PEACE AS A FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC POLICY
Principle of Natural Law
The unbounded qualities of the universe reside in peace. At their
deepest level, the Laws of Nature allow diversity to be unified,
and differences are resolved. Harmony and orderliness are
characteristics of peace. Peace in the individual occurs when the
body, mind and spirit are unified. Most belief systems and world
religions identify and pursue the deep connection of the individual to
the rest of creation. Now scientists are verifying this
experience as the unified field of Natural Law and that it is
experienced in the human physiology. The Natural Law Party of Ohio
recognizes the unified field as the basis of public policy and the
basis for international peace.
Legislation has been written and introduced into the House of
Representatives and US Senate, which will restore the balance in
Natural Laws, reduce or eliminate household, urban, and international
violence. It is the Department of Peace Bill (HR 3760 and SB
1756). It will budget the equivalent of 2% of the national
defense budget and create a cabinet position at the federal
level. It will create peace personnel in all international
embassies and research and implement non-violent alternatives to war
and terrorism. In essence, the Department of Peace will be
transforming hostile and aggressive tendencies into tolerance, harmony
and cooperation.
Natural Law Solutions :
- Support and lobby for The Department of Peace Bill.
- Provide stress management, anger management and conflict
resolution for all stress related sectors of society: students, police,
fireman, prison inmates and personnel, all branches of the armed
services, and government workers.
- Teach tolerance, diversity and cultural appreciation to schools,
groups, organizations, corporations and government agencies. Begin the
gradual, consistent reduction of all weaponry, honoring all treaties,
removing ineffective sanctions, supporting the United Nations, Peace
Corps and international organizations such as UNICEF, and exporting
technology rather than armaments
- Support programs that foster understanding, such as student
exchange programs and The Olympics, programs that have long term
beneficial results, providing food, medicine and other necessities
where need exists and protecting our environment by conserving fuel and
encouraging interdependency of global resources.
- The USA shall serve as a model of a peaceful nation; offering
non-exploitative commerce that mutually enriches customs, cultures and
resources in a sustainable way.
The Experience of Peace
Beyond the stress and tension of everyday life is a peaceful
inner self. This deep value of life is a powerful inspiration
that transcends and dissipates fear, anger and violence. Each
person influences the whole. When groups of people access this
underlying unity, the qualities of harmony, truth, tolerance,
compassion, justice, liberty and peace radiate throughout
society. When this occurs, true peace will emerge among nations
GOVERNMENT AND THE ELECTORAL PROCESS
((The world is as we are
A Government can only reflect the involvement and ….. of the individual citizens.
( I think I need a section in here about the citizens becoming
better informed, more enlightened and the gov reflects the amount of
awareness. )
Still in process. ))
The Natural Law Party supports "nonpartisan government," bringing
together the best ideas, programs and leaders from all political
parties and the private sector to solve and prevent problems.
Government should be based on what works - not what is politically
expedient, or bought and paid for by special interest groups.
Constitutions, be they State or Federal, have two primary functions:
1. To define and limit the powers of the government.
2. To guarantee and protect the rights and freedoms of all citizens equally.
No amendment to the constitution, State or Federal, has ever, nor
should it ever, empower the government to restrict certain rights and
freedoms of any portion of its citizens.
Principles of Natural law:
It is natural in a free and democratic society for government and its officers:
- To always act in a lawful way in accordance with the constitution
and not enact any laws that are not in the best interest of its
citizens.
- To deliver security, provide protection and safeguards against
unlawful activity, and provide other basic services equally for the
good of all.
- To not create any legal entities which have equal or greater
rights than its citizens at the disadvantage of its citizens.
- To implement a fair and equitable taxing structure in accordance with need and ability to pay.
- To provide fair and equal opportunities for all citizens to
freely participate in the governing process through voting, exercising
of free speech, supporting lawful political activities and running for
office.
- To insure a fair and equitable electoral process for all citizens
that is free of partisan politics and undue influence by special
interest groups.
- To insure all votes are counted accurately and that there is an auditable paper trail.
