Chapter Nine

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 some people 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 when the 2025 Natural Art Freedom Calendars are ready. 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, choppy 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 corrupting power to control 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 people would probably want to ban this book for expressing these views. The book might be banned, or portions censored at some point if we stay on this course of centralized thought control. 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 the things 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 try to negotiate a peaceful resolution? 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/Russian 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 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 45 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 another topic worth discussing further. Left-leaning media focuses on what the right is doing wrong and vice versa while what they omit is equally important. Most 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 difficult 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 vitally important. Panic only creates chaos that is exploited by politicians 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 the price we pay for apathy being that evil people will rule us. 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 are enough of us to secure 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 should think beyond our own self-interests while simultaneously 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.  

This concludes the Introduction discussion. It is time to post the book up to this point and work on other things. 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 of us 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.

Christmas has passed as a new year begins with high hopes for good things to come. This winter’s stormy El Nino weather pattern is giving me time to start writing again.

Chapter One goes into some detail about life experiences that helped shape my freedom philosophy. It started with faith and a personal relationship with Jesus. Professing this belief is becoming more controversial as time goes on. Much of that stems from all the evil things misguided religious leaders have done in the name of religion. It is important to understand that just as with any group, there are always a few bad people involved. Most are good at heart and try to do the best they can. We all deserve to be judged by our own actions rather than by what others with similar beliefs have done. I try to follow the example Jesus set for being kind, compassionate, and forgiving.    

Reading the bible gives us a glimpse of Godly wisdom that can help us live better lives. It also makes many readers ask, what’s with all the obvious contradictions? How can the message of Jesus be so different from most of what is written about God in the Old Testament? There seemed to be an awful lot of rules and wrath for not following them in ancient times. Jesus brought a new message of free will and forgiveness. There would be much less animosity toward Christians if more believers embraced forgiveness rather than judgment. Those of us who follow Jesus need to remember that He gave His life to replace the old ways of being redeemed with salvation by grace. Showing grace to others is a much better way of sharing the message of Jesus than trying to force our moral beliefs on them through the government. Using force to advance any idea or belief pushes away many more people than it attracts. Having personal peace while showing unconditional kindness to everyone should be how we encourage people to learn more.

Despite the problems in churches, Christian organizations are among the first to help after major disasters. Jesus taught us to have empathy for others by sharing their joys and sorrows. We are to have mercy on the weak and help those in need. Jesus said we should love one another as He loves us and treat each other the way we want to be treated. He told us to let our light so shine that others may see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven. Kindness softens hearts and opens minds.

Faith provides great comfort that eternal life in paradise awaits us and our loved ones when we die. While on earth, we can have a peace that passes all understanding by giving our worries to God. We can pray for guidance to help us know what paths we should take or avoid. This helps align our intuition with universal wisdom and a spirit of truth to know right from wrong. Having faith in a higher power provides hope in any situation.

The Bible teaches many practical lessons that are helpful regardless of our beliefs. Consider the wisdom Solomon shares. His words show the value of seeking wisdom and finding joy in meaningful work. He explains how there is a time for everything. We see his views evolve with age as he ponders the vanity of life and how much of it is like grasping at the wind with no chance of holding on. Jesus offered great advice about forgiving others and asking for what we want. He enlightened us with the revelation that it isn’t what we put in our body that defiles us, it is what an unbridled tongue spews out. Paul taught us the true meaning of love and not to grow weary of doing good. We don’t have to understand everything in the Bible to glean wisdom.  

Patriotism has sadly become another topic of contention. America is not perfect, but it is the one place where millions of people will risk everything to come for freedom. America’s founders were not perfect either, but they gave us a Republic that enshrines freedom of the individual in our Constitution. The bitter irony of securing this freedom is that allowing slavery was part of a deal made to unite the colonies against British tyranny. Our Constitution was set up so changes could be made over time to form a more perfect Union where everyone is free and equal. We still have more work to do so everyone is judged by the content of their character, rather than the color of their skin as Dr. King dreamed. The worst of any race, group, or citizenry should not define everyone else in it or an entire country.

A high price has been paid by many to secure our freedom and way of life in America. Our government was set up to secure the blessings of liberty for us and our posterity. George Washington compared government to fire in that it can serve or destroy us depending on how it is used or abused. Politicians have long used divisive rhetoric to manipulate the masses so they can gain more power. Those we elect to represent us are supposed to be Public Servants who govern with our consent. Modern technology gives us an unprecedented opportunity to bring power back to the people by guiding our Public Servants to use the power of government for good. We can take the controversy out of patriotism as lovers of liberty peacefully unite to set an example that others around the globe would want to follow. Citizens of every country should have a sense of patriotism without being ashamed of their politicians.

The rest of Chapter One is mostly about adventures on the water that led me to become one of the last independent commercial fishermen. I feel incredibly blessed to have gotten my foot in the door just before license moratoriums and skyrocketing permit prices made it much harder to get started. I am lucky to earn a living doing things most people only dream of. There have been plenty of trying times when I wondered if this is really what I should be doing. The good and bad times brought me to this point in life where I am writing a book about freedom. We never know where life will take us.

Having control of my time has been another blessing that let me enjoy being with my family and pursue other interests. Life is about more than just making enough money to survive. Money doesn’t buy happiness, but having enough to pay the bills avoids a lot of unhappiness. Securing financial freedom for every citizen with paychecks derived from wise management of our Public Resources is a key part of my freedom philosophy. This solution could give us all more control of our time so we can each pursue our own version of happiness.

Being a photographer has allowed me to see so many beautiful places and things. It has helped me understand the importance of timing and focusing on the best of what is there. These lessons have guided the way I choose to see things and when it feels best to take action or wait. The timing is right for us to change the course of history in favor of freedom by focusing on the best opportunities available to us now. Waiting will limit our options as we drift further from freedom.

