The NEUTRAL Zone- Jason Summer Hiatus – COACH SCOTT MAUI -07/15/2024- Guest Host- Show 1
Summary & Timestamped Full Transcript below
- [00:00 → 02:20]
Introduction and Background of Coach Scott Bushnell - Coach Scott Bushnell is filling in on Maui’s radio station KAKU 88.5 FM while Jason is on sabbatical.
- He lives in Maui and has a strong passion for public radio and media.
- Professionally, Scott teaches cognitive behavioral change (CBC), which is a guided educational process used to help individuals modify thought patterns and behaviors.
- His work includes part-time teaching at the Maui Correctional Facility and anger management classes for children and families.
- Scott has a personal history with the islands, having lived in Oahu as a child, and a familial connection to Maui through his ancestral grandfather, a whaling captain.
- He emphasizes his love and respect for Maui and the community.
- [02:20 → 05:02]
Cognitive Dissonance and Political Context - Scott introduces cognitive dissonance as the psychological state when a person is so convinced of their beliefs that no external evidence or argument can change their mind.
- This concept is linked to anger management and behavioral change, highlighting the challenge of unlearning deeply ingrained behaviors or beliefs.
- He relates this to the political climate surrounding President Trump, noting the difficulty for people to change firmly held views.
- Scott uses a metaphor: if someone grew up in a community where “red means go and green means stop,” no amount of external correction will change that deeply ingrained belief.
- He mentions the July 13th incident where President Trump was nearly killed, drawing a parallel to past events (e.g., a firefighter’s death during Reagan’s presidency).
- [05:02 → 07:21]
The Internet as a Tool of Influence and Manipulation - Scott stresses a fundamental truth: the internet is not a research engine but a search engine designed to sell products by profiling users.
- Algorithms learn user preferences and biases to reinforce and manipulate beliefs and purchasing behaviors.
- This manipulation extends into politics, where politicians have become “products” marketed to the public to forward specific agendas.
- Regardless of political leanings, everyone is influenced by curated information that reinforces existing beliefs.
- He compares the internet to a tool that can be used for good (creating art) or harm (manipulation and violence).
- [07:21 → 11:47]
Social Isolation and Loss of Community Gathering Spaces - Scott laments the decline of community gatherings such as church services, potlucks, and social dances that once fostered communal bonds beyond political or ideological divisions.
- He recalls how, growing up, people from different political affiliations would worship together and interact socially, fostering respect despite disagreements.
- The COVID-19 lockdowns exacerbated social isolation, especially in youth, eroding social skills and reducing opportunities for non-political community engagement.
- He highlights the importance of spiritual and communal gatherings—regardless of faith tradition—as means for people to connect, grow, and find common ground.
- The loss of such gatherings contributes to societal fragmentation.
- [11:47 → 16:16]
Political Agendas and Party Platforms - Scott discusses the concept of political agendas and platforms, explaining that party conventions set core objectives for legislative priorities.
- Historically, platforms addressed universally agreeable issues such as equal rights, environmental care, and social welfare.
- Today, he observes that personality and emotional appeal often overshadow substantive platform issues during elections.
- Voters tend to vote based on “gut feeling” or affinity rather than examining platforms critically.
- This shift diminishes the clarity of political goals and undermines informed democratic participation.
- [16:16 → 21:29]
Marketing, Media, and the Importance of Critical Thinking - Advertising techniques borrow from cognitive behavioral models to sell products and ideas by appealing to emotions and reinforcing existing beliefs.
- Scott asserts that no politician runs for office purely for money or fame; most aim to make positive change. However, the system and media often distort perceptions.
- He stresses the importance of critical thinking and discernment in the digital age, cautioning against accepting the first search result or news item as truth.
- People often consume information from a narrow range of sources, limiting their perspective.
- Scott recalls his college education in political science that emphasized questioning and critical analysis of ideologies, specifically communism and its practical failures.
- [21:29 → 26:51]
Cognitive Behavioral Change Applied to Fear and Violence - Scott applies CBC techniques to real-life challenges such as helping people overcome fears, including fear of water.
- He shares a story of teaching swimming to elderly clients who had believed for decades that they could not float. By breaking down cognitive dissonance, they learned new truths and overcame fears.
- He introduces a video resource titled “Walking on Eggshells”, used in his classes to understand violence, emphasizing how negative self-talk and internalized violence affect individuals.
- According to Scott, everyone struggles with internal negative beliefs, often unconsciously reinforcing violence in themselves and others.
- Practicing gratitude and recognizing one’s worth is vital for personal and societal change.
- [26:51 → 32:46]
The Danger of Hateful Speech and Political Polarization - Scott acknowledges the existence of hateful rhetoric on social media and urges caution before sharing or reposting inflammatory content.
- He encourages respectful debate and understanding opponents as teachers who challenge one’s beliefs.
- The cognitive behavioral model is being used not only therapeutically but also manipulatively in political messaging to rally opposition or support for candidates.
