Gary Johnson presidential campaign, 2016/Constitution
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Drafted in 1787, the U.S. Constitution was in many ways a major presidential campaign issue in 2016.
The 2016 presidential candidates had different interpretations of the rights and freedoms guaranteed by the First and Second Amendments. They also had contrasting views of related issues such as discrimination on the basis of religion, sexual orientation, and gender identity.
Read below what Gary Johnson and the 2016 Libertarian Party Platform said about Constitutional rights.
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Johnson on Constitutional rights
First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
- On August 2, 2016, Gary Johnson apologized for a recent comment he made about violence in early Mormon history. When asked about the government’s role in an individual’s right to religious freedom during the previous week, Johnson said that “religious freedom is a ‘black hole’ that can lead to more discrimination than the world needs,” according to Deseret News. Johnson added, “I think what you're going to end up doing is open up a plethora of discrimination that you never dreamed could even exist. And it'll start with Muslims. … I mean under the guise of religious freedom, anybody can do anything. Back to Mormonism. Why shouldn't somebody be able to shoot somebody else because their freedom of religion says that God has spoken to them and that they can shoot somebody dead?" Johnson apologized for the comments in the following statement: “My reference to the LDS church, made during an impromptu conversation, was an admittedly very imprecise reference to the violence that accompanied the Mormon’s early history in the 1800s– violence that was prompted by the persecution of the Mormons themselves by both the federal government and others. Absolutely no offense was intended, and I regret any that has resulted. My point, made with an unfortunate example, is that religion has been used too many times to justify discrimination, persecution and, yes, violence. Acts of violence and aggression can not be excused by religion and all people must be held accountable for their own actions. Few in America have experienced that persecution more than Mormons, and I understand and respect that. The LDS church and its historical struggles with the government are perfect examples of the need for true religious freedom, not selective freedoms legislated and created by politicians. I consider many of the LDS faith to be my closest of friends including National Campaign Manager Ron Nielson.”[2][3]
- During a Libertarian candidate forum that aired on the Fox Business Network on April 1, 2016, Gary Johnson said, “I think that if you discriminate on the basis of religion, I think that is a black hole.” Johnson continued, “I think you should be able to discriminate for stink or you’re not wearing shoes or whatever. If we discriminate on the basis of religion, to me, that’s doing harm to a big class of people.”[4]
- In an interview with Reason in January 2016, Gary Johnson said he supported banning burqas in the U.S. as a way of "protecting [Muslim women] from harm under a brutal ideology under which women have nothing resembling equal rights." The following day, Johnson amended his position, stating, "While the law must provide protection for women from abuse, it is clear that banning face veils wouldn’t work, and would be impossible to enforce without infringing on basic rights." He added, "Sharia law is incompatible with the freedoms upon which America is founded, and it must not be overlooked that, under Sharia ideology, women have no rights, and are certainly not free to dress as they wish. Imposing such a system on women under some guise of freedom of religion or expression is not acceptable under any notion of liberty. On that point I am firm. But a government ban on an item of clothing might well have the consequence of restricting, not protecting, freedom."[5]
- Johnson expressed support for the separation of church and state during an interview in February 2012. He said, "As much as I hate the fact that the ACLU would tell a community that they can’t hang a Christmas tree in the lobby and play Christmas music in a public building, isn’t that why we became the United States of America? Isn’t that why we broke away from England?"[6]
Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
- During an interview on June 27, 2016, with WIBC’s Tony Katz, Gary Johnson discussed a proposal backed by Democrats to prohibit individuals on the No-Fly List from purchasing firearms. Johnson said, “Well, they’re wrong because that list contains active members of Congress. That’s a list that contains you and I; it’s a list prone to error. If this is a conversation about improving the quality of that list, then ‘yes.’ Is it a conversation on how the appeals process might be (improved)—meaning you’re on the list, and you want to appeal that list because you have a need for self-protection? Self-protection doesn’t mean you’re going to buy the gun and use it, it means you’re going to buy the gun—and your ex-spouse who’s abusive knows that – and all of a sudden that’s a huge deterrent. Johnson also discussed the failures of Congress. He said, “First of all, Congress should be engaged. Congress wants to abdicate every responsibility that they’re supposed to have, and because of that, they never come under the scrutiny that should go along with their offices. They don’t do anything; they don’t submit any budgets. They just want to hold office.”[7]
- In an interview with Reason on June 14, 2016, Johnson said that he believed the outcome of the Orlando shooting would have been “less horrific” if some of the clubgoers were armed. “I understand how so many people can believe that if you restrict this kind of weapon you can prevent this kind of incident. But there's just no evidence whatsoever to suggest that it makes us any safer, and in fact restricting guns makes things less safe, that's the camp that I'm in,” Johnson said.[8]