Chapter Two touches on wasteful fishery management policies that restrict our freedom to access Public Resources. People have mentioned that they didn’t understand some of the management terms used. I’ll try to clarify them as we continue.

The chapter starts out talking about quotas and Derby Fisheries. Quotas are set to cap the total amount of fish we can harvest so they aren’t overfished. I support this and have never disputed them. My problem is with how quotas are often mismanaged. Derby Fisheries are short seasons with complete closures after a quota is met. Some fisheries are natural derbies with small windows to catch migrating seafood. In multi-species year-round fisheries, closures create Regulatory Discards as we target legal fish living with illegal fish. Multi-species fisheries are exactly what they sound like. Bottom fish like snapper and grouper live together around seafloor structures such as rocks or wrecks. Regulatory Discards are mostly a result of closures or size limits that require fishermen to throw back illegal seafood. Some size limits are helpful and create few discards while others are very harmful as we are required to target the breeding stock of females while leaving a glut of runts and smaller males. Most fish managed with quotas would be better off without size limits so some of every size fish can be kept. This would leave more big breeders while helping small fish grow faster with less competition. Total closures that create the most Regulatory Discards can easily be avoided by managing quotas with appropriate possession limits and/or setting aside the last 25% of quotas for by-catch allowances that let us keep most of what is accidentally caught while targeting fish with higher limits.

Getting involved as a fisheries advocate was difficult on many levels. There were so many questions about things that didn’t make sense. Why would fishery managers want to create so much waste when better results could be achieved without it? Why didn’t they care if wasteful regulations compromised our safety at sea? Why wouldn’t they even consider simple solutions that would limit waste and promote safety? Didn’t they care if tons of fish needlessly died without being used? Didn’t they care if fishermen died? Some of those involved did care and wanted to do the right thing. Others were on the fence about whether those guiding management policies were right. Somebody told me about something called a Delphi Technique that explained how things work within bureaucracy. I am still not sure if this technique is used intentionally by the leadership or if it just describes the way bureaucracy works. It feels like a little of both. A little of both also seems like the answer to my question about whether mismanagement is done maliciously to advance agendas or just unintended consequences of bad ideas.

Informing people about fishery management problems and possible solutions became a full-time job that was funded by selling calendars with nautical photos I take. Giving speeches was an interesting experience as people cheered and clapped to show their approval and support. Public speaking felt much more natural than I thought it would. Doing media interviews was a different story. I did not like the way editing could cause my words to be taken out of context. Interviewers also controlled what topics we discussed and how much information could be shared. It has been years since my last interview.

Plans to close the entire Southeast seafloor starting in 98’ of water out to the boundary of America’s Exclusive Economic Zone 200 miles offshore was a stunning power grab. A fishery management agency giving themselves the power to kill anyone who defied their law was even more shocking. It makes me wonder how many other agencies sneak language into laws they make that allow them to be enforced “by any means necessary”. Keep in mind these are not elected officials passing laws with the threat of deadly force behind them. Does that seem right?

Our fishery is the only one I know of that stopped Vessel Monitoring Systems from being approved when the corporations selling them were pushing for it. The only reason we stopped this scam is because enough people politely made our voices heard. This works at every level of government when enough of us are willing to stand united. There is some level of support for or opposition to any issue that will convince those in power to do the right thing. Think about what would happen if thousands of people politely asked our politicians to do something reasonable. We would be very hard to ignore. Millions saying the same thing would be even harder to ignore. Tens of millions from all walks of life respectfully speaking with one deafening voice could not be ignored. Being polite is essential because anything else can be dismissed as an angry mob in need of discipline. Asking for something reasonable is equally important. We have power in numbers when we work together. That is why many who seek power want us to be divided along as many lines as possible. Our differences can make us stronger if we ignore divisive political propaganda.

Let’s take a deeper look at Catch Shares and the problems with privatizing Public Resources. You already read about how Catch Shares give fishermen a share of quotas we can catch at our convenience. These shares can be leased or sold since those Public Resources no longer belong to the public. Global corporations usually end up buying them as the price becomes prohibitive to most fishermen. Fishermen are often left leasing shares, so they can catch enough to be profitable. Those leasing their shares get about half the value of harvested seafood. Owners also get paid by the fishermen if the leased shares go unharvested. This does not end well for most fishermen as investors make out like bandits profiting from their private ownership of our Public Resources. Catch Shares are touted by those pushing them as being good for fish and fishermen when they are really about who owns our resources. The amount of seafood harvested remains the same regardless of how quotas are managed. The primary difference between Catch Shares and other ways of managing quotas is whether we get to retain ownership of our Public Resources or not.    

There are other Public Resources that corporate investors want to privatize under the guise of helping the environment. Natural Asset Companies are one of the latest climate control schemes to privatize our Public Resources. These corporations will be set up to own the rights to public and private natural resources. The plan is to let publicly traded companies invest to offset their pollution. This would allow international interests to control our Public Resources and limit our freedom to use them. Does it seem wise to sell America’s sovereignty?

Good news! The New York Stock Exchange has withdrawn a request for Natural Asset Companies to be publicly traded because enough people learned of this scam and opposed it. That doesn’t mean they won’t try to sneak it by us again later.

A break in the weather finally let us get offshore again. The fish were marking and chewing even if a little smaller than we would prefer. It is one of those fishing mysteries how different sizes of fish bite better at different times. Moon phases seem to play a role. We were just thankful to be catching enough legal fish to make a paycheck. The bite continued after dark until we were about out of bait and a tugboat was bearing down on us. We decided to head home rather than play chicken with another vessel that could sink us. The laws of gross tonnage overrule maritime right-of-way laws. Lights can play tricks on you at night, but seeing both the port and starboard navigation lights always means a vessel is coming straight for you. It is best not to assume they will turn. The air was crisp and clear as water tower lights appeared on the horizon over twenty miles from shore. The phenomenon known as Fata Morgana seems to elevate lights and buildings when temperature inversions create a mirage. Then thick fog rolled in and reduced our phenomenal visibility to almost nothing. I headed for an anchored ship to find out how far we could see. The radar showed us coming within a quarter mile before any lights were visible. Dredging operations in Beaufort Inlet had me concerned enough to slow down as we focused intently on the radar and GPS plotter while watching for anything appearing through the fog. It was eerily beautiful and somewhat scary at the same time.