- He hopes to foster debate based on candidates’ platforms rather than personalities or hateful attacks.
- Encourages listeners to research and understand the core goals of political candidates for informed voting.
- [32:46 → 40:23]
Systemic Challenges for Small Business and Education - Scott shares personal experiences running a restaurant and highlights the increasing complexity of regulations and bureaucratic layers that burden small businesses.
- He notes how escalating government requirements—permits, inspections, taxes—can overwhelm entrepreneurs and stifle innovation and passion.
- Similarly, he critiques the education system, citing mandates like “No Child Left Behind” that have led to increased bureaucracy, testing, and conformity rather than creativity and empowerment for teachers and students.
- The pressure to meet standards and bureaucratic demands detracts from the joy and purpose of teaching.
- [40:23 → 48:01]
Public Service and the Need to Value Essential Workers - Scott admires teachers and firefighters, emphasizing their dedication despite systemic neglect.
- He recounts his own volunteer firefighting background and notes that wildland firefighters—like his daughter, who has lobbied in Washington D.C.—have not had salary adjustments in two decades.
- Challenges include remote living conditions, lack of adequate housing, and physical danger without sufficient compensation or support.
- He stresses the need to prioritize and care for these essential workers who protect communities.
- Questions what young people today do to participate in their communities compared to previous generations’ active volunteerism.
- [48:01 → 52:47]
Government Agencies and Civic Engagement - Scott criticizes certain government agencies, notably the EPA, for wielding excessive power without direct electoral accountability.
- He shares his personal efforts researching local environmental controversies, noting that officials often follow agency guidelines rather than community desires.
- Encourages citizens to remain vigilant, ask questions, and hold elected officials accountable through active engagement.
- He recalls writing letters to senators during his youth as part of civic responsibility and urges listeners to revive this practice.
- [52:47 → 56:42]
The Internet as a Tool: Need for Education and Discernment - Reiterates that search engines are not research engines; they present filtered and biased information.
- Calls for diligent research, cross-checking multiple sources, and critical questioning to find truth amid misinformation.
- Warns against passively consuming information and encourages active learning to navigate the information overload safely.
- Compares digital tools to specialized hand tools that require proper knowledge for effective use.
- Advocates for community discussion and debate to restore understanding and respect across differing viewpoints.
- [56:42 → 57:29]
Closing Remarks and Invitation for Dialogue - Scott looks forward to continuing conversations on the air, offering his contact number (808-37279) for questions or topics.
- Emphasizes the importance of respectful dialogue, mutual understanding, and appreciation of diverse opinions.
- Thanks listeners and encourages ongoing engagement with the radio program and community.
Key Concepts and Terms
| Term | Definition / Explanation |
|---|---|
| Cognitive Behavioral Change (CBC) | A guided educational process to help individuals modify thought patterns and behaviors. |
| Cognitive Dissonance | A mental state where a person holds firmly to beliefs despite contradictory evidence. |
| Internet as a Search Engine | Not a neutral research tool; driven by algorithms that tailor content for commercial and political purposes. |
| Political Platform | The set of core issues and policies a political party or candidate supports. |
| Social Isolation | The lack of community and social gatherings, leading to reduced social skills and cohesion. |
| Walking on Eggshells | A teaching video addressing violence and the impact of negative self-talk. |
Important Quotes
- “The internet is not a search engine; it is a tool shaped by algorithms to sell you products and ideas.”
- “Cognitive dissonance is when you believe something so deeply that no evidence can change your mind.”
- “We have lost our communal gathering places, which once united people beyond political divides.”
- “Critical thinking and questioning everything are essential to being a good American.”
- “Small business and teachers are bogged down by regulations that stifle creativity and growth.”
- “We must value and properly support our firefighters and essential workers.”
- “Search engines are not research engines; find multiple sources and question what you read.”
Summary
Coach Scott Bushnell’s radio talk is a thoughtful exploration of cognitive behavioral change, political polarization, social fragmentation, and the challenges of navigating modern information landscapes. Drawing from his personal and professional experience, he highlights the dangers of cognitive dissonance reinforced by internet algorithms and media manipulation, which deepen societal divisions. Scott laments the loss of communal spaces and traditions that once fostered dialogue and mutual respect across ideological lines.
He encourages listeners to engage critically with political platforms rather than personalities, to support small businesses and educators who face bureaucratic hurdles, and to recognize and value essential workers like firefighters. Central to his message is the call for active, informed civic engagement, critical thinking, and respectful discourse to rebuild community trust and democracy. He offers a hopeful perspective that through education, dialogue, and gratitude, individuals can overcome fear and divisiveness and contribute positively to society.