- To insure the redistricting process is independent and fair and insures all elections are competitive.
Natural Law Solutions:
- Responsibly reduce the size of government and lower taxes by increasing governmental effectiveness.
- Replace crisis management government with prevention-oriented programs and long-term solutions.
- Repeal all laws granting equal rights to corporations thus ending corporate personhood.
- Repeal any laws or constitutional amendments aimed at restricting or limiting the rights specific minorities.
- Electoral Reform:
- Remove all barriers to voter registration and voting, and third party and independent candidates.
- Implement essential campaign finance reform to end special
interest control of government by eliminating both soft money and
Political Action Committees (PACs).
- Create equal access for all candidates and third parties to the ballot, the media and all debates.
- End negative campaigning and partisan politics and implement a campaign code of ethics for all candidates.
- Expedite universal voter registration for a stronger democracy.
- Implement a system of instant runoff voting insuring the winner
of each election will be the favorite of the majority of voters.
- Implement an independent, nonpartisan process to oversee the election and redistricting processes.
Natural Law Results:
- Greater faith in and support for the governing process.
- A greater sense of security by citizens knowing that there are no
artificial entities with greater rights or powers than they and that
all citizens have the same rights and freedoms.
- A citizenry who will not feel disenfranchised by the political
process and who will participate freely because they will know their
voices will be heard and their votes will count.
- Greater choices at the voting booth allowing minority viewpoints to be fully expressed and considered.
OHIO'S ELECTION PROCESS FAIR, OPEN AND TRANSPARENT
Principle of Natural Law:
Everyone agrees that "Honesty is the best policy"
The whole society is comprised of the sum of its parts. The quality of
the society depends on the relationship of individual to the whole and
that all parts are represented. . Therefore, it is essential that
the citizens have the confidence that their votes have been counted.
In a democratic republic, citizens must know that they are listened to
and fairly represented by their government. As citizens
have easy access and greater involvement in the electoral process, the
coherence between voter and elected official is greater, and therefore
is a better reflection of collective consciousness. When
disenfranchised voters, long voting lines, invalid registrations, or
other barriers prevent easy and full access to the polls, this
connection of the individual to government is lost. This gap weakens
the whole society, breaking a special bond and trust in democracy.
It is natural for all voters to
- Have access to unbiased information on every candidate
- Easily and successfully get to the polls and cast ballots efficiently to be counted accurately.
- Know that the voting process is transparent, open to full observation by any interested party.
- Experience campaigns that are not pre-determined by district, finance or the bias of the Secretary of State.
The Natural Law Solutions:
- Move election oversight from Secretary of State's office to a non-partisan Board of Supervisors.
- Move re-districting authority from congressional representatives to a non-partisan, independent commission
- Reduce campaign contributions from $10,000 to $2,000 is a
no-brainer. This would allow for wider public representation in
campaigns and less special interest influence.
- Move toward using a voter-verified paper ballot in all precincts
to assure accuracy and allow for precise re-counts when
necessary. Move toward a voter verified paper ballot (not just a
paper trail but hand-counted paper ballots)
- Conduct automatic random audits in every election.
- Create fair ballot access, expanding diversity of candidates and ideas.
- Conduct open debates, including every candidate on the ballot.
- Publicly fund elections to remove the influence of money in campaigns.
- Encourage citizens of all walks of life to aspire to become
government representatives and serve their country by helping shape a
fair government.
- Make it easier to vote by allowing all Ohioans to vote by mail.
Results of an election process in harmony with Natural Law
- Fair elections allow anyone who wishes to vote, the opportunity to vote easily and successfully,
- Transparent elections can be observed by any interested party; and many will take advantage of this process.
- Elimination of gerrymandering of districts inspires voters and
candidates to run on equal footing of representation, bringing back
vitality and meaning to the election process.
- Minority, handicapped, homeless, working class, and students will
be better represented and their concerns will be addressed by
legislators.
- One party will no longer have a grip on Ohio politics and public agenda.
- More diverse political views from a wide variety of candidates
will emerge, thus breaking the political gridlock and
patrician bickering, leaving a more harmonious problem-solving
atmosphere in Columbus.
