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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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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.

"Many problems we face can be solved by restricting freedom or promoting it. One of the problems plaguing our fisheries is habitat degradation that negatively impacts spawning success for many species. Stricter regulations on what we can catch is not achieving desired results in most cases. One solution that promotes freedom is to use hatcheries for stocking a wide variety of native seafood that lives wild and free until harvested by independent fishermen. This is a wonderful alternative to closing fisheries and letting global corporations cage large concentrations of genetically sterilized species in our public waters. Industrial fish farms are another way of privatizing our public resources by making public waters off-limits to the public. Wise use of regional hatcheries that stock natural seafood promotes food security for everyone. We can help stocks thrive at historically high levels while allowing more harvest by recreational and commercial fishermen. This makes us less dependent on factory farms for food. Recent events show how food supplies can be disrupted. We need to keep options open for feeding ourselves."

An unfortunate part of human nature is the desire to control others even though most of us resent being controlled. People in positions of power seem to gravitate toward restricting freedom as their default position for addressing problems. The predominate fishery management philosophy is to pass more regulations. A shift in focus toward enhancing our fisheries and food supply by using proven management tools that improve habitat and spawning success would work much better than most regulations. This approach would promote freedom and food security for everyone. Making fishermen discard countless fish regardless of if they will live or die in the name of conservation is completely backwards. Hatcheries and habitat enhancements can make it so fishermen can keep more fish without overfishing. This solution could sustainably feed many more people than closing fisheries and letting corporations use our public waters to cage fish for private production. We are losing our freedom to access public waters and resources at an alarming rate. Now is the time to think about if we want to see our public resources managed in ways that promote freedom and prosperity for all or corporate control and profit for a privileged few. This philosophical difference between restricting freedom and promoting it is something we should consider when thinking about how to solve any problem. Would you rather see problems effecting you solved by promoting your freedom or restricting it?    
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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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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.

"Traveling across America talking with people from all walks of life about ways we could preserve our freedom to fish and access seafood from public waters was an eye-opening experience. There were pleasant surprises as well as disappointing moments during interactions with people who should have been nicer and some, I had no idea what to expect. Spending time with Middle Easterners for the first time was inspiring as they seemed to understand the importance of freedom in a way many others did not. I will never forget this guy with a big smile and sparkle in his eye emphatically telling me to never stop fighting for freedom. Meeting so many different people confirmed that being equally respectful to everyone was the best approach. Respect is universally appreciated and usually reciprocal."

Showing respect is not always easy. What if someone is being disrespectful to us? Should we treat them the same way or start out being respectful and continue regardless of their actions? Being the first to show respect sets the tone for most interactions. Some people are going to be rude and disrespectful no matter what we do. It is usually best to limit the amount of time you spend around toxic personalities. There also times our respectful words and actions can help change the attitude of somebody having a bad day. We can take comfort in knowing we have done the right thing regardless of how it is received or returned. 
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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.
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 "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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    This blog is about ways we can preserve and promote the individual liberties that collectively make us free people. 

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