A Fisherman's Freedom Philosophy

Closing Paragraph in Freedom Philosophy Discussion

3/30/2022

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9th Paragraph of Freedom Philosophy Discussion

2/2/2022

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This series of posts will share more information about each paragraph in the summarized version of, A Fisherman's Freedom Philosophy posted on the home page of this website and in the 2022 Natural Art Freedom Calendar. Feel free to make a comment or ask questions. Please be polite.

"Financial Freedom is something we all want but many find illusive. Health problems or losing a job can be financially devastating. Politicians talk of a Universal Basic Income that would help cover living expenses. That sounds nice until you think about how it would be funded and what strings will be attached. What if we could produce new revenue streams from our public resources that is paid directly to citizens? Something I advocate for with regards to offshore energy production is that State and Local Governments should have the Right of First Refusal on new Public Water Leases. Rather than subsidizing global corporations to exploit our resources, we should consider options for using them to generate energy and revenue for us. We could guide our Public Servants in a direction that enriches and empowers citizens through wise use of public resources. Public roadways could be lined with solar panels and windmills that produce power and profit for the people living where they are located. One option for storing some of this inconsistent energy for use when needed is to make hydrogen from wastewater. Hydrogen is a clean burning gas that can be produced locally to run community power plants. Fresh water is another public resource we should manage for everyone’s benefit. Desalination plants can produce an endless supply of fresh water and income for the public. Dependable supplies of food, water, and power are necessary for civilized society. Now is the time to think about how we can pay our bills with fewer traditional jobs available as automation replaces more workers. We can make the best of any situation when enough independent thinkers work together. Wise management of our Public Servants and Public Resources can make doing the People’s Business, the people’s business that pays us for paying attention."

The only constant is change. This holds true with economic systems. The reality is that technology will continue to automate more jobs. We need to have a serious discussion about how we will support ourselves as fewer workers are needed in traditional jobs. Our public resources hold the key to creating new jobs and income. We don't have to choose between coerced socialism or crony capitalism. We can chart a new course that embodies the best of free market principles and common good goals. Technology is opening the door to new opportunities for generating revenue from our public resources. The trend has been subsidizing global corporations to create jobs by exploiting our public resources. Why not work with state and local governments to take advantage of new opportunities with public resources for our benefit? We could still create jobs while profits would be paid directly to citizens. The jobs of tomorrow could be filled by independent contractors who work when they want or need to without being obligated to show up every workday regardless of personal circumstances.

Using our public resources to generate income for us could replace many social welfare programs. This would reduce tax burdens for those who work. Reliable paychecks would free people to take care of family members in times of need. We could pursue goals and follow dreams beyond just working to support ourselves. Some would waste their time and talent while many others would improve their lives and everyone else's by living up to their full potential. We could experience another Renaissance Period as we devote less time and energy to surviving.

Financial freedom allows us to live the way we want. While we would not get rich managing public resources to benefit everyone, we could pay our bills. We could still work to make more money. One of our jobs could be managing our public servants and public resources to make sure we keep getting a check. We could secure local food, water, and power supplies to promote stability. We could pass on a strong economy and healthy environment to future generations. We could free the world so all of humanity peacefully coexists by respecting each other's individual liberty. Are you willing to think beyond the reality that exists today?

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8th Paragraph of Freedom Philosophy Discussion

1/28/2022

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This series of posts will share more information about each paragraph in the summarized version of, A Fisherman's Freedom Philosophy posted on the home page of this website and in the 2022 Natural Art Freedom Calendar. Feel free to make a comment or ask questions. Please be polite.