Principle of Natural Law:
The world is as we are: Healthy citizens are happy, efficient and successful.
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Good health means the
body is maintaining itself in balance with a strong immune
system. The foundation of a healthy physiology is clear thinking,
energetic behavior and is the basis of great accomplishments. A
weakened physiology is a drain on resources, costly in the workplace
and ineffective action.
All citizens in Ohio are entitled to the best health care coverage
possible. Full coverage for all includes preventative care.
Preventative care reduces expensive emergency visits and therefore is
cost-effective. Universal preventative health care service, as
opposed to the profit-oriented disease care system we now have, will
save resources and lives.
It is natural for all people to maintain healthy productive lives by:
- Being properly educated on unhealthy lifestyles, ingestion of unnatural substances.
- Reducing and eliminating environmental toxins.
- Having access to natural treatments and modern treatments for
cures for diseases, regardless of income or educational background, or
geographic location.
- Being sheltered from the inhuman aspects of the health care business, pharmacies and insurance companies.
- Being able to choose from among both conventional and alternative treatments, in partnership with health care practitioners.
- Allowing the doctors and patients to determine the best health
care, testing procedures and practices rather than being restricted by
insurance companies
The Natural Law Solutions:
- A shift from a disease care system to a health care system that includes prevention, early detection, and education.
- Implement a universal nonprofit health care system whereby health
solutions are a partnership between patient and health care
practitioner.
- A halt to the use of biogenetic engineered (BE) crops and animals
in our food supply until proper safety and testing procedures have been
implemented and they are proven non-harmful to both humans and the
environment.
- Organic food supplies and discontinuance of harmful pesticides,
herbicides, fertilizers, growth hormones, antibiotics and other
unnatural substances by agriculture in the production of food.
- Removal of all proven harmful substances in the processing of our
food supply including carcinogens, dyes, high fructose corn syrup and
trans fatty acids.
- Cleanup of harmful toxins in the environment, home and workplace.
- The use of proven natural treatments instead of only modern expensive invasive techniques.
Results of people living in Harmony with Natural Law
- All citizens will have full access to preventative and extensive
health care regardless of income, employment, race, and geographic
location.
- Diseases of cancer, stress related, toxin related and nutrition related conditions will no longer exist.
- Productivity and happiness will abound since everyone has more energy and balanced physiology.
- The burden of rising health care costs will diminish since emergency care will drop and patients will be practicing prevention.
- Our older generation will be able to live in their own homes
longer, decreasing the need for expensive assisted living or nursing
homes
Principle of Natural Law
Doing more with less makes more sense.
If we observe a tree growing or planets moving, there appears to be no
effort involved. Even geese in flight have grace and appear effortless.
This is because of the Natural Laws of efficiency. Extra waste is
eliminated and that which is useful remains. Efficiency occurs when all
aspects of the system are in balance. In the same way, human
generated economies can function efficiently when aligned with all the
Laws of Nature.
Present economies struggle with debt, inflation, taxation, overworked
citizens, limited resources, waste and abuse of citizen tax
dollars. It appears that nothing comes easily except those who
exploit others and become very wealthy. This is not balance; this
is neither efficient nor stable.
The Natural Law Party of Ohio envisions a flourishing state economy in
which no citizen suffers from unemployment, recession, runaway
inflation, or other economic hardship. This will occur when the economy
is based on maximizing human skills, intelligence, and education. This
will make Ohio's businesses competitive in the marketplace while
maintaining local community integrity.
It is natural for all members of society to :
- Maximize skills, creativity and education as a basis for increased income.
- Live without economic strain, tax burdens or exploitation of others resources.
- Be self sufficient, resourceful and enterprising without degrading the environment or other peoples resources.
- Save and accumulate wealth; debt and deficit spending are not existent.
- Have markets open to everyone without price gouging, tariffs,
subsidies or bailouts that prevent fair enterprise across cultural and
international barriers.
- Have safe working conditions, reasonable employment hours, and a
working environment where health risks are not sacrificed for the sake
of greater and greater profit.