Back to the discussion about privatizing Public Resources. Just like public opposition stopped Natural Asset Companies from being traded on the New York Stock Exchange, public opposition thwarted the Catch Share creature on Jekyll Island. We are the last line of defense when it comes to protecting our Public Resources from those who would exploit environmental concerns to seize control of them. We need to be very careful about trusting politicians, corporations, and environmental organizations to do what is best for us and our resources. When all these entities align to push for something, it deserves extra scrutiny. There is a good chance the agenda is much more about making money and accumulating power than helping us or the environment. Our resources should enrich and empower us.  

The final paragraph in Chapter Two ends by declaring that ignorance breeds anger just as gentleness is born of wisdom. Ignorance can be blissful or infuriating depending on the circumstances. A lack of understanding about why our fisheries were being mismanaged made me angry. Learning about plans to privatize Public Resources was upsetting and enlightening as dots started connecting. Ranting and raving about the evils of this scheme would not resonate with enough people to make a difference. Gently pointing out the problems while offering positive solutions that benefit everyone and the environment helped inspire enough people to get involved that we won a battle to keep our freedom to access our Public Resources. Those who want to control us, and our resources use ignorance and anger to divide and conquer. Those who desire freedom seek wisdom and embrace gentleness to unite and win.

Chapter Three is mostly about some of what I experienced while traveling around as a fisheries advocate. It was obvious from the start that everyone likes being treated with respect and will usually return it when given. This simple truth offers a path to peace everyone should explore. Try showing respect by just saying please and thank you to see how well it works. Imagine how much better our world would be if we all treated each other respectfully. We don’t even have to like each other to be respectful. This is one secret to civilization. The disrespectful alternative leads to chaos and control.  

The idea of solving two different problems with one solution is something that deserves more discussion. Let’s look at the different goals of recreational and commercial fishermen. Recreational anglers want there to be plenty of fish for them to catch whenever they get a chance to go fishing. Most want to keep enough so they can offset the cost with fresh seafood. Commercial fishermen want there to be enough seafood for us to keep working. Some on both sides blame the other when there isn’t enough. Using hatcheries to stock native seafood is a proven solution that solves both sides' problems by helping nature consistently produce enough for everyone to enjoy.

Energy production offers another opportunity to solve several problems with one solution. Hydrogen gas produced locally from wastewater using wind and solar power can provide clean energy when needed while creating revenue for citizens. This plausible solution addresses multiple problems including environmental and energy independence concerns.

Traveling around this beautiful country of ours has been a blessing. Diversity abounds from the land and waterways to the animals and people. Just as each ecosystem and the wildlife they support are special in different ways, so are the communities and individuals in different locations. We often think where we live is the best, but so do people who live elsewhere. That is good because it wouldn’t work out very well if everyone wanted to live in the same place. Our diversity should be a source of strength rather than division. I believe most of us aren’t nearly as divided as those seeking power want us to be. They don’t want us to empower ourselves by getting along well enough to promote solutions that limit their power.

Iroquois Indians had a good idea about considering how their actions would impact all of them and those who follow out to seven generations. Granted things moved much slower in those days, but the concept is still sound. Let’s use this concept to consider how our fisheries should be managed. How do you think our fisheries will look in seven generations if we stay on the current course? Will we still be allowed to eat anything we catch? Will we even be allowed to go fishing if nothing is legal to keep? Will corporate cages full of genetically altered species replace fishermen? What if we started implementing solutions that enhance our fisheries? Could we still have healthy fisheries centuries from now even as we harvest more than ever before? Do you think it would be better for future generations to keep restricting access to wild-caught seafood until it is all illegal or start focusing more on enhancing our fisheries and food supply? Which path do you think promotes freedom and food security?

Chapter Four begins by trying to explain how the most obnoxious actors on any side of an issue define everyone else involved in the view of many on opposite sides. Look at the political left and right. People on one side see the worst of those on the other and wonder how anybody would want to be associated with them. Our predominant two-party political system leaves us with little choice but to pick one side or the other despite having serious concerns about both. We usually end up siding with the party we think will do the least harm to the freedoms we value most. Voting for the lesser of two evils does not have to be our only option. We can create another option that allows us to elect true Public Servants within our Republic’s framework if enough people are willing to try.  

Writing this makes me wonder if there will ever be enough concerned citizens willing to work together on electing representatives who work for us. I fear that it could be too little too late once enough people are uncomfortable enough to get involved. Part of why I am writing this is so that there will be a template for future generations to practice self-governance with official representation even if we allow today’s politicians to destroy America as we know it. History will eventually document that politicians cannot be trusted with the kind of power we have given them. How many politicians do you trust?

Details on how we pick, promote, elect, and direct our Public Servants should be developed as part of a grassroots effort with input from anyone willing to get involved. I believe the supermajority requirement needs to be a key component.

America’s Constitution is set up to limit the power of centralized government by delegating responsibility to the most local level down to individual citizens as much as possible. Technology allows us to take advantage of this in ways not possible until recently. We have the ability for each of us to represent our own best interests while working together for the greater good of our communities. Wouldn’t you like to know your voice and concerns carry the same weight as anyone else?