"Self-governance with official representation is an idea I started promoting after our fishing license fees were doubled to create the Commercial Fishing Resource Fund. Some of this fund was supposed to help preserve and promote our fisheries. Questionable expenditures and difficulties renewing our licenses prompted me to ask that some funds be used to set up an official website where we could conveniently and securely purchase our licenses. The website would include a way for us to vote on funding priorities and who represents us on the appropriations committee. We could set an example for governing ourselves using modern technology. This concept could be applied in state and local governments within our Representative Republic framework. We could elect articulate, apolitical people who agree to do what their voters want. They could post bills and relevant information on our own secure websites where citizen legislators can discuss issues and hold votes. Our votes should be binding when a two-thirds majority of participating constituents in a suitable quorum agree on something. Our Public Servant would vote the way we told them or abstain if supermajority agreement could not be reached. The supermajority requirement avoids mob rule and helps people think about other points of view. Multiple smaller constituent groups numbering between 3 and 300 would be beneficial in many ways. Public Servants should only serve one term in each position to limit the corrupting influence of power. A coordinated effort by concerned citizens to elect true Public Servants would take special interest money out of the political equation. We could direct our Public Servants to push policies like Stop and Review. We could coordinate with other citizen legislators to convince traditional politicians they should work with us. We could show others around the globe how to practice self-governance with official representation. Good communication and coordination can help bring power back to the people. Apathy is our biggest obstacle to making this a reality."

The picture with a butterfly was chosen to symbolize the butterfly effect this idea of Self-Governance with Official Representation could have if enough people gave it a try. It is with deep regret that I must acknowledge the chances are very slim this will happen as apathy keeps the masses from getting involved. Plato issued this warning long ago. "The price of apathy toward public affairs is to be ruled by evil men." This timeless truth includes women politicians today.

Modern technology offers us a chance to govern ourselves in ways we never could before. Our Representative Republic is the perfect platform for electing true public servants that govern according to the people's will. County Commissioner seats are a great place to start. It would not take very many concerned citizens getting involved to fill these seats. We could set up a secure website where Commissioners would post any information available before meetings. Meetings could be live streamed to our website. We could hold real-time votes when necessary and push for votes to be held after all information and public comments have been considered. Our Commissioners would do what a supermajority of us agreed on or abstain if that threshold was not met. Doing nothing is often better than what politicians peddle.

Having multiple smaller constituent groups for each elected position would help keep discussions civil and coherent. Smaller groups would help keep hackers out as they are easier to spot than on larger platforms. These smaller groups would also be easier to assemble in person if internet access were disrupted. Individuals from different groups could meet in a full forum to discuss issues with other constituents. Votes from each group would all be counted together to guide our Public Servant Commissioner.

We could use our Commissioner Seats to pass Resolutions that influence outcomes in other governing bodies. We could push for more local control to limit the power of centralized government. We could consider different points of view to find solutions most reasonable people can support. We could decide how things will be run in our communities and take a break from doing anything for periods of time. Government doesn't always have to be governing.

The butterfly effect of electing one Public Servant that truly works for us could send political ripples across the globe to change the course of human history in favor of freedom.

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7th Paragraph of Freedom Philosophy Discussion

1/24/2022

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This series of posts will share more information about each paragraph in the summarized version of, A Fisherman's Freedom Philosophy posted on the home page of this website and in the 2022 Natural Art Freedom Calendar. Feel free to make a comment or ask questions. Please be polite.

"Stop and Review is one of the policies I advocate for in our fisheries. We should stop writing any more laws while reviewing existing ones to see what is working well and what is not. This is a concept that should be applied at all levels of government. Think of how many outdated, redundant, and irrelevant laws have accumulated over the centuries. Shouldn’t criminal laws boil down to doing no physical or financial harm to others? We must be very careful about using our justice system to enforce morality. That system can be turned on you when the moral views of those in power change. Enforcing morality has created a sliding scale of justice based on money and appearance. It has created a corporate prison system that profits off the misery of others. It tears families apart and creates real crime. It is time to think about if we should focus more on isolating violent criminals from civilized society or punishing people for perceived moral shortcomings. Perhaps we should help people with personal issues when they ask instead of imprisoning them. For those who take exception to this idea, please consider how Jesus reacted when some religious leaders were about to stone a woman for not living up to their high moral standards. When they asked Jesus what should be done, He said whoever was without sin should cast the first stone. He never suggested they ask Caesar to punish her for them. Jesus had compassion and forgave the woman. That is a message worth remembering. Would you rather be punished or forgiven for what those in power may see as your moral failures?"

