Blogs
2 Paragraphs 4 Liberty
Government needs to step out of center debate – by Judge Jim Gray
Government needs to step out of center debateSo should the Muslim community be "allowed" to build a mosque or religious center two blocks away from the former World Trade Center site? Actually...
Geothermal hot in sustainable world – by Judge Jim Gray
Geothermal hot in sustainable worldMuch of Iceland sits on active volcanic zones. In fact, that is why the country is known as the land of fire and ice. In those volcanic areas, when ground water...
Tribute to a life well lived – by Judge Jim Gray
Tribute to a life well livedRecently, I received a telephone call from the daughter of Andy Blodget, a good friend of mine from San Luis Obispo. She told me that her father had died after having a...
Where fire meets ice – by Judge Jim Gray
Where fire meets iceMany people in Iceland talk about trolls as nasty or evil ogres, plagued with a seemingly endless aggressive streak. But others will tell you that these are untrue and shameful...
Breaking the cycle of poverty – by Judge Jim Gray
Breaking the cycle of povertyOne final thing I wanted to share with you from the FreedomFest convention in Las Vegas a few weeks ago was the program that has spawned an upcoming movie, "To Catch a...
Dachau death camp revisited – by Judge Jim Gray
Dachau death camp revisitedDuring the summer of 1965, between my junior and senior years at UCLA, I traveled to Western Europe with a friend and, among other things, visited the former concentration...
Dachau death camp revisited – by Judge Jim Gray
Dachau death camp revisitedDuring the summer of 1965, between my junior and senior years at UCLA, I traveled to Western Europe with a friend and, among other things, visited the former concentration...
Effective fights for freedom – by Judge Jim Gray
Effective fights for freedomThis week I will continue to discuss the recent Freedom Fest convention in Las Vegas, where one of the speakers was Greg Mortenson. You probably know of Mortenson as the...
Canada has the right idea – by Judge Jim Gray
Canada has the right ideaThis past weekend I joined about 2,000 other people at a convention called Freedom Fest in Las Vegas. In many ways it was intensely discouraging. In many other even more...
Look to Mexican example of crime prevention – by Judge Jim Gray
Look to Mexican example of crime preventionA crime prevention program being used in Mexico has reduced rape by 26%, family violence 34%, house burglary 22% and robbery 30%. These results are all the...
Beginning to see the light – by Judge Jim Gray
Beginning to see the lightNews flash! On June 22, the Chicago Sun-Times published an editorial recommending a radical change in our nation's drug policy. The editorial began by saying: "When will we...
Living his masterpiece daily – by Judge Jim Gray
Living his masterpiece dailyI want to add my voice and discuss the life and enduring legacy of Johnny Wooden. This great UCLA basketball coach, teacher and family man left us on June 4 at the age of...
Proactive approach to gangs needed – by Judge Jim Gray
Proactive approach to gangs neededDo you want to have a disturbing experience? Then read the book "This Is for the Mara Salvatrucha: Inside the MS-13, America's Most Violent Gang" by Samuel Logan...
The corrupting of traffic citations – by Judge Jim Gray
The corrupting of traffic citationsIn many parts of the country, police have expressly been instructed to issue more traffic citations in order to generate revenue to counteract governmental budget...
Right to be ‘Rule of Law’ city – by Judge Jim Gray
Right to be 'Rule of Law' cityOK, let's calm down and see these recent developments in Arizona and even the city of Costa Mesa for what they really are. They have little or nothing to do with racism...
Reality in Pelican Bay Prison – by Judge Jim Gray
Reality in Pelican Bay PrisonA few weeks ago I devoted this column to the comments and observations of my friend Dr. Earl Fuller about his experiences while volunteering at the women’s prison at...
Reject cynicism – vote – by Judge Jim Gray
Reject cynicism - voteOne of the most gratifying things about writing this column is that people often respond, either on the Daily Pilot’s website or to me personally by e-mail. I always respond...
Prisons lacking proper care – by Judge Jim Gray
Prisons lacking proper careDuring my time as a trial court judge, I heard many disturbing stories about substandard medical treatment being given to the inmates in our prison system, and recently...
We have to rally for beliefs – by Judge Jim Gray
We have to rally for beliefsOn April 15, my friends Sid and Carole Spinak invited me to join them at the Tea Party rally at the Plaza of the Flags in Santa Ana, just behind the courthouse. Never...