The Natural Law Solutions
- Support proven educational, job training, and apprenticeship
programs that develop intelligence and creativity, and prevent school
dropout.
- Emphasize workers' safety, moral, health and environmental quality.
- Encourage the shift back to self-sufficient communities such as
family farms and locally produced renewable energy
production.
- End corporate welfare by eliminating corporate personhood, tax
incentives for corporate research and development such as oil and gas
exploration.
- Cut the link between campaign contributions from corporations and
legislative favors in return, that only serve to favor the wealthy and
exploit the poor and working class.
- Tax those businesses and organizations that abuse resources,
produce excess wastes, cause secondary expenses for public service or
health consequences.
- Support growth of locally owned, small businesses that provide quality jobs and enrich local communities.
- Balance sustained growth in large businesses with community stability.
- Promote use of enterprise zones for urban revitalization while protecting educational funding and the local tax base.
- Continue reducing taxes responsibly as savings are realized from
the prevention-oriented programs for health care and crime reduction.
The results from living in harmony with Natural Law.
- All members of society live to their full potential in education and skills.
- Every occupation is safe, healthy.
- Each business continues to accumulate wealth and production since the markets are open and resources are not exploited,
- Waste is eliminated as it is seen as evidence of inefficiency and lost resources.
- Taxes are reduced dramatically with less government spending on
punitive subsidies, expensive bailouts and tax exemptions for special
interests of huge corporations.
- The stress of economic burden will be lifted as poverty diminishes.
- A flourishing economy with well-educated citizens, having clean
air and water, low hospitalization rates and low crime rates, will
evolve over time.
Principle of Natural Law:
The greatest asset we have is the human mind. With it we are
capable of experiencing the universal field of creative intelligence,
where solutions to all problems reside. This home of all the laws
of nature is accessible not by accident, but by proper education.
There is no substitute for a great education.
It is natural for learners:
To receive a free public education
To be curious and to explore and to want to learn about the world around them
To increase their intellectual, physical and emotional growth through
interesting and developmentally appropriate lessons and activities
provided by educated, qualified teachers in a safe and nurturing
environment.
To learn easily when they have nurturing parents, receive proper nutrition and live in a safe environment.
The Natural Law Solutions:
- Provide full and equitable funding of all public education from preschool through college.
- Change funding education through property taxes to a more
equitable funding from state and local taxes, and through savings
resulting from reduced criminal justice system and health care system
needs, due to positive results from appropriate education funding.
- Raise financial compensation for qualified teachers to recruit
and retain the brightest people in our society to teach our most
precious resource and hope for the future, our children
- Utilize programs that have been proven to increase both children's intellectual and emotional development
- Provide organic and wholesome locally-grown food for lunches in all public schools
- Provide health classes with age-appropriate sex education and
drug and alcohol abuse education, to reduce the rates of teen pregnancy
and teen drug and alcohol abuse
Results of living in harmony with Natural Law:
- A society of well-educated, responsible, creative, and productive adults
- Reduced teen and adult crime rates, with reduced resources needed for the criminal justice system.
- A healthier society with a lower incidence of unwanted
pregnancies, abortions and illicit drug use, resulting in fewer
resources needed in the health care system.
- Citizens who are objective consumers, intelligent and
discriminating voters, internationally informed and responsible global
citizens.
- Ohio and the nation move ahead in the global marketplace attracting jobs and creating new industries.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND REHABILITATION
Principle of Natural Law:
When we as individuals are established within ourselves, established
inwardly, seeing our actions in harmony and in balance with other
people's rights, we restore civil order and trust abounds. When
we as individuals are not balanced within ourselves, and we see
ourselves as separate and isolated from others, anger and violence
results. The Natural Law Party of Ohio supports any individual, group
or organization, which builds this strength of spirit from within each
human being.
It is natural for community members to:
- Feel safe and to live in a peaceful environment, free from fear
and void of crime and acts of violence in their homes, schools, places
of work and in the public sector.
- Have few restrictions on their actions as long as they do not infringe upon the rights, health or well being of others.