Timestamped Full Transcript
00:00
Au 88.5 [Music] FM Aloha and good morning this is coach Scott I am filling in for Jason for a few months while he takes a sabatical to get himself uh a new bionic body put together we’re wishing him all the best and wishing him all good health uh Jason and I have known each other for a number of years now and he’s the one of the most standup good guys I’ve ever met well this is coach Scott uh Scott Bushnell I live here on Maui uh been a longtime lover of public radio been a longtime lover of the media what I do
01:03
here on Maui is I teach cognitive behavioral change um it’s more of a guided uh educational process I work over uh part-time uh a few hours a week for MC Maui Correctional Facility I also teach anger management classes uh in the evenings uh for Children and Families which is a whole lot of fun it’s there’s such good people in this community but what I also have done in the past I grew up uh on the Oregon coast was as a wet water cold water Surfer uh ended up coming to the islands back when I was 11 10 years old lived
01:40
with my sister for a while over in aahu uh in Wahu fell in love with the islands uh listen to my father’s story growing up uh he was stationed at Pro Harbor right during World War II and he told me about this beautiful place over here he ran the Higgins boats into keii where I presently live while they were practicing to go to the South Pacific so and my ancient history let’s just touch on who is coach Scott my ancestral grandfather was a wailing Captain who came into Laina and spent lots of time
02:20
on and off Island during the whaling years so Maui is in my heart Malo Koo just love it so we’ve had a uh tremend mendous tremendous event happened last weekend uh with President Trump I am very saddened for that I’m saddened for our country I’m got president Trump and his family in my prayers I’ve run for political office I understand that I’ve chaired a political uh uh State committee I understand the the nuances and the difficulties of the argument but today I’m going to talk
02:57
about cognitive dissidence cognitive dissonance it’s when you have this point in your life where you absolutely have things figured out in your head and you believe them to be so true that there is nothing that anybody is going to say or do to change your mind you’re probably thinking yourself well Scott what does that have to do with President Trump and our political scene today well it’s part of Anger Management it’s also part of helping people learn to swim which I have done for coming
03:33
close to 50 years now where you have to unlearn certain behaviors that have been reinforced I tell this story every time I start a group uh with anger management or with cognitive groups that if you grew up somewhere and you had your inum your family your little neighborhood and you were so tied in and you believed them and they loved you and it was a perfect place and you learned that when you saw red a red light you needed to speed up and that’s when you really go and the converse to that when you saw
04:12
a green light you absolutely stop and you don’t go forward you don’t go forward it doesn’t matter how many people are honking behind you you know in your mind that in a green light you absolutely need to stop well that’s cognitive distance you’ve learned growing up in your surroundings that this is what’s right and this is what I’m supposed to do wow okay play that forward to July 13th President Reagan a firefighter lost his life President Reagan was nearly killed President excuse me president
05:02
president Trump was nearly killed so let’s get take this back a few few decades here the beginning of the internet and to understand what I’m going to talk about today you’re going to have to understand one fundamental absolute truth the internet is not is not a search engine it’s not a search engine it’s not a research engine the internet with its logarithms after you do a few searches they know what soap you want to buy they know everything about you so that they can better sell their
05:49
products and what the lobbyist learned a decade and a half ago even longer that they no longer needed to have their lobbyist and Washington DC they no longer needed their lobbyist aahu to be as strong they knew that they could convince the America people to buy their soap or whatever product they have our politicians have become that product and once they realize that they can they can educate you in the way that you need to be educated so that they can get their agenda forwarded that’s what happens whether you’re
06:33
leftwing or rightwing or somewhere in the middle every one of us is influenced by what we read what we see what we believe to be the absolute gospel truth but the truth is we all have cell phones now most everyone has access to a computer a computer a cell phone that reaches the internet is no different no different than any other tool it can be used as a weapon it could be used to carve a beautiful statue it could be used to carve Cola wood statues which are so beautiful and preent all over the
07:21
island but that same tool used inappropriately can take a life and what I’ve realized working in the corrections Depart of our our world our country I’ve worked cognitive behavioral change in a Subacute Juvenile Facility I work cognitive behavioral change in a juvenile correction facility in Oregon and now I work for parents and children and I work with people who are trying to understand that a red light means stop and a green light means go but when everyone is telling you because what you do on the Internet is
08:09
telling you that you’re right in reinforcing your belief system and reinforcing your belief system no matter which beliefs you have those beliefs will influence you from everything from buying laundry soap to medication to seeing your doctor for what you believe and what you who you vote for our politicians I’ve never met a politician and I’ve met many I’ve met presidents I’ve met senators all of them did not get into politics for the money or the fame they got in it to make a
08:54
change but sadly enough they get in it to make the change and what ends up changing as Fineman once said is if you can’t change then the environment will change you so if you get contoured if you’re in jum your group of people you hang out with there’s there was a book read not too long ago the the destruction of America will become the the the greatest thing that we will see in decline in America is bowling leagues wow when I I read that and I I I wish I had the title in front of me um but we no longer
09:31
gather together in small groups or families we’re just alone and many kids who were isolated during the covid lockdown that were coming into their early teens don’t even have social skills now because they’re no longer there’s no longer Church dances there is no long longer Gatherings at Community Center that were nonpolitical everything has been manipulated the sad thing that I remember growing up that is I’m not seeing today is that when I used to go to mass on Sundays with my family I