Chapter Five lays out a vision for how we can use our Public Resources to produce power and profit for us. Being a federally permitted offshore fisherman gives me Standing on the issue of offshore energy production, unlike most other citizens. Those five separate rounds of secret seismic testing mentioned in the first paragraph would negatively impact my business. The National Environmental Policy Act lets affected citizens offer solutions to mitigate any negative impacts of environmental policies such as seismic testing. The solution I offered at a public meeting was for Federal Agencies to map our Public Resources once using the safest technology available and make the results public. While attending staff agreed that would be the best approach, they had to follow the outdated laws in place. Maybe it is time to rethink those laws and inject a little logic. How logical is it to let global corporations conduct repeated rounds of harmful seismic testing in our Public Waters and keep the results secret from us? Government agencies already map our Public Waters in great detail. Why don’t they also map our offshore oil, gas, and mineral deposits while they are at it? Shouldn’t we know what kind of resources we own?

The immortal words of a fictional cartoon character named Homer Simpson seem to sum up the mindset of many on both sides of offshore energy production when I tried talking with them. “Let’s not think.” Unfortunately, those words ring true with many on opposite sides of controversial issues. Some people get so stuck on an idea like “Drill Baby Drill” that they won’t even think beyond their catchphrase. I was not saying we shouldn’t drill, just that we should think about how to maximize the positives and minimize any negatives. Never-drillers were no better. Fortunately, average people without preconceived notions freezing their brains are usually willing to think with an open mind. Critical thinking should be encouraged on all sides.

Think of how many petroleum products we use today that make our lives so much better than they were before them. Just because some bad actors have been involved in the oil and gas industry does not make these natural resources evil. They are made by and part of nature. Responsible domestic production can allow us to boycott hostile petroleum-producing nations that use proceeds to fund terrorism and war. Wouldn’t it be better to shut off their funding than go to war with them?

Offshore wind farms are being built off the North Carolina coast now. Just like with oil and gas, I am not opposed to windmills. I simply want us to think about the best way to go about using them. Rushing to subsidize corporate wind farms will prove to be a mistake on many levels. Now we are locked in for decades regardless of how it turns out. Rushing to do almost anything like this often leads to regret when hindsight kicks in.

One of the ideas I brought up for all new offshore energy production is that State and Local governments should have the Right of First Refusal on any proposed Public Water Leases adjacent to their borders that are being offered by the Federal Government. Why should we subsidize corporations and let them use our Public Resources to produce the power they sell us? Politicians claim these investments create jobs. Couldn’t we use those investments our taxes pay for to create the same jobs with profits paid directly to us instead of corporations that often have localized monopolies on the services they sell? Have you noticed your electric bill increasing lately? Do you have another option for getting electricity? Would you like one? Wouldn’t it be great if we could make our own electricity while earning income from it? The technology that will replace many of our jobs requires tremendous amounts of electricity. We can provide that power while earning enough income so losing a mundane job only frees us to follow our dreams by pursuing work and interests we enjoy. Do you enjoy your job enough to keep doing it if you didn’t need the money? I enjoy fishing but would not go when the weather is iffy if I didn’t need to pay bills. Wouldn’t you like the security of knowing your bills will be paid even if you get sick or injured? Isn’t it worth considering how we can use our Public Resources to enrich and empower ourselves?

Shouldn’t we be part of the discussion about how we want to protect the environment and use our tax dollars to invest in energy production? Should we just trust corporations and politicians to think for us? Whose interests do you think those influential few will look out for, theirs or ours?

How do you feel about this concept of managing our Public Resources to produce power and profit for us? It certainly seems to flirt with socialism. The word socialism sends shivers down the spine of many on both sides of the political aisle for very different reasons. Some fully embrace the idea while others abhor it. We already have our fair share of it in America whether we like it or not. The problem with what we have now, and most forms of socialism, is that politicians take money from some to give to others, creating a cycle of contempt on all sides. Another way socialism works is for politicians to control most industries along with the revenue and dole out just enough goodies to keep the masses from revolting. The idea of managing our Public Servants and Public Resources to make doing the People’s Business, the people's business that pays us for paying attention is fair and equitable to all involved.   

How many different forms of welfare do you think there are now? How much do you think all that cost us? How much would it cost to fund Universal Basic Income? Would everyone get it, or will politicians pick and choose who gets it? Do you think those receiving welfare payments now worry about them being cut off if politicians decide to for any reason? We could replace most social welfare programs and create a Universal Basic Income for every citizen with revenue generated from our Public Resources if enough of us want to make it happen. This would make us much less dependent on politicians for help in times of need. We could all enjoy financial freedom while bringing power back to the people as we learn to govern ourselves. Power production can be a source of power for us.

Most politicians want us to work for a corporation and just pay our taxes rather than look for ways to be self-sufficient. They don’t want us to be less dependent on them or have less of our money to spend as they see fit. Those running the system want us to be compliant and let them continue making more laws to control every aspect of our lives while using our Criminal Justice System to selectively enforce them on whomever they wish. Woe unto those Big Brother turns against.

Please take a minute to ponder the political and financial course we are on and where it will lead. Do you think it leads to a brighter future or darker days ahead? Will average citizens have more liberty or less? Do you think politicians can just keep adding trillions to our National Debt without causing serious financial problems? Will politicians suddenly start trying to unite us or keep using division as a weapon that gives them more power to control us? Do you think everything would be fine if one political party or another had more power? Could that lead to more political persecution and indoctrination? Aren’t we our own best hope for changing course toward a brighter future?

We have a chance to do something extraordinary for ourselves and all of humanity. The importance of this moment cannot be overstated. Time is not on our side. Pressure is mounting from within and abroad to step up or submit. The challenges ahead will be difficult. Submission might seem like an easier option, but it only delays the inevitable need to stand up for what is right eventually. The longer we wait, the harder it will be. Putting it off for future generations is unacceptable.   

Chapter Six touched on some of what 50 years of life has taught me. I am not going to waste your time reviewing most of this chapter. Much of what was written should be self-evident with no need for further explanation. There is some good news to share about Red Snapper though. Remember how fishery managers wanted to drastically cut our already ridiculously low quota because the latest stock assessment shows there are more snapper than ever before? A fine example of the “evils of bureaucracy” we also explored in this chapter. A fine example of our ability to influence outcomes when enough of us speak with one voice came during the last council meeting as that amendment was rescinded. Recreational and commercial fishermen mostly stood united in politely pointing out the absurdity of those planned cuts. Our united voice of reason won a small battle for our freedom to fish and access our Public Resources. Tons of our seafood will now be used responsibly to feed people rather than being wasted on dead discards.