- Want to reverse the tendencies of criminal behavior of offenders
and make them productive citizens again through rehabilitation.
- Live within and enjoy the benefits of a diverse community
The Natural Law Solutions:
- A shift from being reactive to being proactive, identifying areas
of risk and adopting preventative measures, rather than waiting until
crime is committed.
- Creation of a national level Department of Peace, which uses the
equivalent of 2% of the pentagon budget, half of which is used for
curbing domestic violence.
- Implementation of affordable programs proven to reduce tension
and stress. These could include prayer circles, Yoga, Tai Chi,
Transcendental Meditation and Conflict Resolution among others.
- A shift in the Criminal-Justice system, from an emphasis on
punishment to an emphasis on rehabilitation using programs that have
been proven to work, such as restorative justice rather than
incarceration where it is appropriate.
- Decriminalization of actions that are not acts of violence
against others or infringement upon the rights, health or well being of
others.
- Programs to educate youth and adults on the advantages of
diversity in society to cultivate knowledge and understanding and ease
tension.
- Elimination of laws that restrict the natural rights of any group of individuals.
- Community involvement in programs like Neighborhood Watch and Citizens on Patrol.
Results from living in harmony with Natural Law
- A healthier, happier, less fearful society.
- A lower crime rate and fewer repeat offenders.
- Lower cost and increased effectiveness of the Criminal Justice system.
- Greater understanding and less stress among diverse segments of society, leading to fewer conflicts and greater equality.
- Less property damage, higher property value.
Principle of Natural Law:
The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
Think globally while acting locally.
A Natural Law of biology states that there is stability in
diversity. When any part of an ecosystem is damaged, the
stability of the entire system is weakened. To protect human
life, we must also protect all parts of the natural environment.
Therefore, the environmental goal of the Natural Law Party of Ohio is
to preserve ecosystems and use all natural resources in a sustainable
manner. With global warming as a proven phenomenon aggravated by human
produced greenhouse gasses, we are now more aware than ever that our
individual actions affect the whole.
When human technologies are used in harmony with Natural Laws, the
Earth's ecosystems will remain balanced and even enhanced by human
activity. For survival it is a necessity that we move from
an exploitive use of resources toward a stewardship role on this
planet. In this way we act to protect the interconnectedness of
all organisms, reduce and eliminate toxic substances, reduce waste,
curb global warming, increase green space and create a non-fossil fuel
society.
It is natural for all organisms to live in an environment:
- In harmony with all other animal, plant and marine life on Earth
by recognizing the interconnectedness of all species and the various
ecosystems.
- That is free of industrial and agricultural toxins, wastes and
emissions that poison our air, water and food and threaten our health.
- That is not littered with our waste and dumps filled with our planned obsolescence.
- That is not threatened with colossal disaster by global warming,
as a result of the burning of fossil fuels and
deforestation.
- With access to green spaces, wildlife and natural habitats.
- Management of natural resources in a sustainable way that is not
harmful to the environment, other species or humans and insures
sufficient resources for future generations.
The Natural Law Solutions:
- Join with the international community in supporting the Kyoto
accords to reduce carbon monoxide emissions and prevent further global
warming.
- Develop a plan to completely replace the use of fossil fuels with safe, sustainable and renewable energy sources.
- Encourage the development of products that are completely
recyclable through economic incentives as well as additional taxes on
those who don't comply.
- Develop more comprehensive recycling plans for the waste already produced.
- Encourage through economic incentives the transition to more
organic and natural farming methods to reduce agribusiness wastes and
pollution.
- Manage rivers, wetlands and drinking water on a watershed basis.
- Increase urban revitalization, thereby reducing urban sprawl and preserving open space.
- Increase green spaces in urban areas to lower temperature and reduce noise, air pollution, and stress levels.
- Preserve and improve species diversity through reforestation, wetlands preservation and other habitat protection
Results of living in Harmony with Natural Law:
- A healthier, more vibrant population free of environmentally caused diseases.
- Non-toxic water and air.
- The slowing of, and eventual reversal of, global warming.
