How to respond to nosy government warnings

The government is always quick to make sure anything that you can get for free, be it food, heating or whatever, becomes a money-making business and that getting such things without paying becomes criminalized. After all, they can’t have people getting stuff for free when they could be bleeding money for it, can they? Take this story from the Canadian Maritimes, where an Atlantic storm last Saturday resulted in loads of lobsters washing ashore, much to the delight of the lucky bastards who live there.

Delight that nearly turned sour, that is, when the government reminded them that cooking up lobsters that hadn’t been caught by licensed fishermen during open season was against the law, the point where anyone convicted could be slapped with a whopping $100,000 fine. (But then, with that much free lobster, I bet some would still say it was worth it.)

I say it nearly turned sour, because in the end, no-one gave a shit about the government’s warning. Cue the coolest mayor in these parts:

By Tuesday afternoon, the shore was mostly clear of lobsters and [Petit-Rocher, New Brunswick] Mayor Pierre Godin said as many as 1,000 people -- including him -- had enjoyed many lobster meals since the weekend.

He dismissed the federal warning, saying residents had benefited from washed-up seafood for centuries.

"If it's illegal, they are going to have to make a very, very big prison for us all," he told the newspaper.

When the government tries to criminalize something beneficial that has been going on for hundreds of years, something that is even relied upon by many, then the only responsible way to react is to send them packing back to their little office where they can shake their angry little fists all they want at the injustice of people getting food in a perfectly natural and free manner. Kudos to this Mayor Godin for setting a great example, as far as I’m concerned.

(via Fark)