The previous paragraph is one I struggled with. Should I tackle the subject of enforcing morality or use the teachings of Jesus to make a case? Would mentioning Jesus be upsetting to some? Will the idea of not punishing people over moral issues open or close more minds? The words have been written and this is an attempt to explain them in greater detail.

It seems as if most people without the power to write laws think Stop and Review is a good idea while many lawmakers don't. A fishery manager said they could not help us during a Stop and Review period. Ever hear about the scariest phrase known going something like this, "we are from the government and here to help"? I learned what this means when the government almost destroyed our fishery while claiming to be helping us. I saw strong men crushed under the weight of financial devastation government agents caused while helping us. I saw tons of seafood being discarded to slowly die. The slightest bit of common-sense and compassion could have avoided most of the wasted seafood and mass misery as we rebuilt our mismanaged fishery. Stop and Review could have limited the time we suffered under misguided laws that were doing more harm than good.

Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if lawmakers took a break and gave us one too. We could review existing laws to decide if they should be kept, modified, or abolished. We could debate what should be considered a criminal offense and if we should focus more on punishment or prevention. We need to decide if prohibition of moral temptations deters crime or creates it. Didn't alcohol prohibition bring about modern-day organized crime? Has the war on drugs stopped people from using them? Hasn't this really been a war on humanity that turns entire countries into narco-states run by drug cartels and violent gangs? Isn't the war on drugs a primary reason for illegal border crossings as people try to escape the corruption, violence, and misery plaguing their homeland? Prohibition has corrupted our justice system and made enforcing morality about making money for everyone involved except the offender. None of us want to see a friend or family member hooked on drugs, obsessed with gambling, or selling their body. We have to accept that some will do these things whether they are legal or not.

Politicians sending police to enforce moral laws creates the contempt many feel for law enforcement. We should all be held accountable for our actions while sober or under the influence. Decriminalizing moral offenses does not mean we are free to harm others or jeopardize public safety. A shift in focus toward isolating violent criminals from civilized society would greatly reduce overall crime by the repeat offenders responsible for most of it. We should also reconsider how violent criminals are isolated and punished. What if instead of putting people in corporate prisons we pay for, we used technology to create self-sufficient prison communities they could not leave? Violent offenders could live together without protection or free stuff. They could work in their communities to support themselves and their families, so we don't have to. Their punishment is being confined to the prison community and having to work to survive.

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6th Paragraph of Freedom Philosophy Discussion

1/17/2022

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5th Paragraph of Freedom Philosophy Discussion

1/12/2022

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This series of posts will share more information about each paragraph in the summarized version of, A Fisherman's Freedom Philosophy posted on the home page of this website and in the 2022 Natural Art Freedom Calendar. Feel free to make a comment or ask questions. Please be polite.

"Public support was key to success. Calendars provided a way to inform the public about solutions that would benefit everyone and our environment. Postcard petitions gave people an easy way to get involved. There was a calendar picture on them with information about whatever issue was most pressing at the time. They stated support for or opposition to something and were already addressed. Thousands of people signed and sent postcards for different issues. There was a level of public support that could turn the tide on any issue. One of our biggest victories was over a plan to make us install Vessel Monitoring Systems on our boats. We would be forced to buy expensive tracking devices from a corporation and pay them to spy on us every month. I explained how requiring citizens to install tracking devices on our private property was unconstitutional and dubbed them Orwellian Vessel Monitoring Systems. One fishery manager argued that we should go along with it since that was how they did it in Russia. Wow! What a stunning statement. It seemed like the law would pass despite overwhelming opposition from fishermen and the public. Days before the final vote I called into a national radio program and asked everyone listening if they would contact the management council to politely oppose their Orwellian scheme. The vote was close but in favor of freedom. Council staff later told me that enough calls came in from across America opposing “Orwellian Vessel Monitoring Systems” that they swayed the vote. We have power in numbers. We can influence outcomes when enough of us stand united. The bigger the issue, the more people it takes. Polite persistence wins in the end."