Follow the law, not hearts – by Judge Jim Gray
Follow the law, not heartsNews flash! The Obama administration will not be nominating me, or any other Libertarian, to fill the seat of retiring Justice John Paul Stevens on the Supreme Court of the...
Our brains are our strength – by Judge Jim Gray
Our brains are our strengthDuring my recent trip to Hong Kong, Vietnam and Cambodia, I noticed that American goods and services were prominently available in each of those countries. This started me...
Cambodia shows progress – by Judge Jim Gray
Cambodia shows progressMy recent trip to Vietnam and Cambodia with my wife, Grace, consisted mostly of a visit to Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, and a five-day boat trip up the Mekong River to...
It’s certainly not yesterday’s Vietnam – by Judge Jim Gray
It’s certainly not yesterday’s VietnamMy wife Grace and I just returned from a two-week trip to Vietnam and Cambodia. This column will discuss today’s Vietnam — which has certainly changed since I...
To protect the state — and the church – by Judge Jim Gray
To protect the state — and the churchLast week we discussed a sermon I gave at the Garden Grove United Methodist Church, which focused on the decisions that Christians are called upon to make, and...
We are all living in the arms of God – by Judge Jim Gray
We are all living in the arms of GodRecently I was asked to give a sermon at Garden Grove United Methodist Church, the church I belonged to before I met and got married to my wife, Grace, and I was...
Take heart: a proposed tax that is ‘fair’ – by Judge Jim Gray
Take heart: a proposed tax that is ‘fair’No one should need any convincing that our present federal and state income tax system is costly, oppressively complex, and economically inefficient. The...
Human trafficking is still big business – by Judge Jim Gray
Human trafficking is still big businessThere is no question that the United Nations has become enormously political and petty. But it still offers some hope for addressing and even resolving some...
‘We have met the enemy, and he is us’ – by Judge Jim Gray
‘We have met the enemy, and he is us’OK, fun is fun, and fair is fair. But our economy is in serious trouble, which, in turn, means our country’s future is at stake. And, as Ayn Rand was quoted as...
Ballot measure is way to properly police pot – by Judge Jim Gray
Ballot measure is way to properly police potSpecial to The Bee Published: Sunday, Jan. 10, 2010 - 12:00 am | Page 4E How should the state respond to the growth of medical marijuana dispensaries? To...
VIP Mentors: a truly wonderful project – by Judge Jim Gray
VIP Mentors: a truly wonderful projectOne thing I learned from my extended involvement with the criminal justice system is that each case is different, and, although it sounds silly to have to say...
How to fix a broken government – by Judge JIm Gray
How to fix a broken governmentYou probably do not need to hear much from me to convince you that our government is broken. The problems come directly from Congress and our state legislature, and the...
Discovering new worlds: public speaking – by Judge Jim Gray
Discovering new worlds: public speakingMany psychiatrists have reported that the thing most people fear more than anything else is public speaking. No. 2 is dying, and No. 3 is heights. Well, I have...
May each deserve a sprig of verbena – by Judge Jim Gray
May each deserve a sprig of verbenaLast week you heard from my good friend Judge Andrew Guilford about his thoughts and involvement in the preparation of this column for the past 2½ years. And, as...
‘But, oops, I’ve got a deadline to meet’ – by Judge Jim Gray
‘But, oops, I’ve got a deadline to meet’This is the 117th column I have written for the Daily Pilot. When the editors and I first reached an agreement, I committed for only a year. But it has been...
Taking taxing to the most logical limits – by Judge Jim Gray
Taking taxing to the most logical limitsWhile contemplating the gathering of information to prepare for my 2009 income tax returns, I started thinking about all of the different and creative ways...
Living each day as your masterpiece – by Judge Jim Gray
Living each day as your masterpieceWhile driving around Newport Beach recently I noticed an automobile that had the word “FLUENT” on its license plate. The more I reflected upon it, the more I...
Obamas were mindful of the Constitution – by Judge Jim Gray
Obamas were mindful of the ConstitutionFor one reason or another, I receive large numbers of e-mails from lots of different sources. One I received recently was from the blog of a man named Stephen...
Giving our troops better treatment – by Judge Jim Gray
Giving our troops better treatmentWe are blessed in Orange County to have several wonderful and well-known institutions of higher learning. But one of them that is less known is increasingly...
Countering hate, fear and bigotry – by Judge Jim Gray
Countering hate, fear and bigotryAlittle while ago I attended a fundraising banquet for the Orange County/Long Beach Region of the Anti-Defamation League. I had always thought that the league was...
