PARENTING & LEADERSHIP2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: #423With apologies to no one, last week I left you without an edition of our 2 Paragraphs because my great wife Grace and I were traveling...

The History of our Homeless ProblemsTo our 2 Paragraphs Family, I don’t do this very often, but my daughter Jennifer came upon and sent me this link, which accurately sets forth the history of our...

INCENTIVES MATTER!2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: #422Toward the end of the 18th century, England began sending convicts to Australia. The transportation was privately provided but publicly funded. But a...

INCLUSION THROUGH BETTER POLICIES2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: #421I am writing this edition on the Fourth of July, and thinking about where we are as a country. And that has led me also to wonder if this...

SOME INCONVENIENT TRUTHS2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: #420“But that isn’t fair to me!” How often have you heard that complaint? Well, I raised my children on the saying that “Who says life is fair?” They...

MONTHLY STIPENDS vs. THE WELFARE SYSTEM!2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: #419People are beginning to think about and discuss incentives! Good! At last! Why is that? Because, as one of my true heroes Dr....

A SACRAMENTO SHAM!2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: #418As written by Columnist Dan Walters in the June 14, 2023 edition of the Orange County Register, Proposition 25 was passed by the voters in the 2010...

Follow-Up CompetitionAfter reading today’s 2 Paragraphs edition, one of our Family members made this suggestion to have a competition, which I now pass along to you. So please send me your original...

ALEXIS DE TOCQUEVILLE WAS RIGHT!2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: #417In April of 1831 Alexis de Tocqueville set out for the United States from his native France to study the American penal system. So for...

FLASH TO THE PAST & PRESENT2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: #416A long-time good friend of mine recently went to the President Jimmy Carter Museum in Atlanta, Georgia and he sent me a copy of a wall at the...

MEMORIAL SIGNIFICANCE!2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: #415Happy Memorial Day, which is today. But as we use the day and weekend to gather with family and friends to travel and have good times, let us also...

PRO-JECT' UNDERSTANDING2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: #414We all know that there certainly are many bad things happening here and all around the world. In fact, we get hit in the face with them daily in...

REQUESTING A FAVOR2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: #413Taking many lessons and insights I gathered while presiding over our high school Peer Court program over the years, I wrote a musical entitled...

RANKED-CHOICE VOTING2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: #412From time immemorial voters in our country have faced the concept of voting in the primary elections for the “lesser of two evils.” Why? Because our...

My Op-Ed about FentanylTo our 2 Paragraphs Family, Last Sunday I published an Op-Ed piece in the Orange County Register about the scourge of fentanyl. A copy is attached. And, as always, feedback is...

MY LIFE PHILOSOPHY2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: #411One of the things that I believe sets me aside from most people is that, at a fairly early age, maybe while in high school, I decided that one of the...

Fourteen Facts About the War on DrugsTo our 2 Paragraphs Family, I am forwarding to you this information I just received from a speaker’s group that I have been involved with for a long time. It is...

REGULATE AND CONTROL!2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY #410As most of our readers know, the purpose of this series is to promote thinking and discussions about the serious topics of our day. So here we go...

IT'S NOT REALLY A HARD DECISION2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY #409Question regarding Governmental Compulsion vs. Freedom: Shall someone like a baker be compelled by government to create a wedding cake to be...

INSTITUTIONAL TRANSPARENCY2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY #408Right after the 2020 elections, this column strongly proposed that Congress establish a transparently-neutral commission, probably comprised of...

SAFEGUARDING OUR LIBERTIES2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: #407The Opinion Section of the March 19, 2023 edition of the Orange County Register was completely devoted to addressing the abrogation of the...

TEACHING STUDENTS TO THINK2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: #406In the February 26, 2023 edition of the Orange County Register there was a Letter to the Editor that caught my eye that included the following...