NOTE: The following is a Letter to the
Editor of the Washington Times
concerning a full-page picture ad. If this ad ran or runs in your paper,
please consider copying or using this letter to tell the editor of your
paper what you think of such propaganda. Thanks. Jim Beers
The full-page picture ad on (A5 of the 13 July of the Washington Times or
whatever is appropriate to your paper) is a hoot.
While purporting to be sponsored by "over 190 organizations representing
commercial and recreational fishermen" it is paid for by radical groups
(National Environmental Trust, and the Marine Fish Conservation Network)
whose ultimate goals are Marine Sanctuaries and No Fishing much like their
landlubber counterparts' goals of Wilderness Declarations and No Hunting.
The ad disingenuously invokes the President while attacking the Chairman of
the House Resources Committee, Congressman Richard Pombo, whom the radicals
have vowed to defeat. This ad, that probably appears nationwide, is one
small part of the millions being funneled into schemes to effect this brave
Congressman's defeat. It reads, "TOSS BACK THE POMBO-FRANK BILL"
because it
will "increase over-fishing". That is untrue. The proposed
bill merely
fulfills other legislation calling for the often vacillating Marine Fish
Councils to set limits AT or BELOW levels identified by the best available
science. There are no "loopholes". Over-harvests
automatically reduce
future limits, as the goal for everyone (but these radicals) is the
establishment and maintenance of perpetual and bountiful harvests for all
fishermen and fish consumers. The two sponsors alone expose the lie.
Pombo
of California and Frank of Massachusetts are solid anchors on opposite ends
of their Parties that come together not for political gain but for fishermen
and fishing.
The perfidy of this ad and its' sponsors is highlighted by the unintended
comedy in the full-page picture itself. A vast expanse of water and a
close-up "fisherman" in waders facing away from the camera with rod in
hand
says it all. Note the "fisherman's" wader suspenders.
While the right
suspender is properly attached, the left suspender is buttoned on backwards
(note the metal adjustor lock that all suspender-wearers know goes in the
front) and twisted because the ad producer more than likely had just
adjusted it (from the back) before telling the ad model where and how to
stand for the photo. One wonders if there was a New York audition on Madison
Avenue for the right "back and shaved head in a baseball cap" model to
fulfill the notion of these radicals' idea of a "fisherman".
The picture is just as phony (as any one that has ever worn a tuxedo or
waders recognizes instantly) as the sponsors and all their concern about
"over-fishing" and "loopholes". This is simply a
portion of the camouflaged
attacks against a Congressman brave enough to try and protect all of us that
use renewable natural resources from these groups that would take it all
away from us and our descendants. Next time I suggest you run their ad on
the funny pages where it belongs.
Jim Beers
13 July 2006
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jimbeers7@verizon.net