Further discussions about terrorism – by Judge Jim Gray
Further discussions about terrorismQuite a few people responded to last week’s column about whether the airport screening program is a good utilization of resources in fighting against terrorist...
How to combat terrorism successfully – by Judge Jim Gray
How to combat terrorism successfullyRecently, as I was going through airport security screening at Los Angeles International Airport, the issue of how we can best keep terrorist attacks on civilians...
‘You can’t fake reality’ forever – by Judge Jim Gray
‘You can’t fake reality’ foreverQuotes from two books I have read just seem to stay with me. One is from Pearl Buck’s “The Three Daughters of Madame Liang,” which says that “Freedom is the only air...
Exploring new worlds: the Peace Corps – by Judge Jim Gray
Exploring new worlds: the Peace CorpsBetween graduating from college in 1966 and entering law school in 1968, I served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Costa Rica. Many times since my return, people...
The conscience of a Libertarian – by Judge Jim Gray
The conscience of a LibertarianOK, I know that generalizations usually don’t work. But I will generalize here and pose that the definition of a Republican is a person who wants more government in...
Exploring new worlds: seahorses – by Judge Jim Gray
Exploring new worlds: seahorsesBefore we went on our recent trip to the big island of Hawaii, a real estate broker I have been dealing with strongly suggested we visit Ocean Riders Seahorse Farm on...
Think about our everyday language – by Judge Jim Gray
Think about our everyday languageWe couldn't function in the everyday world without habits, which are basically actions taken without our conscious thought. One example is walking. We thought about...
The wonderful world of grandparenting – By Judge Jim Gray
The wonderful world of grandparentingWhen I was a judge on the mental health calendar, one of my happiest collateral duties was to officiate over three adoptions almost every morning, and I tried to...
Our top 10 drug policy goals – By Judge Jim Gray
Our top 10 drug policy goalsLast weekend I spoke at a drug policy conference at the University of Texas at El Paso. It was put together in response to a resolution adopted last January by the El...
Getting accurate information to market – by Judge Jim Gray
Getting accurate information to marketIn many ways, one of the functions of government is to establish systems whereby accurate information can get out into the marketplace. What people do with the...
The great Pacific Ocean garbage patch – by Judge Jim Gray
The great Pacific Ocean garbage patchRecently I was shocked to hear of an area in the Pacific Ocean somewhat north of a line between San Francisco and Hawaii that is simply a heap of trash twice the...
Take time to donate on Labor Day – by Judge Jim Gray
Take time to donate on Labor DayMany of you will not be home this weekend to receive this greeting because you will be taking a short trip for the Labor Day weekend. Nevertheless, happy Labor Day!...
State has too many people in prison – by Judge Jim Gray
State has too many people in prisonMost of us have heard that a federal court mandate is just around the corner requiring California to release as many as 43,000 of its about 160,000 inmates. What...
Forest fires: another harm of prohibition – by Judge Jim Gray
Forest fires: another harm of prohibitionFor the past 17 years, I have, as a sitting judge, been trying to call everyone’s attention to the failures of our nation’s policy of drug prohibition. In...
Hunters decimating shark population – by Judge Jim Gray
Hunters decimating shark populationRecently, one of my sons loaned me a video titled “Sharkwater,” which was created by Canadian filmmaker Rob Stewart. The thesis of the film is that unchecked...
How does an airplane fly? Think about it – By Judge Jim Gray
How does an airplane fly? Think about itAs my wife and I in a few days are going to get onto an airplane and take off for a vacation, I again started wondering how an airplane actually flies. To me...
Keep government out of the marketplace. by Judge Jim Gray
Keep government out of the marketplaceI have been pondering the answer to the following two questions for several years: First, what actually is the basic liberal philosophy? See if you agree with...
Ways to resolve our everyday disputes – by Judge Jim Gray
Ways to resolve our everyday disputesLooking back over my career as a trial court judge, I believe that the thing that brought me the most gratification was helping people to resolve their disputes...
Have a dose of healthy skepticism – by Judge Jim Gray
Have a dose of healthy skepticismWhen my children were between 5 and 8 years old, we happened to be driving south on the San Diego Freeway below El Toro when I saw a strawberry field that was...
Consider the ways to lose a filthy habit – by Judge Jim Gray
Consider the ways to lose a filthy habitThe only positive thing that resulted from my wonderful mother’s addiction to cigarettes was that I grew up hating them. To me, smoking was and is dirty,...