- On January 19, 2016, in an interview with The Telegraph, Johnson discussed guns. He said, “I am in the camp that if you outlaw guns only the criminals are going to have guns. I supported permitting the concealed carry of handguns in New Mexico. I believe there is a lot less violence in the parking lot, as they say, because the potential perpetrator of a theft or an assault is thinking twice because someone might be carrying a gun. Restrictions on gun ownership will only encourage outlaws to have heavy ammunition and high calibre weapons."[9]
- In May 2013, Johnson opposed a Colorado law restricting ammunition magazines. He said in a press release, "Placing an arbitrary limit on the capacity of a gun magazine is an unacceptable restriction on the rights of gun owners, manufacturers and sellers, and I am anxious to help give voters an opportunity to restore those rights. … Restricting the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens does not make anyone safer. Rather, it simply empowers those who have no regard for the law and who wish to do us harm."[10]
- Johnson wrote an op-ed in The Daily Caller on February 6, 2013, to defend gun ownership under the Constitution. He argued, "Whether it is the First Amendment right to speech or the religious freedoms granted in the Constitution, we may all find the exercise of rights to be uncomfortable, painful, and occasionally even harmful. But our nation is founded — uniquely so — on the idea that individual rights are to be protected and shielded from government control. And just like the rest of the Bill of Rights, the Second Amendment doesn’t give anyone permission to commit murder. That is covered by a lot of other, perfectly constitutional, laws. Let us hope, and let us work, to make sure that the politicians don’t decide to make us 'safer' from gun violence by taking away even more of our freedoms."[11]
Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
- Gary Johnson advocated for the creation of a "Liberty Czar" in October 2014 in a blog post for the nonprofit organization, Our America Initiative. He wrote, "Where is the liberty czar? Where is the high-level 'liberty' advocate who is in the room when the Department of Justice, the NSA or the IRS are planning their next invasion of our 4th Amendment protections, raising a hand and objecting? Who is asking the tough questions when someone comes up with the idea to give armored military vehicles and grenades to local police departments?" He concluded that every government official should be a "liberty czar."[12]
- In an April 2012 op-ed in The Huffington Post criticizing the Supreme Court decision in Florence v. Board of Chosen Freeholders, Johnson advocated for stronger protection of the right to privacy. He wrote, "There are a lot of us in America who still would like to believe that woven through the Constitution and the Bill of Rights is a fundamental right to individual privacy. And I don't recall that we agreed to forfeit that right just because technology has outgrown the law or because the police need 'substantial discretion' to make us take our clothes off. Expecting the government to willingly constrain itself when it comes to violating our privacy is not just foolhardy; it defies everything we know about the very nature of government. Until privacy is restored as a fundamental American value and right that government is required to protect, rather than destroy, this erosion of our freedom -- and dignity -- will continue."[13]
Tenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
- In August 2010, Johnson wrote an op-ed for the Tenth Amendment Center in the wake of Arizona's efforts at immigration reform, arguing that states' rights should be protected. He wrote, "Every state is different, and is presented with its own challenges and opportunities related to immigration – and countless other issues. Rather than trying, as the Obama administration is doing, to stop Arizona from implementing its own approach, we should be encouraging the states to be the policy laboratories they were intended to be in our federal system."[14]
| The 2016 Libertarian Party Platform on Constitutional rights | ||||||
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| The 2016 Libertarian Party Platform on self-defense | ||||||
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Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term Gary + Johnson + Constitution
See also
Footnotes
- ↑ Reason.com, "Gary Johnson To Announce He's Running for President Today," January 6, 2016
- ↑ Deseret News, "Gary Johnson may have upset Utah Mormons, but here's how he still plans to win their votes," August 2, 2016
- ↑ Fox13Now.com, "Gary Johnson apologizes for comment on violence in early Mormon history," August 2, 2016
- ↑ Fox Business Network, "FBN’s John Stossel Hosts Libertarian Presidential Forum Featuring Johnson, McAfee & Petersen," March 31, 2016
- ↑ Reason, "Gov. Gary Johnson on Burqa Ban: 'My Response Was Wrong,'" January 7, 2016
- ↑ Examiner.com, "Gary Johnson on freedom of religion," February 23, 2012
- ↑ WIBC, "Gov. Gary Johnson Talks Guns, Congress, And The Debate Stage," June 27, 2016
- ↑ Reason, "Libertarian Candidate Gary Johnson Says Gun Restrictions Make Us Less Safe," June 14, 2016
- ↑ The Telegraph, "Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson says time is right for 'the party of principle' in the White House," January 19, 2016
- ↑ The Denver Post, "Former Gov. Gary Johnson joins effort to repeal Colorado gun law," May 30, 2013
- ↑ The Daily Caller, "In its pursuit of ‘safety,’ the government is sacrificing freedom," February 6, 2013
- ↑ Tumblr, "How About a Liberty Czar," October 22, 2014
- ↑ The Huffington Post, "Privacy: Ditch the Cell Phone or Prepare to Disrobe," April 5, 2012
- ↑ Tenth Amendment Center, "States’ rights should be encouraged, not punished," August 5, 2010
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Libertarian Party, "The 2016 Libertarian Party Platform," accessed August 23, 2016
- ↑ Libertarian Party, "The 2016 Libertarian Party Platform," accessed August 23, 2016
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