All Rise! The Libertarian Way with Judge Jim Gray

i have been honored and even blessed for the past 91 Fridays on this VoiceAmerica Variety Channel to present and discuss important issues of our day with you and our many guests. Thank you for being a part of our Family! This will be the final broadcast of All Rise! but all past editions will be available forever at www.VoiceAmerica.com/show/3883. Please continue to listen and share our ideas with your friends. The whole idea has been to further these discussions. As you have heard, our solid theme is that if we employ Libertarian values of responsibility, hard work, live and let live and voluntary consent, we will All Rise together. And we have presented guests in the fields of education, healthcare, wars, the private sector and foundations and more who show that our approach works, and victimization, complaining, the welfare state and socialism do not. So thank you for being with us, and you can always contact me with questions, comments and suggestions at www.JudgeJimGray.com.

In this final edition of All Rise that has a guest, listen to Seth Levy, who is a fairly young Libertarian who is amazingly sophisticated, practical and laden with insights! If you listen to his comments, you will agree with me that, with people like this, our Libertarian Future is Secure! He only works on the campaigns of people he believes in, which makes me overly proud to say that he was my campaign manager in my run for the Libertarian nomination for President in 2020. And later he was Dr. Jo Jorgensen's Special Projects Manager. So listen in and get the inside scoop about Dr. Jo's campaign for President, including the successes and the less so's. We are building for the future, and electing more and more candidates to local offices. People like Seth Levy are making it happen, and they will continue to do so! So, I am truly proud and encouraged to say, Help is on the Way!

All voters in our country are, or should be, independents! That is the mantra of our wonderful and successful guest, Governor Gary Johnson, who was the Libertarian candidate for President in 2012 (with your host as his VP running mate) and in 2016. What would our country look like had he/we been elected? Transparency and financial responsibility at all levels of the federal government, facing problems directly and openly, as he did as Governor of New Mexico, listening to people about their problems and suggestions, and getting the government out of areas it doesn't belong, like healthcare and education. As Governor Johnson describes it, he is a stickler for the truth, and he would have gotten knowledgeable and forthright people into his cabinet, and listened to them! As he said when he asked me to be his running mate, Jim, feel free to disagree with me publicly during the campaign, but tell people what my position is too, and be sure you're right. Join us and be refreshed!

Our guest is an expert in the history of our Constitutional Convention, and came up with the idea to use my new musical, Convention: the Birth of America as the theme for a new show called Becoming America. America is a Perfect Idea. The United States of America is a Work in Progress. That captures who we are! We use each of the musical's 17 songs as a basis for a 1-hour show explaining the issues involved in the Convention, the pressures on the Delegates, and what life was like at that time. So listen as our guest Dr. Jo Ellen Chatham explains the lasting significance of our 1787 Constitutional Convention! She shares her knowledge and insights to many of us who in many regards have lost our way. We have a proud history, and live in a country that was born from the idea of self-government and Liberty. This has never happened before or since. We rightfully should be proud and supportive of who we are, and who we are becoming! So join me in pledging allegiance to our Constitution!

This week's guest is Larisa Bolivar, an immigrant from Peru who was raised in Virginia by parents who fell for the DARE agenda that all marijuana use was harmful. So she and her husband became Cannabis Refugees and moved to Colorado, where she has been and is now heavily involved in the legal distribution of cannabis both for medical and recreational purposes with the Cannabis Consumers Coalition. Larisa says that not only is cannabis an anti-inflammatory, it also promotes balance in our systems, minds and spirits, and also helps our relationships with others. And legal cannabis has quality control, enforces age restrictions and does not provide dealers who want their customers to move on to hard drugs. But she also has first-hand experience in seeing how many governments are putting needless licensing requirements onto legitimate distributors, which mostly crowds out small businesses. This is a timely issue presented by a most knowledgeable lady.

this week's guest Manny Klausner, Esq. is a mainstay, titan and pillar in the Libertarian Party! He is an expert in constitutional, election and media law and business litigation matters who was converted to the Free Market and Liberty while a student at NYU Law School. Since then he has been hugely involved with Reason Magazine, Reason Foundation, Federalist Society, Institute for Justice and the Individual Rights Foundation. If it is an important and positive Libertarian movement, Manny Klausner has his fingerprints on it. Klausner's key to a successful society: Voluntary Consent. So is our guest optimistic about our country's future in this time of a deplorable state of education in the US, both K-12 and higher education, and also with the virtual breakdown of professional journalism and honest reporting? Yes, because of the development of social media. It is up to us. Yes, we must be careful about what we believe, but censorship is not the answer. We are the answer.

Meet a well-known blogger who came here as an immigrant and is living the American Dream to the fullest. Art Pedroza is this week's guest, and he is an inspiration. Not only was he brought here from Mexico as a small child by his parents, he learned English so fully that by the third grade he was winning school-wide spelling bees. He also learned quickly what it is to work hard by helping in his father's maintenance and janitorial business during his summers. And he was the first in his family to earn a college degree and an MBA. Art has taught at Cerritos College and become certified as an OSHA, 1st Aid, Hazardous Waste and Emergency Response Instructor. Art will also explain how he was a dedicated Republican for years until he saw how that party was treating immigrants and gays and dealing with the deficits. So he is now a Libertarian. Listen to his thoughtful blog at www.OCPoliticsBlog.com. Hear how Libertarians deal with COVID-19, education and obtain excellence in education.

