One of the hot headlines rolling around the web today is that Gary Johnson has endorsed Black Lives Matter. Despite Johnson’s kind words toward the movement, I think the narrative that could easily form around that wording would mislead people.

Let me start by saying that I don’t agree with Johnson on Black Lives Matter’s importance of raising issues. The black community has raised issues, and taken action before through peaceful means, and due to it, one of the greatest events in civil rights history occurred.

Black Lives Matter is more concerned with retaliation for any wrongdoing, than it is solving the problem. It continuously uses intimidation, lawlessness, violence, and story fabrication to push its brand of racism as the result of being a victim. Like any other social justice group, the solution to the problem isn’t as important as maintaining that victimhood. Any elements that are seeking peaceful solutions, or even achieve them, are soon disavowed by BLM.

So when Gary Johnson said that Black Lives Matter was a wake up call, and that action needed to be taken during his CNN town hall….

…I was disappointed.

But I wasn’t worried. Johnson and I may disagree on BLM’s importance, but one thing we do agree on is how the solution to the problem of the bad relationship between black communities and police should be brought about.

Unlike too many on the left, who have only made the problem worse by throwing welfare and entitlements at minority communities, Johnson’s solution won’t be “free stuff.” Instead, Johnson will likely take the route often taken by politicians like Rand Paul. It’s all about criminal justice reform.

I know this, because Johnson is a big fan of it. From his website:

Over time, the politicians have “criminalized” far too many aspects of people’s personal lives….More generally, mandatory minimum sentences for a wide range of offenses and other efforts by politicians to be “tough” have removed far too much common-sense discretion from judges and prosecutors. These factors, combined with the simple fact that we have too many unnecessary laws, have produced a society with too many people in our prisons and jails, too many undeserving individuals saddled with criminal records, and a seriously frayed relationship between law enforcement and those they serve.

He also has no love of government spending that seems to only inspire more crime. From his book Seven Principles of Good Government.

“I believe that every time you pass a law you take a little bite out of freedom. I vetoed 750 bills as governor because I abhor the government spending money on programs that show no improvement in our lives and criminalize actions that do not warrant criminalization. I vetoed “hate crime legislation” that literally scares me to death because it prosecutes thoughts, not actions.”

In short, Johnson’s solution won’t be more government, but less. Criminal justice reform has become the big issue that is slowly crawling it’s way into the spotlight, with impressive advancements made by different states that have not only cut costs, but reduced crime.

You can read in detail in my article here about how well CJR works.

And if it works to reduce crime, reduce sentencing, and reduce spending, then Johnson’s attitudes towards Black Lives Matter is good news, rather than bad. His staunch stances on reduced spending and government programs means he’s not going to give into any demands, but he will move to help solve a very real problem.