10:18
remember seeing a member of the city council and a and a member of County Council and all different parties but they all went to the same church they all all knew that this was right and this was wrong and the two- party system gave us this is where this party’s going this is where this party wants to go their end result is to make sure that we all have plenty of clothes we have shelter we have clean water everything’s taken care of so that’s changed a lot just in the last generation or
10:58
so am I saddened that people don’t go to church I’m more concerned because it’s a it’s it’s it’s a gathering place where people go to find themselves to find that intimate part of themselves that wants to bring something better to this world and everybody wants to better themselves so we got to go back and look I don’t care if you’re Buddhist Hindu Muslim Catholic Baptist whatever that’s a meeting of spiritual meeting where people get together and have fellowship and it’s a very good good
11:47
thing understanding now that theyve isolated us they’ve taken us from meeting with groups they’ve stopped us for meeting for dinner and having potlucks at our neighbors houses and things like that which used to be just part of being an American I remember my parents having potlucks you know where all different relatives would come family friends and all of that and I remember my mother I’m always saying well you know they don’t they they go to this church or that church but we’re all there because we’re
12:22
kind of an extended family there’s a book and uh um I want to get you the absolute name pardon me while I pull this up this book is probably one of the most important books you could read today and it is right here in my library bam the name of this book which is a profound book that you absolutely need to read it’s in here in my library and I will find it it’s coming up here it is ma America ma America if you don’t know who Mao is that’s something you really need to spend some time and learn about mauo
13:16
you need to learn about Stalin but Ma’s America by Z Vang Fleet Z XI XI van Fleet this book outlines how she survived the ma Revolution that killed Millions it’s an Awakening thing it didn’t happen overnight it came and many of you know this there’s been many books made on it there’s been many movies made on it how when China moved into uh parts of India the Buddhist temples and the himalayans and they executed the Buddhists that were practicing up in the Himalayas and how that whole situation
14:05
slowly piece by piece got dismantled do the research you have a weapon in your hand that can be used for good and it can be used to manipulate manipulate you the thing is you need to be able to understand where that is going to take you I have friends that are both right-wing and leftwing and they’re some of the most beautiful people I’ve ever met they they are very passionate about their agenda and that’s an interesting word agenda agenda what has happened to the agenda today in our political
14:52
system what is the agenda who sets the agenda where did that even come from in our political world the agenda has been set by the parties since the beginning of our party system when the convention meets the Republican convention is meeting today they’re going to give their delegates to one way or the other way there’s also subcommittees of that that that are meeting and those committees they have a platform committee which is within the Republican and the Democratic party platforms are core issues that want they
15:31
want to address during the next legislative year core things that they want the next president to address we have fallen away from this is where we’re going I want to plant Gardens I want to make sure the soil is taken care of I want to make sure everyone has equal rights I want all of those things it’s very hard to disagree with any of those so when you look at the platform for the Republican party which should be within should be by Wednesday that should be solidified you can go online and say
16:16
this is what we want the next president the next legislators the next Senators this is the road map we want you to follow what has happened is that’s become diluted it’s been that’s not important it’s all about the personality oh I want to vote for the person that I have a gut feeling for I want to feel good about my vote so what does that do everything on television where there is public advertising they make you want to feel good whether it’s to take this pill or this injection to lose weight whether
17:08
it’s to add fabric softener to make your laundry feel perfect they’re selling you a product it’s going to make your life better but when we have people running for office all with good intentions I’ve never questioned the intentions of somebody running for office office they may be different than mine but you know what they’re still very very very important to understand and this is what used to happen in conversations when we used to get together when we used to have you know
17:47
Bridge parties there used to be card parties we used to have big beach Gatherings and family and all friends would all get together and it would be wonderful and we would talk about all these wonderful things that we can agree on but maybe one thing well we don’t want to talk to Aunt Lucy because Aunt Lucy belongs to this church and this church they don’t believe in this and this and this but she’s okay you know you know she’s a really good person and her beliefs are her beliefs she’s still part of our family
18:26
we’re all Americans we can come together and be Americans and still disagree and debate and debate endlessly on what we want for our America how we see our America getting to that point where everything good is happening small business today is under attack it’s under attack think back to when you were where you were young you’d get off the plane on mid-pacific flying over from aahu cuz there were no direct flights to Maui you got off in K Louie mid Pacific pulled in there was lines painted on the tarmac
19:12
where you got off the plane you followed the line to the back they handed you your luggage and you walked through the Breezeway out to the street I’m sure some of you out there are listening to that it’s some pretty incredible times that Maui was like that just when I was a kid we are making giant STS steps forward but what we have to realize is that we’re pretty much immature we have a tool in our hand we have our internet in our hand we have our computers at home and no one taught us how to use
19:52
them sure you can turn them on sure you can write letters sure you can look up things on Google and and everything under the Sun but they don’t teach you the discernment of how to find what you’re looking for they look at what you’re looking for they look at what you’re looking for in order to sell you a certain medication to sell you on well I believe what Billy Bob told me about ex-president Trump and I know Billy Bob must be right he must have done his research maybe he didn’t maybe he