- Sustainable energy sources for future generations.
- Access for everyone to green spaces, wildlife and natural habitats.
Principle of Natural Law:
Going back to the source I create again and again.
To live on this planet in a sustainable manner, we must rely on
renewable energy sources. We must change our energy habits.
The Laws of Thermodynamics tells us that energy is a one-way flow and
is not created or destroyed. As it is used, it dissipates into a
sparser, less usable form. It can be stored, transported and
transformed, but is never recycled. This means that once
non-renewable energy is used, it is not available ever again. The
only way out of this dilemma is to go to the source of energy … the
sun, which drives the wind, powers photovoltaic cells and passive solar
gain systems.
Fossil fuels and biodiesel unavoidably produce greenhouse gasses,
sulfurs, particulates and global warming. Nuclear has disposal
problems, aging plant problems and terrorist risks. It is now
nearly universally recognized among the world's scientists that global
warming is the greatest threat to life on the planet and human use of
fossil fuels for energy, releasing greenhouse gases is the chief cause
of the problem. Weaning ourselves from fossil fuels and replacing them
with renewable energy sources is essential to restore the balance of
Natural Laws of energy and climate.
Renewable energy sources depend on sunlight directly and are always
available at its source. They can be produced locally, lead to
self-sufficient economies, and reduce international tensions from
dependency on oil interests abroad. It is prudent to use sparingly the
non-renewable and quickly move to renewable energy sources.
Conservation practices are the best practice for managing this
transition.
It is natural for everyone to have access to clean, renewable energy
- That is safe, sufficient, affordable and renewable;
- That does not cause harm to the environment or human health;
- That does not contribute to global warming;
- That is fair and equitable for all peoples;
- That does not deplete the Earth's resources for future generations;
The Natural Law Solutions:
- Develop and implement a plan to completely replace the use of
fossil fuels with safe, sustainable, cost efficient and renewable
energy sources.
- Develop and implement a sustainable ethanol program that does not
deplete the land through the use of herbicides and pesticides or cause
an increase in food prices due to competitive uses of farmland.
- Decentralize energy production with wind and solar networking.
- Promote and reward energy conservation and energy education in our schools, businesses, and government.
- Support efficient public mass transportation.
- Provide financial incentives for homeowners and industry to use available energy efficiency designs.
- Phase out fission nuclear power plants.
- Fine energy companies, factories, businesses that emit greenhouse gases that contribute to warming.
- Place the real cost of energy production and pollution cleanup on the producer, not the public.
Results from living in harmony with Natural Law:
- An inexhaustible supply of safe renewable energy for everyone for generations to come.
- A more stable world economy that is not subject to the ups and
downs due to limited supplies of fossil fuels and to political unrest
in energy rich nations.
- Less international political strife due to nations competing for limited fossil fuels.
- A more equitable distribution of energy resources.
- A closing of the gap between the rich and poor nations.
- The slowing of and eventual reversal of global warming.
- Reduce the National deficit by reducing the outflow of resources
to purchase fossil fuels since most renewable energy would be locally
produced which in turn would provide more jobs.
Principle of Natural Law
Nature has infinite organizing power.
The genetic code of life, the DNA molecule, has vast information for
structuring all life forms in a delicate and sophisticated way.
Scientists are only beginning to understand its full function.
3.5 billion years of evolution have refined the code by natural
selection to be an sophisticated sequence for each organism. It is also
in a fine-tuned balance with other organisms and their environment,
infinitely more wise and vast than our primordial tinkering with
recombinant DNA technology. Lab technicians have unlocked
these secrets and are inserting sequences that could never occur in
nature: for instance bacteria genes into corn, and fish genes into
tomatoes.
Genetic engineering is a new frontier, which promises great
breakthroughs in medical and agricultural science. It also
carries great risks. At this time there is no consensus among
scientists that we can prevent ecological catastrophes or human health
problems that can arise when this largely untested technology is
released into the environment. At this time there are no consumer
tests required on GM (genetically modified) foods or agricultural
products. There are very few government regulations in place or
funds available for research.