One voice can make a difference, but many voices with a coordinated message carries much more weight. A fishery manager once told me that they listen when most fishermen say something similar and do whatever they want when everyone is saying something different. I talked with a Senator's assistant at a public meeting who told me that 300 comments about the same thing was a magic number that pushed an issue to the next level of attention. There is no way any one person can know about every issue. That is why it is so important to share information in ways that connect with people and make it easy for them to show support. Most people can understand why forcing citizens to install corporate spy devices on private property is wrong. It is easy to see how this could lead to more Orwellian mandates. One way government officials implement things like this is by forcing it on small groups without enough influence to stop them. This sets a precedent that allows other officials to push similar agendas. Near unanimous opposition from fishermen was not enough to influence the outcome many considered to be a fait accompli. It was only when enough people who would not be directly impacted got involved that we turned the tide. Being polite even in the face of a blatant attack on our Constitutional Rights is vitally important. Yelling and being rude is usually counterproductive as the message is easily dismissed by those we are trying to convince. Imagine the influence we would have with a coordinated message that makes sense and is politely delivered by one person after another until our united voice is heard. Some issues might only require a few people to get involved while others might require a few million to speak up. There is a level of support between one concerned citizen and all of us that can win any battle. We should be able to agree to disagree on some issues and stand together on others. We have more power when people with different views on most issues can agree on something reasonable. Being polite to each other and public officials is just as important as being right.

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4th Paragraph of Freedom Philosophy Discussion

1/10/2022

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3rd Paragraph of Freedom Philosophy Discussion

1/6/2022

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This series of posts will share more information about each paragraph in the summarized version of, A Fisherman's Freedom Philosophy posted on the home page of this website and in the 2022 Natural Art Freedom Calendar. Feel free to make a comment or ask questions. Please be polite.

"Anger over what was happening with the mismanagement of our offshore fisheries motivated me to get involved as an advocate. Drastic cuts were made to many quotas based on what fishery managers referred to as “fatally flawed data”. This created dangerous derby fisheries that encouraged us to catch as much as possible before the quotas were met, and seasons closed. It became extremely wasteful when some fish were illegal while others living in similar areas could be kept. We were required to discarded tons of dead and dying fish. During the final days of a snapper season, another fisherman fell off their boat in rough weather. That father of a baby girl was trying to make some money to support his family before the season closed. He died a horrible death alone in the cold water on a dark winter night. His body was never found. They had been fishing within a few miles of us that trip. The missing fisherman could easily have been somebody from our boat. I never wanted to fish again in these unsafe and wasteful conditions. This was the final push needed to start giving public comments at fishery meetings offering common-sense solutions that would stop the derby fisheries. Those comments explained how managing quotas with appropriate possession limits would let us target fish with high limits while keeping most of what we caught with lower limits. This simple solution would allow us to harvest a dependable supply of sustainable seafood safely and responsibly for consumers. It was extremely frustrating to see my pleas for help fall on deaf ears. Even the environmental groups at those meetings did not seem to care. A justifiable anger was fueled and evident at first. I started looking into why things were happening the way they were. Everything pointed to a plan for privatizing our fisheries and consolidating control of them so a few global corporations could own our public resources. Not what I was expecting to learn. It quickly became clear that being angry was not going to help anything. Calmly explaining the problems while offering logical solutions people could understand and support was a much better approach. This life lesson could be summed up as ignorance breeds anger just as gentleness is born of wisdom."

Anger is a great motivator for doing something outside of our comfort zone. Most of us don't want to subject ourselves to the scrutiny of speaking out publicly about controversial issues. We really need to feel passionate about an issue to get involved. That anger and passion can give us the courage to speak publicly or do an interview. It can even help make the point at first. To be successful over time requires a calmer demeanor backed by logical arguments. Doing some research can be infuriating and informative at the same time. It can be difficult to find the right balance of explaining problems without being too harsh while being optimistic about possible solutions. Seeing lives destroyed and lost unnecessarily made achieving that balance all the more difficult.