20:37
did but to find out what’s really going on it takes diligence it takes time just because you Google something that you’re looking for oh what did President Biden say today okay now I look at another site and it says something completely different a president talks for five minutes past president current president and depending on your search history you are going to get things that reinforce what you think is the truth but the truth is out there and if you’re not looking all the way
21:29
you’re not going to find the truth there’s so many folks today um who have televisions everyone has a television but I know folks who only know how to change between two channels if you grew up and only read two books would that make you a brilliant man or woman or anything possibly if you read more books well that make you smarter will that give you better perspective on things colleges used to teach and when I was in college I was a political science uh was my first love years studying political
22:17
science and they taught you critical thinking they taught you how to ask questions not to take things at face value one of my favorite professors Dr Bor at Southern Oregon University Southern Oregon state which was it used to be taught This brilliant class on communism and for six weeks the first six weeks of the of the class it was up it was an upper division class he had everyone believing that communism was the absolute answer to all of our political needs that we had and everybody was just like wow how did we
22:57
not know all this and then for the second six weeks he showed us how as human beings we cannot survive communism because it doesn’t take into account individuality it doesn’t take it doesn’t let us be human beings we have to fall into line and how that doesn’t work because we are human beings we are inquisitive we are questioning we do not get in line and God forbid they ever line us up and say you need to get on this box car because you don’t belong to this group I had the the
23:47
blessing of an an interview when I was in high school and one while I was in college of of survivors of ALS schwitz and one of doow two places that I personally visited when I was an exchange student in Cologne Germany in 1978 meeting with those people talking them talking to them interviewing them it was profound of what a group of people can do if they think they’re doing it for what’s right that’s scary now with the power of a big money it’s not how many people can influence you it’s how many
24:37
dollars that are being exchanged that will influence you the change has come they’ve realized that they can manipulate you into believing that you need to do this and this and this to be a good American when the best thing you can do to be an American is question absolutely everything do not leave anything on the table there’s always a question to be asked and don’t be satisfied with your first thing that you Google or the first thing that you get on the internet to answer that question the cognitive behavioral change
25:21
model which I have been using to help kids adults who have cognitive impairments of understanding what’s the proper thing to do versus what society says and kids are very conflicted now young kids adults now they’re in their 30s and 40s now even their 50s that didn’t realize that well just talking badly about something or saying well you didn’t make a very good dinner tonight well why didn’t you vacuum the carpet there is a there is a video and I want to tell you this video you guys need to
26:03
watch this video it’s one I use in my class it’s brilliant um I have it saved in here it’s called walking on eggshells and it is brilliant I want to tell I want to make sure I get this correct Bam Bam Bam here we go where are my downloads there it is the the movie or the video is walking on a eggshells excuse me I want to make sure I get the right miia for you walking on eggshells here it’s a work video and it is so important it’s understanding violence it’s understanding words of violence and do
26:51
you know who are the most violent people in the world each of us each of us tells our elves I’m not good enough if I eat a second piece of pie is that making me a better person is that making me happier if I go through life and I keep thinking and saying negative things to myself oh you’re too fat Scott you don’t look like you did when you were a college swimmer you say negative things we say it all the time we need to reinforce that we are unique excuse me we are special we deserve good
27:38
treatment and the good treatment we deserve has to come from ourselves because if you start living in gratitude for yourself and the time we have on this Earth your life will change the people around you will change our political system will will change if you are grateful for somebody that does not believe in your belief system you are grateful for them because they are the greatest teacher for you to question your beliefs I follow many people on the internet some that I grew up with that have absolutely
28:20
diametric different views on what I believe in and some of them often and repost things and repost things and I’m going gosh just do more research before you do that it’s it’s hateful words but we’ve used cognitive behavioral change to sell soap and now we’re using it to sell if you’re going to be a good person and you believe in America you need to stop this president or this candidate from getting elected at all means it’s an escalation when somebody wants to talk to me about
29:02
a president that they didn’t agree with that’s fine I can talk about that and I’m hoping during these months that I’m covering from Jason we can have great debate over this alls I want you to do is use that person that candidate that elected official’s platform so find their platform find their core things that they want to achieve what they want to do for Maui what they want to do for the state of Hawaii what they want to do for the United States of America what are they doing this for and once you grasp those
29:43
core things then you can work to understanding and discernment again we are KK KK K A K 88.5 we are at 30 minutes already it’s coach Scott’s been over here talking so often times and I’m sitting here with my laptop in front of me which I am absolutely blessed to have because it makes my life better we have seen the weaponization not just of words but we’ve seen the cognitive behavioral model which so sociologist psychologists and behavioralists have been using for the last 50 years to help
30:36
