Giving equitable opportunity to fish
If you’re like me, you know how to fish. My Pappy taught me when I was young. Pappy made sure that I knew how to cast, how to wait, and how to not be overeager when reeling a fish in. There were lessons on fishing rules, both written and those that are more a courtesy to other fisherfolk. Pappy also took great joy in buying me a rod and reel and taking me to the different lakes and streams he fished at.
He usually caught more than I did although I skunked him once or twice. Whatever the case, the meal was always communal. We would give a fish to anyone on the trip. It would have been pretty cruel if my Pappy told 7-year-old me that I couldn’t eat because I had been a bad day of fishing, even though he filled his net. I’d be upset if he did that to 33-year-old me.
That’s why the phrase, “Give a man a fish, he’ll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, he’ll eat for a lifetime.” always struck me as odd. I agree with the basic idea that learning a skill is more valuable than a single use product of that skill. I’m in education. To my mind, education is largely about learning, enhancing, and applying skills.
The part that rubs me the wrong way is that the above saying is contorted to mean an individual shouldn’t be given assistance. At some point, an individual shouldn’t be given aid because they should have obtained the skills to fill that need. Any need for assistance is somehow equated with a moral failing. That’s such a cold, black and white interpretation of the world.
Some people know how to fish but don’t have a pole. They have the skill but because of bad breaks they can’t apply that skill. They might be able to make or maybe even buy a new pole but until then, do we as a society really want to say they can’t have any fish?
Some people have the fishing skill but can’t get to the fishing hole. Historically, we have made sure some people are closer to good fishing spots than others. This means that there are quality fisherfolk out there who are stuck with lousy fishing options.
Some of those quality fishers end up fishing at more than one fishing hole and still can’t feed themselves or their families because of the low number of fish those spots provide. Some fish the same spot for years out of loyalty but the people that own the lake never restock it. The fisherfolk don’t catch enough fish but can’t risk moving fishing holes and catching even less fish.
Fishing can be dangerous. There’s fishhooks, chaotic weather, and surprisingly aggressive waterfowl. Ideally, there should be safety precautions taken but accidents happen. If the ducks are particularly territorial one day and break your arm, you can’t fish for a while. Here again, bad luck shouldn’t be the thing that takes your fish away.
Now, most fishing holes have some system in place to insure the health of the fisherfolk. Fish can be provided when bad luck strikes. The rub is that different fishing holes have different qualities of fisherfolk insurance. The randomness of what fishing hole you ended up with determines the quality of fisherfolk insurance you have access to.
Everyone should know how to fish. Just as importantly, everyone should have the opportunity to apply that skill at quality fishing holes. Until that is the case though, we might need to hand out a few fish.