Chapter Seven is about the Stop and Review policy that I initially proposed for our fisheries and now advocate for at all levels of government. While selling calendars before Christmas in the Outer Banks I met a man with the name, stature, and adventurous spirit of a benevolent pirate. We talked for some time about a wide range of topics. He had a wonderful philosophy on life that can be summed up in a quote he shared. “Faith is keeping your sails up when the wind stops blowing.” The artist painted vivid pictures with exquisite words about his travels and fishing adventures. He also explained the difference between legal and lawful being in the spirit or letter of a law.

Most laws are applied differently based on who is enforcing them and on whom they are being enforced. Enforcers can let somebody go with a warning about the spirit of a law they broke or throw every letter of the law book at them. We have all seen powerful people get away with things most of us would undoubtedly be imprisoned for doing. Selective enforcement undermines the entire justice system by corrupting it at the core. This is one of many reasons we should review the hundreds of thousands of laws that politicians and unelected government employees have passed over the years. There is a case in the Supreme Court right now about the power fishery managers have to make up laws. A Just verdict would limit the lawmaking power of people who have not been elected and authorized by citizens to represent us. How do you think the case will be adjudicated? I’d say the odds are roughly 50/50. One would hope for better from our highest court in the land.

Would you want to roll the dice on going to court for anything that could put you in prison? Without irrefutable evidence exonerating you, your odds are about the same as in that Supreme Court case depending on who the judge or jurors are and what kind of mood they are in. Lawyers try to cherry-pick jurors or postpone a case if they think the presiding judge is unlikely to find in their client’s favor. This must be a terrifying reality for anyone who is wrongfully accused. Packing courts full of frivolous trials about moral “crimes” makes it harder to get a fair trial for anyone. Who knows how many innocent people have been locked up because the system has been corrupted? Isn’t it about time we cleaned up our laws and justice system?

While far too many innocent people have been convicted and falsely imprisoned because of our compromised justice system, far more have lost their freedom over moral offenses. Most of the blame for moral laws is placed on religious folks. There is a kernel of truth to that based on Blue Laws, prohibition, and other morally misguided actions from the past. Some religious people still want to keep enforcing their view of morality through our criminal justice system, but money has taken over as the primary reason for today’s moral laws.

As a follower of Jesus, I would like to ask other followers what they think Jesus’ position would be on asking politicians to enforce His moral precepts. Would He support seizing money from citizens to fund a war on morality? This does not seem like anything the Jesus I know would support. Didn’t Jesus teach us not to judge lest we be judged? That prophetic phrase warns us how judging others leads to a never-ending cycle of judgment. Wouldn’t it make Jesus proud if we stopped judging each other and started loving one another regardless of our differences?   

I believe the morals Jesus taught were more about how to treat each other than how to punish anyone. Can you imagine Jesus colluding with Caesar to force His doctrine on the masses by threatening to imprison anyone who disobeyed? How do you think Jesus feels about some of His followers demanding such things in His name? Do you think He wants us to be forgiving and merciful or demand punishment for moral mistakes? Isn’t moral behavior supposed to be a personal decision so long as we aren’t doing any physical or financial harm to anyone else?

Let’s move on to the “Mind your own business” concept. This is some of the best advice ever given for matters that do not harm anyone else. There was a story on the news this morning about human trafficking related to professional sports. A sheriff talked about how putting prostitutes in jail doesn’t help anything. Rather than attacking those who choose the world’s oldest profession, we should be going after the monsters who traffic and pimp sex slaves of all ages. Legal prostitution forms a clear distinction between people who have made a choice and slaves who have no choice. Shouldn’t all decent people be opposed to slavery by now? A blind eye has been turned by many because they don’t want to think about it. There are more slaves today than ever before. Slavery is one of those things we should not mind our own business about. This is the kind of crime against humanity we should all want to see abolished.   

The war on drugs is a nightmare on every level. Foreign fentanyl is flooding America causing countless overdoses because of this misguided war. Do you think drug users would rather have legal access to safer drugs manufactured under FDA guidelines or something made overseas with no oversight? What business is it of anyone what adults do behind closed doors if they aren’t hurting anyone except maybe themselves? Keeping some drugs illegal keeps money flowing through the justice system to everyone involved except the poor souls being persecuted. How moral is that? Shouldn’t drug laws focus on public intoxication and driving under the influence like we do with alcohol? The legal age should be 18 since that is when we can be drafted. Drug use should not excuse any illegal activity.

Why is gambling only legal under certain circumstances politicians condone? The North Carolina Legislature had a sports gambling provision for a few corporations in the latest budget. There was also an insurance issue that would have helped some people who were dying get medication that could save their lives. One man publicly pleaded with politicians to pass the budget before he died from a cancer that could be treated. They still delayed the vote for weeks while negotiating that gambling deal. Not sure if he lived or died and don’t think many politicians or those corporate bookies cared one way or the other. Money seems to matter more to most politicians and corporations than our lives. Isn’t it time to legalize gambling and let us decide how, when, and where we gamble if we even want to do it at all?

Ending the war on morality would free up resources to focus on real crimes like rape and the exploding slave trade. Violent criminals could be targeted and kept away from the peaceful public. This would greatly reduce violent crimes since they are usually committed by repeat offenders. We could quickly restore peace and security across America.

The moral wars politicians unleashed on humanity are an abomination that has backfired and made things much worse than if we were free to make our own moral choices. It is essential to understand that politicians can turn their moral enforcers against anyone at any time. I believe we should be free to make our own choices about moral issues but would suggest we should not tempt others with advertisements for them. What do you think?

There are still many more topics covered in this chapter so I will try not to carry on too long about any one of them.