people overcome anxiety I use it to help people overcome fear of the water I’ve taken people out to be perfectly honest it’s it’s been one of the greatest things that I do with my swim lessons that I teach and they’re not normal swim lessons um I teach swimming to people who are terrified of the water they have come to believe so deeply in their heart that they will get in the water and they will drown and it will be horrible and they saw Jaws when they were a young person and they’ve
31:17
been frightened of sharks and overcoming the things that they believe to be true if if you believe it to be true and you sell it to yourself over and over and over I had a couple out in Sugar Beach uh couple years ago I don’t teach a lot of lessons anymore but they were both turning 80 during uh uh the next year and neither of them had barely learned to swim they had had a condo condo there uh for over 35 years coming to Maui and never snorkel never been in the water and just saw a turtle hanging out on the bottom
32:05
or fish being able to break down that cognitive dissidence that something you believe to be true because you have reinforced it to yourself you have taken so much time going I can’t float I’m I have a hard body I believe that I have bone density that makes me so that I can’t float and you’ve told that to yourself for 50 years and then you’re in the water with me and a day or so later you’re floating around in your back going well wait a minute what else isn’t true H carbohydrates
32:46
fats the food pyramid that we all grew up with and learned in high school learn in learn in grad schooled we need to eat this amount of this this amount of this top of the pyramid and now we real realized you know 50 60 years after we were introduced to this F food pyramid that the people that made that pyramid were weren’t doctors they were people that served on the the on different food organizations to create what we’re supposed to be eating and we’ve come so deeply to believe it that we’re afraid
33:23
to eat fatty foods we’re afraid to eat this that or something else and when you Google it and you’re trying to understand how to eat better and then you start really making some inroads to understanding your body’s physiological response to the foods that we’re eating today you go wow there’s something else that I learned wrong wow I saw an epiphany growing up this Epiphany was in my family uh my father served in the US Navy Marines running landing craft in the South Pacific he
34:00
was a disabled veteran uh fighting in the South Pacific when my I’m the youngest of seven my older brother uh who actually a TV show director in Portland Oregon KATU or no no KPTV channel 12 he directed The rambling Rod cartoon show which was when I first got my start um on television which was a long time ago used to do that show a lot every once in a while I’d be doing the holding the archway cookies doing those advertising gigs stuff like that it was a lot of fun but my brother Bob uh kind loving brother the last of the
34:44
brothers of my brothers and I that we always thought well we’re all they’re the sports guys we’re the football players we’re the swimmers we’re the jocks my brother Bob was always uniquely brilliant stage crafter director and he gets he goes to Vietnam um my father was absolutely in support of everything that the American government did the American government said you need to go to war then you need to go there and you do your best you keep your head down and you fight and you fight because this is what’s right
35:20
to do and my sister who is 10 years younger than me this was in the 60s okay can you imagine being a teenager in the 60s where we’re going to Catholic school we wear black pants button-down shirt tie some days jacket other days and now all of a sudden girls are wearing mini skirts they’re doing this they’re doing that and here’s my father with his only daughter dressing a little bit different dressing trying to dress TR trendy which in today’s terms would be a very conservative dresser
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but I watched him evolve from this we need to question why are we in Vietnam and watching him make that turn as somebody who was as core valued in his belief system that the government was doing it for our best interest watching that happen to him where all of a sudden you know watching Walter kronite watching uh raldo doing his videos not videos they were real toore back then but coming out of Vietnam and all of a sudden we’re realizing why why are we what what what is at stake here what and watching him come to the
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realization that what why are we there what is the American interest there the spread of Communism H we’re spending billions of dollars who’s making the question we all need to ask today from our politicians when we send 70 billion dollar to Ukraine who’s getting paid who’s making money from all these billions of dollars we’re sending to Ukraine we’re sending billions upon billions of dollars to countries all around the world when our schools are in Decline while we can’t even
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get everyone the proper place to live we can’t let small business Thrive small business is the backbone of our our our economy our country to think that you can grow up and be in a country where you know what I want to open a store and I’m going to sell Billy Bob dolls I love the name Billy Bob sell Billy Bob dolls and I want to do that and that’s my passion and that’s what you do and you start making money at it and now all of a sudden we’re in that point where okay well now you need to pay taxes because
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you actually made money well now we need to make sure the materials you’re making those Billy Bob dolls are okay so now there’s another layer of government that says what materials are you using what stuffing are you using in those and all of that just keeps layering and layering and on and your passion is I want to make dolls and now all of a sudden you’re doing paperwork over and over and over again for different agencies because everything that you’re trying to do as a small business person is controlled
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where do we go from there how did we get to this spot it’s crazy I have the most I am so admired to teachers today teachers today are saddled saddled with the no kids left behind you can’t disagree we don’t want to leave our kids behind but we want to empower our teachers to teach not to attend meeting after meeting after meeting the department of education ever since their Inception education has gone lower and lower and lower because the same thing that happened to this guy making Billy
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Bob dolls he got overwhelmed by the system he just wanted to make dolls excuse me we have teachers who absolutely love to teach they’re teaching kids little kids big kids college kids they love to teach that’s what that’s what moves their heart to do something but now if your if your school program you’re teaching has endowments or has anything coming from the federal government the state government there needs to be all of this accountability things that layer on there you need to make reports you
