To the Journal editor:

As part of celebrating the U.S.’s birthday on July 4th, when in 1776 our Declaration of Independence was approved, We the People pledge to progress justice.

What is justice?

Our history shows We progressed from justice for few to justice for all.

When writing our Declaration of Independence and Constitution, the authors used our foundation belief in individual liberties to create our minimalist federal government that created justice for our few wealthy white males.

In our history, We progressed through our many progressive revolutionary rights movements when We used scientific methodological justice and all rights for all ethical justice to create our activist national government that created and progresses justice for all.

Rights are interdependent goods and services that are directly available for all and beneficial for all. One right is not absolute with priority over all other rights, and when there is a conflict between rights a synthesis is created.

Rights movements include New Deal (worker rights), civil rights, environmental rights, and feminist rights movements.

Scientific methodological justice for all uses data-based research to justify our theory of historical progress and to document our present conditions.

All rights for all ethical justice for all evaluates our progression and conditions to construct laws to progress justice for all, and it includes:

Economic rights for all includes:

1. Creating taxes that are more progressive (raising tax rates as incomes raise) and redistributive (spreading incomes more equally by increasing taxes on millionaires and billionaires and redistributing to all).

2. Raising our income tax rate for millionaires and billionaires from 37 percent to 50 percent.

3. Creating higher-paying infrastructure jobs when unemployment is over 4.5 percent.

4. Progressing our national minimum hourly wage from $7.25 to $15.

5. Creating our $400 monthly basic income for all (Social Security for All).

6. Progressing workplace equality rights, including women receiving equal pay.

Educational rights for all includes lifelong tax-financed and government-run tuition free public education and training.

Environmental rights for all includes stopping human-caused climate change and creating green jobs.

Health care rights for all includes lifelong tax-financed and government-run dental, hearing, medical, and vision care with no out-of-pocket costs.

Political rights for all includes freedoms of speech and assembly.

Religious rights for all includes freedom of religious beliefs.

All includes all workers, retired, disabled, unemployed, students, and infants, and also all genders/sexes and races.

Justice for all.

Editor’s note: This letter writer should not be confused with Gordon J. Peterson a retired funeral director who worked man years for Swanson-Lundquist Funeral Home in Marquette.