INBOX
JULY 2020
www.presspubs.com
THE LOWDOWN
5
Don’t abuse freedoms he First Amendment of our Constitution provides five important freedoms, and they don’t deserve to be abused. The First Amendment reads, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” The First Amendment protects the rights of citizens to protest the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd. But looting, burning of stores and destruction of businesses is an unacceptable way to protest the of George Floyd. About the killing Protests and demonstrations are not new in this Town 200 year old democracy. The protests of the 60s Gene Johnson ranged from the Civil Rights movement to our involvement in the Vietnam War. Subsequently, we have experienced movements for gay rights, the environment, and several other issues. We have experienced a great deal of social change because of these movements, made possible by the First Amendment. The First Amendment allows us to speak to issues and redress government regarding its policies and legislation. The recent protests are an excellent example that there is a need for change in police culture and how we provide safety and protection of citizens. It’s becoming clear that we may have expected police to perform too many roles. It’s also clear the training of officers is not adequate, and discipline and accountability are not adequate in some departments. The protests/protestors are rightfully calling attention to this. But action by those who damage property, injure people and place economic burdens on neighborhoods should never be acceptable and distract from the goal of the protest. Racism is so deep–seeded we haven’t been able to overcome it. In the George Floyd case, people around the world were witnesses to a crime and saw no one take immediate action when the officer was taking Floyd’s last breath away. Are we going to continue to be witnesses to injustice? Protests will continue to be in order but if you are protesting the state government, go to the steps of the State Capitol; if you are protesting county government, go to the County Courthouse; if you are protesting issues in your own city, go to City Hall and clearly state your issue. America has changed but tough questions have been ignored. We’ve made some progress with equal opportunity and equal rights, but I do not think there is justice for all. Hopefully, now is the time we no longer ignore the tough questions on racial inequality. The current protests will result in a major shift in America so there is more equal opportunity, equal rights and justice for all.
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The search for the perfect boat or some people it’s the magic of the water that attracts them. It could be the grandeur of the surroundings or chasing fi sh in a motorboat. For others, it’s about exploring quiet waters with a paddle in your hand. I’ve always loved the quiet sports, simple nonmotorized activities that don’t disturb nature. My son Josh, now a father of two little girls, happily married with a good job, has inherited that love. Josh’s journey over water started out in my motorboat and then to my canoes. As an adult, he has chosen a path with kayaks. In the last 12 years he has been looking for that perfect boat that fits all his needs and desires. Twelve years ago, it started out with a Perception Carolina 14-footer. As Josh explained, “Kayaking started to become such a popular sport back then. In the past 12 years it’s exploded to fit the demanding market. Today you can nd anything from fast narrow Wild River fikayaks to fat, wider, more stabilized crafts designed for fi shing Trails comfortably. My fi shing styles have evolved over the years to becoming Jim Bennett more of a minimalist. I know what I want. I don’t need all the gadgets, but I have had quite a few. Today they are only the ones I deem essential for my style of fishing.” Josh learned a lot from his fi rst kayak. “My Carolina was fast. It was a paddling boat fi rst and a fi shing boat second. It was my fi rst and last sit-in kayak. I got rid of it and got a sit-on-top kayak that allowed me to have a better platform for fi shing and hunting. My fi rst sit-on-top was an Ocean Trident 15 that struck a balance between fast and narrow. From there I moved to the Trident 13-foot kayak because it was just a little bit quicker and lighter.”
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Then hunting waterfowl and fly fi shing drew him. “It was time to sell the Trident and buy an Old Town Predator MX that I could set up for specialized fi shing to get into places that motorboats can’t. It had a hand-assist cord to get you standing up, and I bought a lean-assist bar that supplied a good fi shing platform but not quite what I hoped for. The Predator gave me a hunting platform that worked OK but not great. It was good for one guy and a dozen decoys, but I wanted to add a dog and another bag of decoys.” Josh left the Predator for a lighter boat, but he still wanted a stable boat. He chose a NuCanoe Flint. “It had some nice features, but it didn’t fit my needs. My wife Megan said that I had succumbed to America’s marketing machine.” Now Josh is waiting for his next kayak to arrive, the Lite Tackle made by Crescent Kayaks. “It has a perfect hull design that should provide a perfect combination of paddling ease with fi shing stability. It’s quick, sporty, tracks well and is stable and maneuverable. “ After watching Josh explore a water world with kayaks for the past 12 years—he got me into my fi rst kayak—together we have explored many lakes, wetlands, rivers and the Boundary Waters, shot rapids, camped for long treks and taken in many day trips that have proved fun and full of excitement. He has also paddled Superior and Lake Michigan. “I want to keep going. I still have a strong desire to fi sh and paddle. I want to keep fi nding special places that most people will never fi nd. I want to explore the silence, improve my stroke in the art of paddling. I have found that a paddle is the key to those special quiet places.” Jim Bennett is an outdoorsman who lives and worked in the St. Croix River Valley and can be reached at jamesbennett24@gmail.com
Gene Johnson is publisher emeritus of Press Publications.
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