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need to see what the test scores are you need to make sure you teach to the test teaching to the test creates Conformity it doesn’t create and stimulate people to create new and better things and that’s what the government needs to do is to unshackle everyone who has that creative drive that wants to do this or that I have known so many many people and I owned a restaurant I is a very short story and uh it was a it was a on the edge of the college campus where I where I coached swimming and went to college
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and I I was bored one day I sat down at big L’s uh campus Drive-In and alen Gloria who owned the place came out and sat down with me we were just talking hey coach how’s it going how’s the year going you know I having a hamburger or beer he said he goes Scott you should buy this place everybody in town knows you so what do you want for it Jack wrote down a number said I’ll buy that I’ll buy that here I’ll write out a check said this can’t be hard it’s a restaurant you just make burgers and
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fries and tap beer how difficult can that be holy Lord I found out in the first year that you have inspections from the gas company because you’re using gas grills and gas fryers you have inspection companies because your freezers have a certain chemical in them there’s also the Board of Health which that one’s a that’s a no-brainer that that needs to be there we need to make sure our restaurants are clean but there’s this Myriad of all this government agencies just to make burgers and
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fries wow that was a huge slap in the face I just said great I can make burgers and fries I called it the Bush’s Hard Rock Burger Bar we had an MTV event there back in the 80s it was rocking and rolling had a liquor license I got hit in the face uh Oregon has a liquor license x amount of liquor license per whatever and uh it was up for Renewal there was four businesses in the small town in southern Oregon we’re all waiting for a renewal of our liquor license and they had a they passed some
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a small piece of City legislation that said if your property taxes aren’t paid which I own the building lease the land underneath it we will not Greenlight your renewal of your liquor license long story short it basically put me out of business I took all the money that I had made it a previous business fighting this ended up in the Supreme Court in the state of Oregon and as I sat there and I listened to the attorneys for the four businesses that I was helping to pay for which they were all paying for we got a judgment
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that a city municipality couldn’t be used as a leveraging arm to collect unpaid property taxes so I have great am generation for small business owners my brother still owns the family business over in Portland Oregon has warehousing company does well one of my close friends I consider him like a brother to me Tim Moyer has L of Family Farms over on the west side about five years ago he just was just tearing his hair out because we were trying to do organic farming and now all of a sudden we don’t have the
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same water rights as we used to have and I’m seeing that across the island there’s we used to draw off the stream to to to fi to fill the fields with water so we could grow and if you’re on the west side and you don’t have water you’re not much of a farmer close to 80 acres above lonni Poco lost almost all of our water it cost a million dollars to put a well in for irrigation how much did it cost to dig dig the hole about 200 50,000 where’s the other 750,000 go EPA studies all this before you can dig a
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hole wow that being said what do we want government to do for us or what do we want their help with and what do we want them to stay out of our way do we want to improve our law enforcement do we want them to approve our firefighting ability my daughter um bless her heart has been in Washington DC twice now lobbying for wildland firefighter salaries Wildland firefighters salaries have not changed in nearly 20 years and she’s going to be on this show she she’s a chip off the old block I’ll tell you what she is so
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Savvy she’s been to Washington twice now lobbying and and speaking in front of a Congress and legislators and trying to get their support so that our Wildland firefighters across the entire country could actually be making a living wage the unique part of our Wildland Community is that they have to live in parts of the country where it may be a three-hour drive to get groceries but they’re still needed there and they’re still making a wage that’s 20 years since they’ve had an
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adjustment what’s government doing H they’re not taking care of the people that they’ve been entrusted to take care of our firefighters we’re on a beautiful island here I love Maui I was a volunteer fireman I was a wildland firefighter back in my younger days I know what it’s like to be out there in the wilderness digging ditches and putting in fire life that’s hard hard work I wish I had the health and the body that I had back when I was in my 30s wow that was a blessing but we’re abusing these people
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by not showing them that they are valued those firefighters the firefighters we have on island there is I never seen more dedicated people ever it is a family it is an inum it is a way of life to F be a firefighter I was on the Bay City Fire Department I was on the Rockaway fire department on the beach back when I was in high school the write a passage you turned 17 you join the volunteer fire department you became part of your community what are young people doing do today to be part of their Community I don’t
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know I’m dying to hear from you my phone number is 808 37279 and text me or call me anytime or just text me and say Scott can you figure this out I have a question I can’t find the answer we are giving up as a people because we just expect everyone to answer all the questions but no one’s even asking the questions anymore I could not understand many things that have happened in our society over the last 20 years and just in the last five years but you need to read the book surviving