The Natural Law Party of Ohio therefore considers it unwise to continue
to design, produce and grow GMO's without thorough scientific testing
of the consequences.
It is a natural right for:
Consumers to be well informed of the contents and risks of their food products.
Organic farmers to be free to grow produce without being cross-pollinated by genetically modified pollen.
Independent scientists to review all GMO's produced.
The Natural Law Solutions
- Mandate the labeling of all genetically engineered foods.
- Declare a moratorium on the release of genetically engineered organisms into the environment until proven safe.
- Perform comprehensive safety testing for genetically engineered
products by an independent research group before placing them on the
market or releasing them into the environment.
- Protect growers of non-genetically engineered crops from drifting pollen and mixing of the grain at collection centers.
Results from living in Harmony with Natural Law
Once we have and comprehensive scientific information about the safety
of genetic engineering, and the public has become, aware of the risks,
the purchasing habits of consumers will result in only healthy
and safe products in the marketplace. Until such time a
regulatory role of government is needed to protect consumers, growers
and ecosystems. Transforming the genome carries with it the
responsibility to maintain the delicate balances that natural selection
has established. .
Principle of Natural Law:
As you sow, so shall you reap.
The health of citizens of Ohio depends on how we grow our food.
If healthy wholesome food is produced with regard for the land, water
and communities, Ohio benefits in all areas. If the food is
produced only for profit without regard for the whole environment
(consumer health, ecosystem degradation), then we all
suffer. Understanding this, The Natural Law Party of Ohio
supports any legislation that follows these principles.
It is natural for all human beings:
- To have an abundant, affordable, nutritious and safe food supply
and drinking water supply free of poisonous residues and other
unnatural substances.
- To have a food supply that fully discloses all nutrients and
added substances and states whether it is organic, conventional or
genetically engineered.
It is natural for all farmers:
- To grow their produce in a sustainable manner so as not to
deplete the living soil of its natural nutrients or to pollute the
environment or drinking water through the use of toxic herbicides,
pesticides and fertilizers.
- To raise their livestock and fish in a humane way and without the
use of growth hormones or antibiotics that can affect the health of
consumers.
- To receive a fair price for their produce and livestock and for
farm workers to receive a fair wage for their labor.
The Natural Law Solutions:
- Phase out the use of harmful herbicides, pesticides and
fertilizers that deplete the soil and harm the environment and drinking
water as well as make some food unsafe to eat and replace them with
more natural sustainable farming methods which preserve the soil and
environment and add to the natural nutrients in produce.
- Phase out the use of the mega feed lots and fisheries that treat
animals in an inhumane way and use growth hormones and antibiotics that
can be harmful to consumers. Hold mega feed lots responsible for
all of their environmental and water pollution.
- Divert farm subsidies to protect the family farmer and especially
those farmers who convert to organic farming and other more natural
sustainable ways of growing produce and livestock.
- Insure a living wage for farm workers as well as affordable health insurance for farm workers and the family farmer.
- Increase restrictions and objective testing of genetically
engineered food crops to insure they are perfectly safe for consumers
and the environment before allowing them into production.
- Implement protections for farmland against urban sprawl.
Results of living in harmony with Natural Law
- An abundant, affordable, nutritious and safe food and water
supply free of poisonous residues and other unnatural substances
produced in a more natural and humane way.
- An end to the depletion of the soil needed to produce our future food supplies.
- A healthier environment free of farm runoffs of pesticides,
herbicides and fertilizers that poison our rivers, recreational areas
and our drinking water.
- A healthier and informed population resulting in less disease and health care costs.
- A more secure and healthy family farmer and farm work force.
- A sustainable supply of fertile farmland for future generations.
A marvelous aspect of Natural Law is
synergism. This metallurgic principle, when applied to social
issues, states when combining two or more elements, useful and
desirable qualities of each are expressed in the product. The full
value of synergistic societies can only be accomplished by including
all people, all races, cultures, nationalities, economic conditions,
genders, sexual orientations, and all faiths. The moral
values of a few shall not dictate the law for the many. Where sensitive
moral issues nearly equally divide the public, as in abortion, same
gender marriages, and affirmative action, the government must take a
back seat and not assert that one is right over the other. The primary
function of government is to ensure the freedom of diverse perspectives
and life styles as long as there is no infringement on the rights of
others.
