Chapter 9
Posted the book to this point on Independence Day 2023 at www.affpbook.com. The website was set up so anyone with internet access can read it for free and ask questions. This chapter will answer questions and go through some thought processes that helped form a fisherman’s freedom philosophy.
I wanted the previous chapters to flow without getting too bogged down in details, so they were easier to read while leaving room for personal deliberation. Was there anything that challenged you to think beyond your normal comfort zone? No doubt there are some who quit reading and thinking when it started getting uncomfortable. Thank you for not giving up.
How to approach this part of the book was more difficult than expected. Many words were written before deciding to push those back for future reference and try this. A series of books I enjoyed reading as a kid will help inspire the rest of this one. Those library books let you choose a path to different endings in one chapter or another. I always read both. You will have a chance to influence some of what is in this chapter with your questions and comments. The next chapter will explain where I think we are heading if we stay on the current course. Chapter eleven will lay out a vision for a future where people start embracing this freedom philosophy. Chapter twelve will document the course we take over time to see where it leads. Chapter thirteen will be reserved for a time I pray never comes when it feels imminent that freedom as we know it will be lost.
My plan is to post updates on the website for this chapter and those to follow as they develop. A first-edition book will be printed with what is completed after the 2024 Natural Art Freedom Calendars are done. Updated editions will be printed with each new calendar. This will let me promote and distribute the book while delivering calendars every year. It is important to have hard-copy books in case the internet is compromised at some point. I did not write this book to make money. It is free online and printed books will be available to purchase for any price over the amount it costs to produce and ship them. This is more about making a contribution to preserving the freedom I have been so blessed to enjoy at little or no cost to me.
This is going to be a long chapter as we delve into some of the logic and reasons behind concepts and ideas expressed throughout the book. Please take your time and thoughtfully consider each subject before reading more. We will start at the beginning and keep going through each chapter until we get to this one. Thank you so much for investing your time and helping shape the way this book will be finished. Let’s give it a happy ending with no need for chapter thirteen.
Before we get started, I would like to explain that using the words politicians and corporations does not imply that they are all the same. Some are certainly better than others. Most politicians start with good intentions of helping others and corporations are mostly set up to earn income by offering goods and services people want. We just need to be careful not to give them too much control over our lives.
The introduction mentioned a feeling that the time was right to write this book. Political correctness and corona madness converged to jeopardize our freedom of speech. Questioning basic science such as natural immunity became taboo. Isn’t the scientific method based on asking reasonable questions? It was sad to see fear wielded as a weapon by politicians and corporations to control all of us for their own power and profit. Some would ban this book for expressing these views. The book probably will be banned, or portions censored at some point if we stay on this course. That is why it felt necessary to finish while our freedom of speech still exists for the most part. Can freedom exist without being free to say what we truly feel rather than just the authorized words of those who kneel?
While we are touching on the coronavirus topic, it should be mentioned that for quite a while I wore a tightfitting N95 mask over my mouth and nose to protect myself and others in public places. It made sense that the right kind of mask worn correctly helped limit exposure. Mask mandates felt more like a way to control us by taking away our personal identity and individual liberty than for public protection. Forcing people to accept experimental mRNA vaccines or lose their jobs was much worse. Worst of all, we are still doing Gain-of-Function research on deadly viruses that could cause human extinction. Can you think of a good reason for trying to make viruses more deadly and transmittable? Do you think there are any lessons we could learn by honestly questioning what we did and are still doing?
Paying a little attention to world events reveals just how close we are to another World War with the very real threat of nuclear weapons being used on us. It is easy to ignore this from a safe distance, for now. What our leaders are doing is disturbing and begs for some answers. Why do we keep poking a giant radioactive Kremlin Bear that could kill us all? Why do we always announce what kind of controversial weaponry we send others to poke the bear? Why are we making ourselves dependent on the bear’s oil while enriching and empowering it? Why isn’t the United Nations demanding the bear stop its aggressive behavior or be banished from the rest of civilized society? Do you think most people in hostile nations like what their leaders are doing? Wouldn’t most of us rather peacefully coexist? We are as close to war as possible without actually declaring it. Shouldn’t we consider all peaceful options to avoid a war that could mean the end of civilization as we know it?
