Barone on Green Bay boundary

B.A.S.S. writer Don Barone didn't think he had a dog in the fight over the Lake Michigan boundaries issued by the Wisconsin DNR, until he stood listening to the words of our national anthem on the morning of the Day One launch.

"The dream is still alive
some day it will come true…"

Dateline: America

I thought I had no dog in this fight.

Until I realized, ALL of our dogs are in this fight.

Granted…I do not fish, tournament or otherwise. So, upfront, I'm saying I know nothing about the issue of fish care…I am fish care stupid, and nothing I say about fish care should have any merit.

No dog in this fight, until I stood on the dock this morning, with my hand over my heart, my eyes glued on the American flag, and singing, to myself, the national anthem.

Singing word for word to the music.

No dog in this fight…until I sang these lyrics in "The Star-Spangled Banner":

"Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave."

No dog in this fight until I sang, "O'er the land of the free…"

Free.

Freedom.

And it dawned on me standing on that dock, that the moment the Elite anglers launched their boats into the waters of Wisconsin, they did so at the cost of their freedom.

"…and this country it belongs
to folks like me and you…"

Freedom, in America, freedom, under the echoes of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” cannot belong to some, and not to all.

Rights, are equal in this country…whether the government, likes it or not.

Whether the Department of Natural Resources believes it or not.

It has nothing to do with the fish.

Let me say that again…IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE FISH.

It has everything to do with the OATH that every public official in this country, every public servant in the state of Wisconsin takes, here's Wisconsin's Oath Of Office for Public Servants:

"I, (official's name), having been elected or appointed to the office of (title) swear (or affirm) that I will support the constitution of the United States and the constitution of the State of Wisconsin, and will faithfully and impartially discharge the duties of said office to the best of my ability. So help me God."

The Constitution of the United States begins simply like this:

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

It has nothing to do with the fish, and yet, everything to do with three words:

Impartially…found in the oath that all Wisconsin Public Servants take.

Justice and Liberty…two words found in the first 52 words that created this country, that created the United States of America.

Three words, ignored by the DNR.

"…so let the voice of freedom
sing out through this land…"

No dog in this fight, until I realized it wasn't a fair fight to begin with.

Again, it is not about the fish but about the RIGHTS OF THOSE WHO FISH.

The EQUAL rights.

EQUAL.

Come on, government, when are you going to get this, you can not give rights to some citizens, and NOT ALL THE CITIZENS.

I'm going to flat out say this; I think the state of Wisconsin discriminates against tournament anglers.

I say this because if I was the 100th bass angler to launch today, if I followed the Elites out to the waters of Wisconsin, and I followed them north, followed them all the way to the line drawn in the water by the DNR, ONLY THE ELITES would have to stop at that imaginary line.

I could drive right through it and fish anywhere I wanted.

None of the Elites could.

AND WE BOTH HAVE THE SAME DAMN FISHING LICENSE.

Why is it alright for me, and not the Elites.

Fishing for the same fish.

Fishing with the same bait.

Fishing with the same state license.

Yet the DNR has not drawn a line for me.

So much for the "impartially" of their oath.

In America, governments can't play favorites with its law abiding citizens.

If I can go today and get a fishing license and fish for bass wherever I want in Wisconsin waters…so should the Elites.

It's not about the fish.

It is all about making rules for one group of people, when those rules don't apply equally to all.

To do anything less is flat out discrimination.

To do anything less is to make a mockery of the oath you have taken as a public servant.

Because "Impartially" means: Not partial or biased; unprejudiced.

Whether on land,

or water.

"…this is our country."

“Our Country”

John Mellencamp

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