The Death Penalty is one of those issues many of us feel very strongly about. It is perfectly understandable how family members of someone who has been murdered would want the perpetrator to die. This is more about vengeance than justice. Revenge is never a good reason to do anything. We really shouldn’t even be punishing people beyond taking violent criminals’ freedom to be part of civilized society. Putting people in prison has become a big business with inmates being seen more as a commodity than a person to corporate incarcerators. We could set up secure places where violent criminals can live together and provide for themselves. Why should we be responsible for taking care of them?

Our Second Amendment Right to keep and bear arms helps secure every other Right. Another reason to have a gun is that the police are minutes away when we only have seconds to defend ourselves or our families. While we should not execute convicts, we have a natural right to self-defense when attacked.

We are getting closer to multiple wars across the globe with each passing day as our leaders fund both sides of conflicts. Why are we making direct payments to hostile regimes or buying their products? Why do we make ourselves dependent on tyrants for fuel when we have more than enough for us and our allies? Wise use of our resources and economic sanctions could end most of these conflicts without going to war.

Get ready to think about abortion again. Let’s start at the beginning with conception as parental DNA intertwines to make a new person in their purest form before environmental factors influence development. A fertilized egg must make it to the mother’s womb to safely continue growing. If it gets stuck along the way, both mother and child could die. The baby has no chance of surviving either way. The mother must decide to terminate her pregnancy or suffer a slow painful death if nature doesn’t take care of things by flushing the embryo out. Most of us understand that an abortion is necessary in this case.

When life begins is at the heart of most other abortion debates. Some say a baby is just an inviable tissue mass until birth. Facts prove this to be false as babies born prematurely can live after only five months of gestation. Wouldn’t it be safe to say those babies were alive in the womb? The quickening begins around four months of pregnancy. This is when healthy babies start moving. Are they alive then? A fetal heartbeat can be detected after only one month. Death is defined by the lack of a heartbeat. Doesn’t it stand to reason that a heartbeat should be the clinical definition of when life begins?

Since most of us agree that abortion should be legal in some cases, the big debate is over whether there should be any limitations. With abortion pills easily available online, a mother can end her pregnancy well beyond recommended guidelines. A medically induced miscarriage is not a painless experience for the mother or child and can cause serious complications. Abortions should only be performed under medical supervision.

Based on all the facts and reality, I feel it is necessary to keep abortion legal in most cases to protect women and children from unnecessary pain and suffering. That is a hard statement for me to make as I don’t want to see any baby die. The fight for life should be won with love rather than laws.

Legal access to abortions should include education about fetal development to help mothers make informed decisions. Ultrasound technology is amazing in the clarity of images now. Most mothers who see their babies decide to keep them. This technology could also help us learn which abortion procedures are the most humane to help make them as painless as possible. Some of the most barbaric and inhumane abortions are done without the aid of ultrasound showing doctors precisely what they are doing, or any baby pieces left behind that can cause infection. What other medical procedure could be done without a doctor watching what they are doing? This horrific practice seems unnecessarily cruel and unsafe. Choosing not to see something doesn’t change the reality of what is happening.    
Adoption should be encouraged and promoted as a wonderful alternative to abortion. We should try to make it as easy as possible for mothers thinking about abortion to connect with people willing to adopt their children. With same-sex marriage on the rise, why shouldn’t they have equal opportunity to adopt as traditional married couples? We should be making it easier for willing parents to give children a loving home if we want more babies to have a chance at life. Love does not discriminate, and neither should we.  

The first debate I ever had in school was about abortion. I was picked to be for it. As a sixteen-year-old boy, every excuse from my point of view felt selfish. The reality is that guys are responsible for most abortions because they don’t want the responsibility. How many mothers would choose abortion if a father was happy to hear the news and wanted to take care of their child? How many fathers of aborted babies offered to pay for the procedure or pressured the mother not to give birth? How many offered to love the mother and child? Boys and girls need to realize the utmost importance of practicing safe sex until they are financially and emotionally ready to start a family as men and women. This is much easier than choosing to take a life or having an unwanted child with an unwanted partner.   

Having enough money to support a child would make it much easier for both parents to choose life. The prospect of raising a child in poverty is daunting at best. An overwhelming sense of hopelessness is more likely. We can secure financial freedom for new parents and everyone else with profits from our Public Resources if enough of us want to try. Is saving the life of an unborn baby enough incentive for you to try?   

Being a parent can be one of life’s great blessings or an unbearable hardship depending on the circumstances. Having two loving parents with the time and resources to take care of them is a child’s best hope for happiness and success in life. This does not mean poor single parents can’t provide great lives for their kids. It simply means life will be more difficult for all involved. Love is the one thing that can overcome any adversity.

Today is Father’s Day, so I am going to touch on the topic of fatherhood for a few paragraphs. The world would be a better place if more fathers embraced the role we should play in our families. I believe that role is to love, protect, and enjoy our kids. Children who feel loved by their dad are far more likely to have a happy childhood than those who don’t. Loved kids are more likely to stay out of serious trouble and grow into responsible adults who will love, protect, and enjoy their kids. 

The rewards of being a dad are worth all the struggles that go with it. Seeing innocent adoration in your child’s eyes is an incredible feeling nothing can replace. Being financially stable before having kids makes it much easier to enjoy spending time together. Working all the time while worrying about paying bills intensifies the struggle and can cause resentment all around. It is worth repeating that income from Public Resources would help families enjoy more time together.   

Having an unplanned baby with an incompatible woman is one of the fastest ways guys can lose their freedom to live how they wish. Paying child support or going to jail will haunt you for 18 years with few of the parental rewards dads married to the mom enjoy. Pushing the mother to have an abortion may seem like an easy out, but it is not without repercussions. At the very least, your heart will have to harden even if you choose not to think about what you have done to your baby and their mother. Make the wise choice to use protection until you are ready for a family. You will not regret it as time goes on and your conscience is clear.     