Congress made changes to the Magnuson-Stevens Act that dictates how our fisheries are managed. One of the changes was to set hard deadlines for rebuilding mismanaged stocks. Fishery managers testified before Congress that the data they were using was often "fatally flawed". This did not inspire confidence in the management process. It seemed obvious that reduced quotas should be accompanied by reduced possession limits to avoid extended closures and excessive discards. Research revealed a plan to use something called Catch Shares for managing quotas. This would give permit holders a share of quotas we would own and could catch those fish whenever we wanted. Being able to work when conditions were right for us was enticing. The problem is that seafood in public waters are public resources owned by all of us. Privatizing public resources this way has a history of consolidating control as corporations buy up all the shares when fishermen retire. Some countries have lost all rights to harvest certain species living in their waters since corporate interests have bought up all available Catch Shares. Despite the fact that most fishermen who could have received Catch Shares would have hit the lottery, the vast majority of us do not want to sell out future fishermen or our fellow Americans. The good news is we have stopped efforts to implement several different Catch Shares schemes in our fishery and most quotas are now being managed responsibly with appropriate possession limits that keep seasons open.

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2nd Paragraph of Freedom Philosophy Discussion

11/11/2021

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This series of posts will share more information about each paragraph in the summarized version of, A Fisherman's Freedom Philosophy posted on the home page of this website and in the 2022 Natural Art Freedom Calendar. Feel free to make a comment or ask questions. Please be polite.

"Before we go any further, let me try to explain a little bit about where I am coming from. I lean left on some issues and right on others while always staying focused on preserving liberty. I love America and the freedom it offers. Being one of the last independent commercial fishermen bolsters an already profound appreciation for freedom. Working as a fisheries advocate has provided unique insight as to how and why things are happening the way they are. Fellow fishermen have contributed greatly to my way of thinking. The first person who took me fishing to make money had some fingers that were not quite right. They had been blown apart by an anti-aircraft shell that landed in the airplane he was about to parachute out of during World War 2. He grabbed the shell and tossed it out of their plane just as it exploded. His heroic actions saved everyone onboard and engrained the price of freedom in a young boy. One wise captain I fished with for years shared a quote that always stuck with me. “When everybody thinks alike, nobody thinks.” Jesus was a fisherman who always knew right where to catch what was needed. He fed fish to multitudes of followers while teaching them things like the Golden Rule. That simple concept of treating others the way we want to be treated could bring peace on earth if we all practiced it."

Deep political divisions are tearing families and our nation apart. The two party political system leaves most of us voting for whatever party we think will do the least harm to the freedoms we hold dear. The most extreme voices seem to define both sides while most of us are somewhere in the middle where logic and reason resides. Most of us love America and want to stay free.

It is with a heavy heart that I talk about being one of the last commercial fishermen. Keeping this way of life alive is one of my goals as an advocate. Being on the water harvesting nature's bounty brings a freedom few other jobs can offer. Advocacy work and research reveals how corporations are working with public officials and environmental organizations to seize control of our fisheries and other public resources. Corporations pander to the left by funding environmental charities and the right by embracing capitalism. The problem with corporations that do this is that their sole goal is profit by any means necessary. We are left with corporate control of our public resources and crony capitalism that corrupts the free market.

Veteran's Day is a fitting time to talk about the old war vet with a wounded hand who taught me about much more than fishing and the price of freedom. He told stories of growing up during the Great Depression and the hardships it caused. Finding food was a constant concern for many living back then. He talked about how great the fishing was and what a blessing that fresh seafood was for hungry people. Tales of big fish and plenty of them made me wonder if it could ever be that way again. The reality is that science and technology can help us overcome decades of mismanagement and habitat degradation. Wise us of hatcheries and habitat enhancements can bring back the good-old-days of fishing as seafood stocks thrive at historically high levels even as we harvest more.

"When everybody thinks alike, nobody thinks" Group think creates a gang mentality in many cases that can lead people to support bad ideas. This often leaves us supporting something extreme or only opposing it without really looking for logical solutions that most reasonable people could support. Keeping an open mind is key to keeping freedom.

The Golden Rule is something most of us understand regardless of religious beliefs. Being kind cannot be compulsory. It must be done of our own free will. Remember that the rule is to treat others the way we want to be treated, not how they treat us. That isn't always easy and takes practice. I am happy to talk with anyone about my personal relationship with Jesus.

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