Please join us to meet one of the finest and most successful human beings your host has ever met: my brother-in-law (and Cunado) Peter Frazier. Hear how the financial markets work from the perspective of a successful stock broker. What went wrong in the 2007 financial crisis? How should the system have worked? What about those bailouts by government of some companies and not of others? And when should a person begin to invest, and in what? And then, from a social standpoint, you will also hear how the Botanical Gardens at UC California is re-introducing native vegetation back into its native countries where it has now become extinct; and how Save the Redwoods is protecting these greatest of trees for all future generations to appreciate and enjoy, while they also suck up tons of carbon dioxide from the air. Libertarian values socially and in the marketplace? Our guest has been, and is, there! Tune in and you will share in my assessment of this man.

Why do you think when your host was running for President he sought out his guest Larry Sharpe to be his running mate? Tune in to this edition to hear the reasons: articulate, dedicated, creative, principled, experienced, caring and practical. For example, listen to his 2 Ellis Islands approach to immigration -- it would contros our borders but would also be great for immigrants who want to pursue the American Dream! He also has a plan to turn our welfare system from a Crutch to a Ladder. And he knows how we can unify America. As a former Libertarian candidate for Governor of New York, he traveled the state and demonstrated how to reduce friction between police and their communities, reduce deficits and increase the quality of schools, healthcare and so much more. For more information, please visit www.LarrySharpe.com. This man literally shows how if we employ Libertarian values and approaches, we will All Rise together. Tune in, and you will agree!

Join us and hear a dynamic, articulate and experienced Libertarian leader explain why most voters really are Libertarian - they just don't know it! Former Chair of the National Libertarian Party Nick Sarwark is our guest for this edition and he -- sometimes more precisely than your host -- explains our philosophy and approaches and why they work so much better -- for everyone! Virtually all other political parties fight to be able to set the rules. But Libertarians fight to let people set their own rules, as long as they don't wrongly hurt others or take their stuff. Nick recently moved his family to New Hampshire -- close to the Eastern Seaboard and all of its action, but also rural and with good values and schools. And he now is also running to become the chief prosecutor in Hillsboro County. Prosecutors are required to do the right thing for the right reason -- every time! Find out more at www.SarwarkForThePeople.com. And also find out why you are probably a Libertarian too!

What is still the largest cash crop in California, and many other states as well? Marijuana, otherwise known as Cannabis or Hemp. How have many of our states changed their laws about this product? In many ways due to the efforts of our two pioneering guests, Mr. Chris Conrad and his wife Ms. Mikki Norris. Hear how California's Prop. 215 allowing medical doctors to recommend medical marijuana to their patients was passed in 1996. Learn what the benefits and drawbacks are of using marijuana, as well as the benefits of industrial hemp. And hear as our guests compare the approach to marijuana by Holland as opposed to that of the US. And also hear of the genuine harms that have been unnecessarily inflicted upon so many people by our nation's failed policy of Drug Prohibition. Yes, you can read about these things in their books Hemp: Lifeline to the Future, and Shattered Lives. But, better yet, listen to them tell you directly.

Like your host, you probably have heard about the Baha'i faith for a long time, but don't really know much about it. Well this week's guest, Dr. Fereshteh Bethel, a doctor of psychology, will fill in all of the blanks. This religion began on May 22, 1844 in Persia (now Iran), and has about 6 million followers in more than 200 countries. And their religion is founded upon a Genuine Oneness of God and Religion, and an Equality of every human being. All races, cultures, men and women are equally important, so there is a Unity in Diversity! But, rather than indoctrinate, the Baha'i faith teaches that all human beings should not blindly follow others. Instead they should make up their own minds. Then most people logically will discover that differences among people are only a distraction, and scapegoating groups of people is wrong in God's Eyes. For more information our guest suggests we visit www.Bahai.org. But for a great outline of one of the world's profound religions, please tune in.

Raised in a terribly abusive family, placed in 18 foster homes between ages 13 and 18, kicked out of the system at age 18 with no resources, human-trafficked, prostituted, drug-addicted, raped and left for dead. So how could this week's guest, Ms. Lauri Burns, have survived, much less become a genuine Guardian Angel for hundreds of young ladies who suffered a similar fate? Learn Lauri's story and, just like your host, you will have tears in your eyes. Her motto: Go Big or Go Home! And she has gone big by succeeding in a Fortune 500 company, founding The Teen Project, which has transformed the lives and futures of more than 1640 similarly-abused young ladies, and fostering 40 young ladies in her own home. Lauri said: At first I thought God hated me to put me in this life. But, she goes on, now I know he was just setting me up to serve others. Read her story in her book Punished for Purpose or, better yet, tune in to this interview -- because this is a truly special lady!