Healthcare is up next. The idea of socialized medicine scares many after hearing horror stories from other countries. I believe a case can be made for state and county-run healthcare. Nationalized healthcare would be a nightmare of bureaucracy riddled with waste, fraud, and abuse. County hospitals could offer basic care with some strategically placed state-run hospitals offering advanced care. This could be funded by redirecting money allocated to moral wars and new tax revenue from activities related to legalizing personal autonomy. Freedom could be the key to being free from worries about how we will pay for ever-increasing corporate healthcare costs.  

The transgender debacle has only gotten worse since writing about it initially. More politicians are saying it is child abuse for parents not to let their minor children surgically or chemically transition to look more like the opposite sex. They are still the same sex regardless of how they feel inside or look outside. Some parents have already lost custody of their kids. Do you think children should be encouraged to permanently sterilize and mutilate themselves? That seems much more like child abuse to me than saying they should wait until they're 18. Aren’t you glad everything you wanted before or during puberty was not made a permanent part of your life? Our brains develop and feelings change a lot throughout the teenage years. What adults do with their bodies is their business. We should be free to make our own choices as adults and respect other people’s freedom to do the same. Men who transition should have enough respect for biological women not to compete against them in gender-specific sports or use their bathrooms.

Our National Debt is still skyrocketing as politicians keep spending with complete disregard for the consequences that will eventually catch up to us. On 2/11/2024 the United States National Debt Clock shows we owe $34,221,811,+++,+++. We are now well over 34 TRILLION dollars in debt. Can you imagine what that many dollar bills would look like? Would there be enough to cover the earth, fill an ocean, reach the moon, or maybe Mars? How did we let politicians get us this deep in debt? What do we do now? Do we ignore the problem and hope the coming consequences can be put off until we are gone? Do we leave our kids in financial chains at the mercy of our lenders? That doesn’t seem right for trillions of reasons.  

I believe we should start trying to find solutions to this financial problem that threatens our freedom. The first solution I would suggest is that Congress conduct no other business until a balanced budget is passed every year. That alone would help us in many ways by keeping them too busy to meddle in our lives most of the time. When was the last time Congress passed a balanced budget? Isn’t it about time? They would listen if enough of us politely ask for what we want when they ask for our vote. We could present candidates with a pledge they will sign if they want our vote. Everyone in the House of Representatives is elected every two years and the House controls our finances. These are regional races that we could easily influence if enough of us wanted to try. We could even elect our own Public Servants to officially represent our position. One Public Servant representing the previously silent middle majority in Congress could change the course of history.

Being debt-free within a generation should be our goal as a nation. Our Public Resources are the key to paying off our debt while enriching and empowering ourselves. The ANWR plan would be a great start. I am sure we could come up with other solutions if concerned citizens started thinking about ways we can use our Public Resources to solve our collective financial problem. New technology keeps creating new opportunities.

Today’s technology has opened the educational doors to a world of opportunity that was not available before. Why do so many politicians and administrators insist on sticking with the education model we have used for over a century? Oh yeah, money. School Choice should be encouraged to offer different ways of learning for kids who learn things differently or have different interests. We should not force everyone to learn the same things in the same ways at the same speed. There should be some basic reading, writing, and arithmetic guidelines for everyone with individual choices available so students can focus on learning more about what interests them.  

The open border fiasco politicians have created is causing complications well beyond the obvious problem of what to do with millions of desperate people who have almost no ability to provide for themselves. There are certainly some bad people mixed in with the good ones. Even if it were only 1%, that is still tens of thousands of people with less than honorable intentions being dispersed across America. Honorable migrants are at the mercy of cartels and evildoers as they travel thousands of miles. Does any of this seem like a logical immigration policy?

Sovereign nations need to have secure borders. Free people should welcome a realistic number of legal immigrants who want to assimilate and swear allegiance to the country that has taken them in. Anyone who wants to transform a host nation into their homeland should just stay home. Immigrants can share their talents and traditions while learning the customs and language of the place they want to live. We can enjoy a wide variety of cultural experiences while being united in patriotism. Variety is the spice of life in America’s melting pot.

Here is some food for thought. Communist China controls most of our country’s pork production and processing facilities after a heavily subsidized American corporation sold out. Taxpayers should have had the Right of First Refusal to purchase that company we helped build before it could be offered to foreign investors. Farms, fisheries, and all other aspects of food production are being sold to international interests. Shouldn’t we think about what is happening to our food supply and how we can secure local control? Those who control our food control us. Wouldn’t it be better for local citizens to have control of our food production than global adversaries? Food is easy to forget about until there is none and then it consumes your every thought. Starving people will literally eat each other.

Climate control activists are demanding farmers across the globe stop using fertilizers that have eradicated famine. Those same people also want us to get most of our protein from bugs rather than livestock and seafood. Now is the time for us to start paying attention before they cause mass starvation.

I watched the International Space Station appear in the southwest sky early this morning moving like a slow-motion shooting star going straight up and overhead. This modern marvel made me think about what we can accomplish when we stop fighting and start working together. Astronauts from different countries get along just fine despite our politicians pushing us toward another world war. Most of us only have the option of living on this planet for now. Peace-loving people need to be a voice of reason that calmly offers practical solutions to avoid war and protect our planet. One solution that could help is for every member of the United Nations to declare their intentions. At least we would know what everyone wants so we could try to find peaceful resolutions everyone can live with. The World Wide Web gives people across the globe a way to work toward peace without relying only on our politicians.  

Back to the Stop-and-Review discussion. Water is up next. We can’t live without water, but most of us take it for granted. What would you do if there was no water coming from the tap? How fast would life descend into chaos without water to drink, bathe, or flush the toilet? Wouldn’t it be wise to secure multiple sources of fresh water since we can’t survive more than a few days without it? Desalinization systems should be part of our water security plan. Communities that can collect or make fresh water could sell it to places that need more. Wastewater should be used for irrigation and hydrogen gas production. We should not waste water or deplete natural water reserves faster than they can replenish. Now is the time to secure sustainable water supplies for today and tomorrow.