Celebrating and preserving our heritage – By Judge Jim Gray
Celebrating and preserving our heritageWhat was life like in Orange County the early 1900s? It was almost completely agricultural, but how did those people live? Well, the answers to these questions...
Exploring an existing school of thought – by Judge Jim Gray
Exploring an existing school of thoughtSince I wrote the column about the transcendental meditation program (“To a mind that is still,” Dec. 13), I have learned so many exciting things about how the...
Join me in celebrating our country’s flag – by Judge Jim Gray
Join me in celebrating our country’s flagOur country’s flag is the symbol of our country and our freedoms, and in many ways it is a large part of our daily lives. On June 14, 1777, Congress passed...
To the people of Russia: Thank you – by Judge Jim Gray
To the people of Russia: Thank youJust like most of you, I get lots of unsolicited e-mail messages. Some of them I look at, and some of them I don’t. But I received one recently that really caught...
Reworking prison system could save us – by Judge Jim Gray
Reworking prison system could save usOK, now that the voters have told the politicians in Sacramento in the recent election that they oppose the continual raising of their taxes, and also disapprove...
Reworking prison system could save us – by Judge Jim Gray
Reworking prison system could save usOK, now that the voters have told the politicians in Sacramento in the recent election that they oppose the continual raising of their taxes, and also disapprove...
Reworking prison system could save us – by Judge Jim Gray
Reworking prison system could save usOK, now that the voters have told the politicians in Sacramento in the recent election that they oppose the continual raising of their taxes, and also disapprove...
We have art all around us in Newport – by Judge Jim Gray
We have art all around us in NewportDo you agree with me that being surrounded with art and cultural opportunities enhances and stimulates our daily lives? Well, the good news is that, living in and...
‘The meaning is in the shadows’ – by Judge Jim Gray
‘The meaning is in the shadows’The receptionist where I work recently loaned me a book about homelessness titled “The Meaning is in the Shadows,” by Peter McVerry, who is a Jesuit priest in Ireland....
Choices at twilight time – Judge Jim Gray
Choices at twilight timeA few years before my wonderful mother died, she first told me a story, and then followed it up with a strong request. The story concerned my nephew, who had lived most of...
The Canyon Acres story – by Judge Jim Gray
The Canyon Acres storyLast St. Patrick’s Day, while waiting at Promelis Market for my take-out order of corned beef and cabbage, I began making light conversation with a distinguished- looking man...
Lowering costs of health care – by Judge Jim Gray
Lowering costs of health careI will get this fact out of the way at the beginning: My wife is a physical therapist, and she owns and manages her own physical therapy practice in the City of Orange....
WE TRIED A WAR LIKE THIS ONCE BEFORE – Mike Gray
WE TRIED A WAR LIKE THIS ONCE BEFOREDear family and friends, Enclosed is a copy of an op-ed piece written by my friend Mike Gray that will appear tomorrow in the Washington Post. It is as incisive...
That’s the short and long of it – Judge Jim Gray
That’s the short and long of itThere is an old saying that being in a rut is like being in a grave without end. Of course, in some ways it is, simply and purely, beneficial to have a set routine....
Quiet conscience makes one strong – by Judge Jim Gray
Quiet conscience makes one strongLast week we discussed the importance of returning to American values. This is truly important because, in many ways, our great country is now at a crossroads. Will...
Former judge fired up on making pot legal – Steve Lopez
Former judge fired up on making pot legalAll right, tell me this doesn't sound a little strange: I'm sitting in Costa Mesa with a silver-haired gent who once ran for Congress as a Republican and...
Judge Jim Gray supports Assemblyman Tom Ammiano’s proposed AB 390
Judge Jim Gray supports Assemblyman Tom Ammiano’s proposed AB 390Assemblyman Jose SolarioState Capitol Sacramento, California 95814 Re: Support for AB 390 Dear Jose: As a trial court judge in the...
Back to American fundamentals – by Judge Jim Gray
Back to American fundamentalsMy friend Louis E. Carabini said in his book “Inclined to Liberty” that “There are those inclined to liberty, and those inclined to mastery.” Among other things, he...
Exploring new worlds: winemaking – by Judge Jim Gray
Exploring new worlds: winemakingIt’s easy to have a small fortune in the winemaking business, I’m told. All you have to do is to start with a large fortune. But for years I have wondered about this...
The way government should be – by Judge Jim Gray
The way government should beRecently I was able to meet Orange County Treasurer and Tax Collector Chriss Street and take a tour of his offices. I was genuinely impressed with what he is doing, and...
