Preface

My father was a radiologist who dreamed the dreams of a sailor. A World War II injury kept his travels confined to day trips on the San Francisco Bay, but in the evenings I would find him in his den studying navigation charts of the high seas and tinkering with an antique sextant, a finely crafted instrument for measuring the elevation of the sun so mariners could make it safely to their destination.

Today, most seafaring vessels are equipped with satellite navigation systems -- as are more and more cars. The map on the dashboard shows the direction clearly: turn left on Kensington Street, take a right on Third Avenue and another right on Vine and you're home.

Both technologies, the old sextant and modern satellite gadgetry, are based on the same principle: to get where we're going, we need a bigger picture. We have to know at every moment where we are in the context of the whole and make our next move from there. The bigger picture takes away speculation and doubt, blind conviction, and the odds-on-chance of error.

We expect our leaders to have some of that bigger picture when they promise to deliver us the American dream -- the best schools, a clean environment, an equal opportunity at prosperity, and a long and healthy life in a safe, peaceful world. We expect them to take a right or a left turn to steer us through the myriad detours, pitfalls, and disasters that lie ahead. We would like to trust them as we would the captain of a ship. We certainly don't expect them to take a particular turn because someone has slipped them five bucks to do so. That's not driving with the big picture. That's not even just driving crooked, that's driving dangerous.

What's the big picture when it comes to governing the nation? It's the recognition that as individuals and as a society we are, in fact, inseparable from, sustained by, and have an indomitable influence on the whole of nature. Our guiding light is our knowledge of natural law, from physics, chemistry, physiology, biology, psychology, ecology, astronomy, etc. -- and of how to apply the unfathomable energy, creativity, and organizing power that pervades every grain of creation in ways that are life-supporting, evolutionary, and nourishing for all.

The knowledge of how to use nature wisely is already available, proven through extensive scientific research and tested in our schools, on our farms, in our factories, hospitals, and prisons. This is knowledge that can fulfill the American dream for everyone. It can bring far better health and far greater comfort and prosperity to everyone -- without hazardous side- effects.

The knowledge is there, but too many of our leaders just aren't paying attention -- out of either ignorance or political expediency. The Natural Law Party was founded in 1992 to provide a powerful political voice for the tens of millions of Americans who have grown concerned, frustrated, or even angry at the reluctance or inability of our leaders to navigate by a bigger picture. The Natural Law Party: A Reason to Vote is about that bigger picture. It's about how nature functions and how people are applying this knowledge to benefit the nation. It recounts how difficult it is to get a new party off the ground and bring it to the awareness of the American people. And it provides a glimpse into what the Natural Law Party stands for, who the candidates are, and why they run for office. And lastly, it highlights some of the unique policy positions the party takes.

This book has been written by an unabashed advocate of the role of third parties in America, who is also an enthusiastic supporter of the Natural Law Party. This book is an honest account of the start of a remarkable journey to give a much-needed new political direction to our country. As such, I hope it provides you with a feeling for where we are heading as a nation -- and where we still need to go.