Hopefully, most of you got the Kremlin Bear analogy. Russian politicians are funding the war on Ukraine by selling oil. They have such leverage that they can manipulate global oil prices to their advantage and the disadvantage of almost everyone else. We have enough publicly owned oil in America to replace Russian oil and cut off their war funding. We could enrich and empower ourselves while helping allies secure access to the solar power nature stores for us in renewable fossil fuels. Avoiding the ecological disaster of another world war seems like a pretty good reason to use nature’s gifts wisely. The reality is that we still need oil and gas for modern civilization to exist. We shouldn't rely on our adversaries for necessities.
Some of you may still be questioning the idea of referring to fossil fuels as renewable stores of solar energy. Aren’t fossil fuels created from decomposing organic matter that depended on the sun to exist? Isn’t new organic matter continually building layers of sediment that compress and decompose in a natural process that keeps on making more fossil fuel? This makes the case for fossil fuels being renewable solar power. The question should not be whether we will continue using fossil fuels, it should be if we are going to sustainably extract and responsibly use them. When it comes to oil and gas on public property, shouldn’t we consider ways the public can profit from our public resources? Doesn’t this sound better than war?
Does thinking of fossil fuels as nature’s way of storing solar energy for future use change how you feel about them? Would you support the wise use of natural fuels to avoid war? Do you think nature’s oil or nuclear war is worse for nature and people?
Decided to expand on the issue of war after those brutal terrorist attacks on Israeli civilians that included innocent babies being burned and beheaded. The attacks also killed people from other countries including 30 Americans with many hostages still being held. Some of the terrorists responsible have called for a “Global Day of Jihad” today, Friday the 13th of October 2023. They want supporters to follow their lead and spread terror worldwide. It is 9 a.m. and the morning news has not mentioned any attacks. I am hopeful there are not nearly as many evil people filled with hate as the terrorists think. Time will tell how this “Global Day of Jihad” plays out. I pray peace prevails.
We visited Israel and Palestine around this time last year. People on both sides of the fence were equally friendly as we toured the places where Jesus was born and crucified. There was no sign of hate from anyone we encountered. Christians, Muslims, Jews, and everyone else mingled without animosity. Isn’t this the way most people interact with each other? There are very few who let hate define them and control their actions. What percentage of people do you think support terrorism or want war? Doesn’t it seem like most of us just want to live and let live without hurting anyone else?
Checking the news Saturday morning has not shown any widespread jihad attacks as called for. This is a good sign the feeling was right that there are not nearly as many evil people out there wanting to attack others. Most of those misguided souls who commit terrorist acts or somehow support them have been brainwashed by political propaganda. It is unfortunate that those motivated by extreme ideology all too often become politicians who abuse their positions of power.
We will likely always have to deal with a few fringe fanatics who believe violence aimed at civilians is justified. We can do our part to promote peace by practicing the Golden Rule. That may sound like an oversimplified solution, but it can help if enough of us try. This does not mean we should surrender our right to self-defense. Sometimes evil must be defeated by force. Before it gets to that point, we should exhaust all diplomatic options. Cutting off funding to hostile nations is a very effective peaceful solution worth trying before using force.
Knowing what news to believe is a topic worth expanding upon. Left-leaning media focuses on what the right is doing wrong and vice versa while what they omit is equally important. Most of the stories about left or right political corruption are at least believable, even if biased. There isn’t much that seems too far-fetched to believe it could be true. Discussing the news is often contentious since where we get our information can be seen as unreliable by those getting it elsewhere. This makes it incredibly hard to have a meaningful discussion. Can you think of a news source everyone trusts? No wonder so many people choose not to pay much attention or discuss political issues. I wish there was an easy solution to this problem so we could get unbiased truth on important topics. Trusting our natural instincts on what is true or not is probably the best we can do for now. Keeping an open mind about what we doubt can also be helpful. No politician or political party is perfect. Shouldn’t we hold those we vote for to a higher standard than the rest?