Energy production is a subject that keeps coming up because it is so critical to civilization and freedom. Politicians and corporations are working overtime to consolidate control of power production. Just like food and water, those who control our power, control us. Now is the time for us to think about how communities can produce our own power from local resources. We could provide affordable clean power for our homes and industry with profits paid directly to us. Can you think of a better way to enrich and empower ourselves?

We will start wrapping this chapter up with a little more discussion about our fisheries. Public Water fisheries are Public Resources that belong to all of us. The solutions laid out in this book can sustainably make our fisheries better than ever. I love and respect the ocean and want us to be wise stewards of our marine resources. We should learn from past mistakes and success so we can make wise choices now for the future. That is a good policy for every aspect of life.

Wise management of our fisheries opens the door to opportunities for better management of other resources. Public Waters contain unfathomable wealth we can use to generate income for ourselves while securing sustainable food, power, and fresh water. The race is on for control of our Public Water Resources. Now is the time for us to start thinking about how we can retain ownership of our resources and profit from them. We can secure income and access to civilization-sustaining resources for seven generations and beyond if we will just try.

This Stop-and-Review concept would take some time initially but should be followed by long periods of legislative tranquility with minor adjustments made when necessary. The more local control we have, the easier it will be to mostly leave things alone and quickly solve problems as they arise. The more centralized power politicians have, the easier it will be for them to keep controlling every aspect of our lives without ever giving us a break. Ask yourself again if you want more laws or liberty.

Stop-and-Review is something most of us should be able to unite behind regardless of political affiliation. We should ask every politician running for office to support the idea. Do you think 10% of an electorate could persuade most candidates to support it? What if 20% or 30% supported Stop-and-Review? Would a 2/3 majority across party lines be enough? I don’t think we could be ignored with that level of constituent support. We could use the internet to share information and debate ideas as ongoing polls guide official votes. Individuals and local communities could coordinate with others nationally and internationally. Thinkers across the globe could adopt a Stop-and-Review policy to decide how we want to move forward from here. We could collectively call for the cessation of all hostility as we try to find peaceful conflict resolutions most reasonable people can support. Doesn’t this sound better than being dragged into another world war that will likely end with nuclear weapons causing the collapse of civilization as we know it? Now is the time for those of us who desire peaceful change in a positive direction to stand together and politely ask for what we want. Knowing what we want is half the battle.  

Chapter eight starts by explaining why I would never want to be a politician and why none of them should be trusted. Trusting politicians eventually ends in disappointment or worse. The idea of individual citizens practicing collective self-governance with official representation in most elected offices appears to be the best way to limit corruption and preserve freedom. Can you think of a better way, or do you think it is best to stick with politics as usual? Doesn’t the status quo seem to fit Einstein's definition of insanity? Speaking of insanity and the same old same old, it looks like we will have to choose between the same old presidential candidates as last time. It fills me with profound disappointment to even type those words or think about picking between two of the most divisive presidents ever elected. How many votes will be cast against one rather than for the other? Do you think it is more likely that there will be riots or reconciliation regardless of who wins? Will the losing side accept the results of anything other than a landslide victory? Will our United States remain united in these divisive times?

There are many lessons to be learned from the 2024 presidential election. First and foremost, we should learn to start reining in presidential powers by returning them to the people as our Constitution intended. We should never again put ourselves in such a precarious position. Would you want to ride in a car with one erratic driver after another taking a hard left or right with no regard for the ditches we are plowing through or cliffs we are about to go over? How do you feel about America being run that way? A little scary, isn’t it? Wouldn’t it be nice if one person didn’t have the power to ruin everything?

I am sure most of us wish we could just vote for good people who will represent us honorably. How’s that working out? An ocean of debt, deep divisions, stubborn inflation, rampant crime, proxy wars, and open borders suggest it isn’t working out so well for most of us. Are you content for this to be our national legacy? These might seem like the good old days if we continue on the reckless course politicians are taking us.

The idea of setting up Community Commerce Co-ops to run various revenue-producing endeavors offers a way for us to receive direct payments for practicing self-governance. How much money would it take for you to consider supporting this? What concerns do you have and how could they be resolved? Would you be more likely to invest your time in doing the People’s Business if it produced real income as compensation?

Getting paid would free us up to spend time thinking about solutions to some of the issues that cause division. Visioning Projects are a great way to give anyone interested an opportunity to share their vision for what they want to happen. This allows us to consider different viewpoints as we work to find solutions. Some solutions could solve multiple problems while others might require the cross-compromise approach. We need to find ways to resolve the concerns that create chaos and discontent. Would you be willing to compromise on some issues to live in peace and promote shared prosperity? Politicians rise to power on promises of solving problems that never go away. Now we have a chance to put many of those worries behind us and finally stop fighting over our differences of opinion.

​I am thankful to be finishing this chapter that seemed like it would never end. The pressure to finish is building with each passing day bringing us closer to an uncertain future. Of course, the future is always uncertain, but it feels like things are spiraling out of control even faster as time goes on. The reality that things are unlikely to get better before they get worse is kind of scary. Another disappointing reality is that this book is unlikely to change anything, although words and ideas have the power to overcome overwhelming obstacles. Maybe this freedom philosophy will resonate with the right people to inspire action. Maybe you are one of those people. History is full of ordinary people who do extraordinary things when it is necessary. We all have the potential to do much more than we are comfortable with. The key to unlocking this potential is to simply try even if we feel uncomfortable doing so. Being free never guarantees comfort and often requires sacrifice. We are fortunate at this time that our sacrifice can be little more than thinking and working with other thinkers. Please don’t let apathy and self-doubt keep you from rising to the occasion. You can be a peaceful force for good that inspires others to join us. Together we can start a movement that creates the brighter future most of us want to see.