Ain't it awful?! Deficits that will harm our children, too many foreign wars and failing schools, a Justice system that IS too often unjust, overly-expensive healthcare systems and political polarization everywhere ! We have strayed from what works: Liberty, responsibility and private innovation and creativity. But you can be part of the solution by voting for Libertarians Jorgensen and Cohen for President and Vice President! This week's guest, VP Candidate Jeremy Spike Cohen, will show you why! This man gave himself the nickname Spike when he was a youngster, modeling it after a cartoon character who would Save the Day. And that is what he is doing now. You will find him to be an articulate speaker for the Message of Liberty who will show us all how Our Time is Now! Our country desperately needs to become unified and to regain our momentum of greatness, which is built upon our Libertarian values. So if that is what you want, and even crave: Jorgensen/Cohen is your only vote!

Fear is the best way for governments to gain power over us and to reduce our Liberty. This week's guest, Mr. Leon Weinstein, immigrated from his native USSR in 1973, first to Israel and then to America. And now he watches with deep concern how our government is getting closer to the ways of the former Soviet Union in how it reduces our Liberty. For example, do you think that any elected federal government official will ever declare that the War on Terror is over so that we can repeal the so-called Patriot Act? Mr. Weinstein also has many other wide-ranging interests, such that he wrote and staged several children's plays which compare the Free Enterprise System with other economic approaches. Guess which system came out on top. And he has also focused much of his attention upon bringing back competition for quality education and healthcare. So this Libertarian has many insights, and he has been in the trenches for all of us for years. Tune in, and you will be impressed!

There is a huge difference between being mentally disabled and being brain injured. So if you know someone who had an incident that resulted in a brain injury, and you care about that person, you should listen to our guest Sue Rueb, whose daughter was the victim of a brain injury. The daughter was wrongly diagnosed for years until Sue and her husband researched the problem, learned about it and established B.R.A.I.N., which stands for Brain Rehabilitation and Injury Network. These angels not only have therapists who treat the brain-injured, they have sessions to provide insights and successful strategies for their families. For more information go to www.TheBrainSite.org, and hear this interview with this dedicated, successful and angelic lady! We all owe her a debt of thanks!

You are probably like me: I cannot point at very many leaders in today's world. But I can and do point to this week's guest, Kurt L. Schmoke, a former football quarterback and leader of the Black Student Alliance at Yale (where he also helped to found a child care center for the university's janitors and cafeteria workers), Rhodes Scholar, Harvard Law School graduate, State's Attorney, Mayor of Baltimore and present President of the University of Baltimore. Mayor Schmoke was one of the first elected officials to come out publicly against the War on Drugs, and an edited transcript of his speech Why School Vouchers Can Help Inner-City Children is available online. But better than that, tune in and hear this intelligent, insightful, courageous, successful and caring man share with us how we can unify and serve our country now and in the future. Although he is modest, he is that good!

Do you want to be able to vote in favor of a candidate for President instead of just against one? Do you want a President to represent all of all of the people who has actual effective ideas and plans to do just that? Do you want to be proud of your vote? Well, listen to this week's guest Dr. Jo Jorgensen, the Libertarian candidate for President, and you will have an answer to all of those questions. She has plans for excellence in Healthcare and Education for all, to represent our men and women in uniform -- and their families -- who are subjected to so many excessive foreign wars, for protecting our treasured environment, and to bring down the government deficit which will cause inflation and deep harm to our children and grandchildren! Yes, hope is at hand in the form of Libertarian Presidential candidate Dr. Jo Jorgensen! Tune in and you will be inspired to the extent that there will be no question left or right in your mind who most deserves your vote for President!

Please join us and meet a truly accomplished entertainer and song-writer. Steve Lawless leads sing-a-longs from his piano, playing familiar and wonderful songs that everyone loves. Plus, just for us, he will play three of his own creative songs that are fun, but also thought-provoking. So he is one of a kind, but always in tune. In fact, now he can even give play by ear piano lessons over the telephone. (Contact him at stevendooz@aol.com.) He also was one of two partners along with your host in creating the musical Convention: the Birth of America. And he accepted the invitation to sing for us the inspirational encore You Are The We! which challenges us all regarding our precious Liberty to carry it forward, carry it on. . . Because now it is up to us. If he is a gifted success performing sing-a-longs at restaurants and on cruise ships you know you will enjoy this segment. So treat yourself, and listen in. You'll go away singing a happy song.

Many people today are questioning what the proper relationship is or should be between the police and the communities they serve. One man knows, and he is direct in telling us in this edition of All Rise! Steve Downing is a former Deputy Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department, and he shows us what proper and effective policing looks like. Repeal the harmful and failed War on Drugs! De-militarize the police forces! Do not allow any political candidates to accept campaign contributions from any public employees unions! Request information from the people you serve as a neighbor instead of demand it as a cop! Take away responsibilities from the police for addressing issues like homelessness, mental illnesses, and drug addictions and return the police to dealing with people who are a threat to our safety and possessions. Looking for answers to many of today's problems? Tune in to this episode and you will come away with many which are principled and practical -- and effective!