Treating pot like alcohol – by Judge Jim Gray
Treating pot like alcoholI recently participated in a news conference in San Francisco with Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, Chairwoman Betty Yee of the State Board of Equalization, and Oakland City...
My Movitation – Judge Jim Gray’s response to a letter
My Movitation - Judge Jim Gray's response to a letterDear Mark, Thank you for the note. I worked hard on the book with the hope that it would increase a full, open and honest discussion of this...
Exploring new worlds: cooking – By Judge Jim Gray
Exploring new worlds: cookingThis past Valentine’s Day I decided to offer to do what I had not done for about 30 years — cook a nice meal for my wife. The idea was well received. So I went to some...
Exploring new worlds: cooking – By Judge Jim Gray
Exploring new worlds: cookingThis past Valentine’s Day I decided to offer to do what I had not done for about 30 years — cook a nice meal for my wife. The idea was well received. So I went to some...
Different worlds: scuba diving – by Judge Jim Gray
Different worlds: scuba divingIf you want to visit a truly different, fascinating, varied and colorful world, try scuba diving. Yes, it can be dangerous, so you should not venture below the surface...
Different worlds: white water rafting – by Judge Jim Gray
Different worlds: white water raftingMy all-time favorite vacation activity is white water rafting. If you are not afraid of the water, or of getting wet, and you love the out-of-doors, you should...
Different worlds: white water rafting – by Judge Jim Gray
Different worlds: white water raftingMy all-time favorite vacation activity is white water rafting. If you are not afraid of the water, or of getting wet, and you love the out-of-doors, you should...
Discovering new worlds: fly fishing – by Judge Jim Gray
Discovering new worlds: fly fishingIf you stop and think about it, there are many separate and complete worlds all around us that are just waiting to be discovered. So in the next few weeks I will...
Shingles: the avoidable disease – by Judge Jim Gray
Shingles: the avoidable diseaseRecently I went up to San Luis Obispo to visit my aunt. One basic rule in life is that family is first, and I try to gauge my actions accordingly. My aunt is...
Books for the ‘resistant reader’ – by Judge Jim Gray
Books for the ‘resistant reader’In an earlier column we discussed one of the best ways for young people to expand their horizons and become more sophisticated in the world — and that is by reading....
Governing human conduct – By Judge Jim Gray
Governing human conductOn my second day of retirement, I went to my son’s high school to speak to his government class about laws and our judicial system in general. And I wanted to share some of...
The Libertarian philosophy – by Judge Jim Gray
The Libertarian philosophyI 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...
Classic liberal, conservative values – by Judge Jim Gray
Classic liberal, conservative valuesWhile accompanying my wife shopping recently, I happened to see a friend of mine. This is a man who has been quite successful in his business career, and whom I...
Job loss can happen to anyone – by Judge Jim Gray
Job loss can happen to anyoneJob loss can happen to anyone Save/Share By JAMES P. GRAYUpdated: Saturday, December 20, 2008 6:43 PM PST I had the good fortune to meet Anthony George Dodero — known to...
To a mind that is still – by Judge Jim Gray
To a mind that is stillThe Taiwanese author Chang Tsu once said “To a mind that is still, the whole world surrenders.” The best way to obtain a still mind is through meditation. But, although most...
IT’S A GRAY AREA: Grappling with mental illness
Grappling with mental illnessIt's A Gray AreaMental illness has been a part of the human experience for as long as mankind has walked the face of the earth. But within the last several years,...
No, it’s just the beginning – by Judge Jim Gray
No, it’s just the beginningIt's A Gray AreaMaybe some of you older types like me will remember watching the television police show “Dragnet,” starring Jack Webb. Then you might also recall that,...
“EXPAND YOUR CHILDREN’S HORIZONS” by Judge Jim Gray
“EXPAND YOUR CHILDREN’S HORIZONS”The two best ways to expand the horizons of our children is for them to travel, and for them to read. In traveling they can be exposed to unfamiliar places and also...
“A STITCH IN TIME SAVES KIDS” by Judge Jim Gray
“A STITCH IN TIME SAVES KIDS”Sometimes the court system doesn’t do what the community expects, and even has a right to expect. For example, it would seem to be fundamental that the Juvenile Court...
“IS OUR COUNTRY AT WAR” by Judge Jim Gray
“IS OUR COUNTRY AT WAR?”Is our country at war? That is a question that must be asked, because there are many important consequences for being at war. So are we? Well, the answer is no, we are not at...