Editorial director's note: This editorial first appeared in these columns Feb. 18, 2002, but we thought it appropriate to publish it again today, on the eve of the California primary in a national election year.
This is, as you may have noticed by now, an election year. So as part of forwarding our editorial vision - and fulfilling our commitment to readers - we will be covering and commenting on both the primary and the general election in November. But we'll do it from what we hope is a unique perspective.
We try not to make it a secret that our purpose in writing editorials is to promote our values, which include individual liberty, respect for important individual rights, a society that emphasizes voluntary associations and relationships expressed through institutions like free and open markets, opportunity for all and the right of people to use what they have produced through honest labor and transactions for their own and their families' purposes.
We believe human beings are ends in themselves, not means to be used for the ends of others, each one possessing certain rights and a personal dignity that is to be respected by others.
A society of free and independent individuals cannot be imposed from the top down. It begins in the heart and mind of each person, as he or she decides to accept the responsibilities that go with freedom, exercise the rights God or nature has given us, learn what liberty means and respect the equal rights of others.
Electoral politics is only a small part of this social calculus, and one of our goals is to reduce the role of politics in American life. But politics and elections are important, and people who would be free neglect them at their peril.
Because we do not think freedom can be bestowed upon us by politicians - even if they wanted to, which few do - we do not endorse candidates. Political candidates are human beings and their performance cannot be predicted. But we do pay attention to them, talk to them, explore their understanding of the importance of human liberty and write about them as honestly as we know how. We hope we ask them questions few others in the media will think to ask - and we'll try to remain open to suggestions from readers about questions you would like us to ask.
We do take positions on ballot measures and bond issues. Ballot measures change laws with definable words. While there are always unintended consequences and courts can sometimes be unpredictable, initiatives seldom become the opposite of what they were. Bonds are commitments to borrow and repay money, usually from tax revenues.
Initiatives and bonds have consequences that can be foreseen with some degree of accuracy. We'll study them and take positions consistent with what we believe are the long-term interests of a freer society. Readers are welcome to give them whatever weight is appropriate. The important thing for us is to have our say and contribute to a process of thoughtful analysis.
This should be an interesting election year. ... It's an election in a time of war, when it is all the more important - and at the same time more difficult - to raise intelligent concerns about the course of national policy.
We will try to nudge the process in the direction of building liberty and help readers to make up their own minds. Please let us know how we're doing and feel free to offer suggestions along the way.