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Mae China it is a game Cher it will Enlighten you it will help you to understand that the direction we possibly are going in needs to be changed that the people who are in charge are not understanding that they are not getting the correct information they are not getting the letters they are not getting the inquiries from their constituents I remember writing letters I went to a Catholic grade school loved every minute of it I was a pretty deviant rough kid loved every minute of it I remember writing to Bob pacwood he was my Senator
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our senator in uh Mark Hatfield and we had these issues going on and as we started writing letters to our politicians or I did when I was in well now is it St Thomas Moore I that was just part of what you did because that’s your civic duty say I believe this what are you going to do to advance that and if you’re not advancing this this way then which way are we going ask the question when I came in here with Jason quite a long time ago and we were talking about otalu and Jason I got him fired up and I was
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going they’re going to be just dumping this stuff dumping this stuff at otalu I’m I’m not sure I’m not getting the information Jason God bless his soul was chasing after that but it took me honestly days and days and days of searching the internet going through the EPA website trying to understand what was going on with the debris from l CH and when I realized that it wasn’t mayor Bisson it wasn’t Josh Green it wasn’t our council members they were following the EPA guidelines the EPA said this is what we
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can do and this is the best way to do it I did not vote for the EPA I don’t know anybody that voted for the EPA but we created a government agency and gave them Godlike Powers over us we gave many state agencies unle lative controlling power over each and every one of us I did not elect the EPA we need to take a close look at how small business is being affected how our fighter fires aren’t getting paid correctly how they’re sweating and Starving in some of the hottest places in our country right now
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out fighting fire my son-in-law is a wildland firefighter it’s it’s tough out there they don’t have housing allotments like they once did everything fell out of Step about 20 years ago we need to take care of the people that are doing the jobs that need to get done for us and that’s where we need to start but to start you need to absolutely understand that search engines are not research engines I’ll say that again search engines on the internet are not research engines you need to do your due
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diligence you need to ask questions if you go to five different sites and you’re seeing that the same verbiage is there that’s something we need to question it’s a tough World we’re living in we have tons of information if I were to walk into someone’s garage and they had every piece of woodworking equipment and every tool known to man in that garage would I need know how to use every single one of them to create artwork no our computers our phones are no different they are a tool one
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tool that opens the door to the garage where there’s a million tools hanging on the walls and shelves but we don’t know how to use them if you pick up a hammer and go okay I can make put a nail in if you pick up a hammer and go well that hammer is designed just for cutting roof shakes that hammer is just for pounding on metal that hammer is made out of copper so that when you’re pounding on a certain type of aluminum you’re not bending it we’ve been giving all of us have the
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internet we have our phones we need to be together as a people we need to come together we need to get together and just have debate we need to talk about things Jason who sits in this chair and has for the last six or seven years Jason and I’ve adamantly disagree on so so many issues but I adore him because we agree and then when we talk it out I see a different side of an issue he shows me his S I show him my sight and we seem to come to a statesmanship like understanding and appreciation of each
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of our opinions that’s what is missing today in our legislatures and it’s missing in our presidency it’s missing everywhere if you think about it back the world were the whatever that is the wrestling Foundation when the sensationalism of wrestling took America by storm and everybody was watching pro wrestling and all of that and it was so Sensational it was flashy it was a production and all of a sudden I’m going wow they’re getting people watching that I go I don’t really like pro wrestling
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and next thing you know I’m watching the NFL and I’m watching the Olympics and it’s all about personalities and oh it’s just going to be this great fight between X player or this Runner and this and they sensationalize everything because they know if they do that if they use those cognitive change buzzword they use that thing where they can repeat they are going to draw you so into the game that you’re going to tune in tomorrow to see the rest of the story you’re going to tune
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in again because that makes their job better and they can sell you more soap they can sell you more products they can make you believe that if you vote this way you’re saving the country or if you vote that way you’re saving the country what you have to do is do your due diligence do your research look at what’s facing our Senators and representatives there’s a lot out there that we need to address and hopefully in the next two months while I’m here we will address Counterpoint and point on
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each one of those we’ve only got a minute or so left again I’m Scott Bushnell coach Scott it’s what most people call me on island I’m with Aloha swim lessons.com and I just love being here talking to you today and we’re about ready to run out of time I think I’m going to look up at the clock and here we go I see we are down to about a minute and a half again my phone number if you want to text me with questions or topics we want to talk about 808 37279 and that’s coach Scott uh send me
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a message we are k a KU 88.5 the voice of Maui I love being here today I’m looking forward to having a flip chart and everything else so you guys will have a little thing to go along with listening to me so thank you again for being here I’m going to have to touch the little uh dial over here and here we go here’s our exit you guys have a wonderful week and three two one and go Aloha good night hi this is Steve Summers join me Sunday mornings from 1: to 2:00 a.m. with a replay Sunday mornings from 7am