The idea of not panicking, blaming, or ignoring reality is critically important. Panic only creates chaos that is used to control us. There is plenty of blame to go around, but that only creates more division that is also used to control us. We all have some level of blame for where we are even if it is just apathy. Remember what Plato said about apathy. The price we pay for it is to be ruled by evil. Ignoring reality allows evil to spread in darkness. Knowledge and understanding shed light that overcomes the darkness along with any evil lurking in it. That light also exposes new opportunities for good things to happen when enough of us are willing to try.
Paying attention to what is happening can make us feel overwhelmed and discouraged. This feeling can subdue us into doing nothing as evil triumphs. We are all born with different talents that can help make our world a better place. We have incredible power to do good when each of us uses our talents to achieve a positive goal. A coordinated effort between relatively few people could encourage others to join until there is enough of us to achieve peace, prosperity, and liberty for all.
Politics has devolved into a disgusting mess that sickens many of us in the middle majority. Money and connections seem to matter more than our vote. Using modern technology to practice self-governance with official representation offers a way for us to break free from politics as usual. The middle majority can bring logic, reason, civility, and common-sense back to politics if enough of us are willing to try. This probably won’t be easy, but being free requires some sacrifice. A simple polling website for independent thinkers could be enough to influence most politicians to do the right thing most of the time. The only thing that trumps money in politics is enough people peacefully supporting or opposing an issue. We just need to find a way for the silent middle majority to start being heard.
Chances are, you’ve read something you didn’t agree with. Thank you for being open-minded enough to keep reading. Being independent thinkers means we aren’t going to see eye to eye on every issue. We should not let that keep us from working together when we agree on something. Our different points of view can help form ideas most thinkers can support.
I am not the smartest person or the best at anything. There are much better fishermen and photographers than me. My weaknesses in writing are on full display in this book. We can’t let our imperfections keep us from doing what we feel called to do. I feel called to write this book to share some of what has been learned by advocating for our freedom to fish. The deep division between recreational and commercial fishermen is very similar to those we see in politics. Vocal fringe minorities on both sides push questionable agendas while the silent middle majority watches as our freedom slowly slips away. We could have more fish, food, and freedom for everyone if the silent majority of fishermen publicly supported solutions that focus more on enhancing our fisheries and food supply than restricting our freedom to access them. Most of our problems can be solved with solutions that promote freedom better than liberty-limiting laws could ever accomplish. If we want to be free, we need to be tolerant of those who enjoy other freedoms than us. We must forgive those who offend us. We should think beyond our own self-interests while looking out for our own best interests. Personal responsibility is also necessary for freedom to flourish. We all have different ideas about what freedom is. Accepting our differences is the key to preserving the individual liberties that collectively make us free people. Judging, condemning, and demanding punishment for what we see as each other’s flaws will eventually enslave us all.
We should never shy away from asking reasonable questions or ignore natural instincts that often lead to more questions when something doesn't feel right.
That concludes the Introduction discussion. It is time to post and print the book up to this point. Before we close for now, I would like to finish with a message of hope.
We are not nearly as divided as politics might indicate. Very few of us see everyone around through a convicting political prism. Most of us simply see each other as people who deserve to be treated with respect regardless of our differences. The vast majority just want to get along and enjoy life.
It is important to have hope even as the world around us seems to be descending into chaos. Gandhi said we should be the change we want to see in the world. We can promote peace and stability in our little part of the world by being tolerant and kind. The more of us that do this, the more peaceful and stable our shared world becomes. Some people mistake kindness for weakness when it is really a sign of strength and wisdom.
This freedom philosophy can be summed up in two words and one rule. Love, respect, and the Golden Rule. Can you think of a better way to promote peace and freedom than by treating each other the way we want to be treated? There is hope that someday enough of us will love and respect one another that the Golden Rule becomes a firm foundation for all other rules. Keep hoping, thinking, and trying.
Please check back occasionally to see more of this chapter as it is being written. Thank you!