To the Journal editor:
In celebration of July 4th, we the People state, justify, and apply our basic right.
What is our basic right?
Aspects of our basic right are revealed in our many policy statements including those related to our Revolution, New Deal, civil rights movement, feminist movements, and environmental movements.
Our clearest statement of our basic right is in our Pledge of Allegiance that declares "justice for all."
These statements reveal our progression from a minimalist federal government promoting justice for the few wealthy white males, to an activist national government using scientific procedural justice and universal substantive justice to promote JUSTICE FOR ALL: all workers and their families, all retired and their spouses, all members of all races, all members of all sexes, and all species in all environments.
SCIENTIFIC PROCEDURAL JUSTICE theories objectively use valid data and logical reasoning to construct and interpret policy. They are contrasted with authorial procedural justice theories that use the original intent of the author to make policy, and with individual procedural justice theories that subjectively use personal prejudice.
UNIVERSAL SUBSTANTIVE JUSTICE Theories use rights to solve ethical problems raised by ethics-free scientific procedural justice theories. Elements for all rights for all include no damage, no discrimination, accountability, effectiveness, efficiency, equal opportunity, and equal protection, and regulation, rule of law, sustainability, and transparency. They are contrasted with individual substantive justice theories that use liberty to achieve personal desires.
ECONOMIC RIGHTS include growth, a job with a family sustaining income, stability with little inflation or recession, progressive taxation, and worker rights to organize-bargain-strike.
EDUCATIONAL and HEALTH CARE RIGHTS are tax-financed and government-run programs.
ENVIRONMENTAL RIGHTS are healthy and safe built and natural environments.
POLITICAL RIGHTS include publicly financed elections, due process, privacy, and security, freedoms of information and speech, and just war.
ALL includes all workers, all retired, and all species.
JUSTICE FOR ALL.
Gordon C. Peterson
Marquette
Editor's note: Gordon C. Peterson is not to be confused with Marquette resident Gordon J. "Gordy" Peterson of the Swanson-Lundquist Funeral Home.