AFFIRMATIVE ACTION
The Natural Law Party of Ohio believes that an affirmative action
plan is a necessary interim measure to prevent discrimination in the
workplace and in school admissions policies until such time as equality
is the norm. The Natural Law Party of Ohio does not support
numerical quotas, since most sectors of society find quotas to be
demeaning. The Natural Law Party of Ohio upholds laws
guaranteeing equal opportunity, not equal outcomes.
History has shown that it is difficult to legislate equality;
government cannot be present in every situation to ensure that people
are always treated fairly. Therefore, the Natural Law Party of
Ohio supports legislation that upholds the guaranteed constitutional
rights of all people with no one left out. Prejudice and bigotry
in society can be dissolved through educational programs that develop
broad comprehension, increased intelligence, and improved moral
reasoning, and by reducing social stress that leads to fear and
divisiveness. Bringing people of different cultures and different
lifestyles together to work on common issues and/or to socialize in
educational venues can achieve a growing understanding of both
differences and similarities. These occasions remind us that we
are more alike than we are different.
SAME GENDER RELATIONSHIPS
The Natural Law Party of Ohio does not promote, nor does it
discriminate against, same gender relationships. It does,
however, support legislation that protects equal rights and encourages
long-term committed relationships since this strengthens families and
communities. Law in taxation, health care, housing, or employment
should not penalize those in committed relationships, regardless of
gender.
WELFARE
Welfare should not be a lifestyle, but a short-term safety net to
assist individuals who are out of work, until they obtain
employment. The Natural Law Party of Ohio supports programs to
reduce dependency on welfare, including childcare support, education
and job training, with a limit on welfare benefits for those able to
work. At the same time it is society's responsibility to care for
those who truly cannot work: children, the elderly, and the infirm.
LABOR UNIONS
Sustainable pro-growth economic policies will create an expansion of
good jobs, which will place an ever-increasing premium on the value of
the worker. To balance the inherent power of the corporate or
institutional employer, labor unions, acting responsibly, will continue
to have a vital function in protecting working conditions, safety,
ethical treatment, compensation and benefits.
ABORTION
The Natural Law Party of Ohio is committed to reducing the number of
abortions, but believes that the best way is through education and not
legislation. This is a moral, ethical and medical issue that
divides citizens. It is best left to doctors, clergy and the
family, not the government. By supporting educational programs
that develop moral reasoning, farsighted thinking and preventative
behaviors, many unwanted pregnancies can be avoided and alternatives to
abortion will be more widely available.
GUN CONTROL
The Natural Law Party of Ohio holds that fear and stress are at the
root cause of the proliferation and misuse of guns. Solutions to
gun violence must address the societal stress, and increase the
accountability of gun owners while staying within the constitutional
guarantees. With proven stress reduction techniques that bring
the individual into harmony with natural laws, a less tense climate
will result in reduced demand for all weapons. Programs such as
weapon buy-backs, child locks, and licensing should be considered in a
comprehensive approach.
LEGALIZED GAMBLING
Casinos and lotteries superficially appear to stimulate growth and
provide economic returns. If we look more deeply, those involved
with the operation are enriched, while the surrounding areas become
depressed. Although the lottery, casinos and riverboat
gambling have become a significant source of income for Ohio,
sociological research has demonstrated that it is at the expense of
those who can least afford to gamble. Gambling is now considered
a more difficult addiction to overcome than smoking, drugs or
alcohol. Therefore, the Natural Law Party of Ohio advocates
eliminating the lottery and replacing it with ethically responsible
sources of income, such as taxing polluters, energy inefficient heating
and cooling systems, and other activity of organizations that have
non-sustainable resource use, agricultural practices and waste
production. Other sources of revenue can be cost savings
from prevention-oriented approaches to health care, criminal justice
and energy conservation, and recycling.
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