Letters

A few weeks ago, the Hamptons Doc Fest screened a film called “Fish & Men.” It focused on the small fishing industry, especially along the East Coast, most notably Gloucester, Massachusetts.

The central message in the film was that we rely on our fishermen to be stewards of the seas and its living creatures, yet our government has stripped so much power from small fishing businesses that it no longer supports their ability to do just that. Instead, the laws have evolved to support powerful corporations, which are unlikely to provide such stewardship. The result for our seas, and, inevitably, our planet, could be disastrous.

I feel the broader discussion here is the way we, as a country, have come to view the “smaller people,” or anyone or anything with little power. The strength of our country has been in our willingness to encourage people to strive for self-improvement. However, we seem to have lost our understanding of what we need to do as a government, as communities and as individuals to help these “smaller” people succeed.

During this surreal pandemic, many small businesses will fail, more families then ever will go hungry, more small farmers and fisherman will be at risk, and more small local charities will go underfunded. We can do much to support those in our community who are at risk. Are we prepared to answer that call?

I am realistic. I don’t expect that we will abandon our addiction to Amazon or Costco. What I am asking is that we consider that we have individual responsibility for others in our community, and that we find, in our own way, a method, no matter how small, to express that responsibility.

This documentary ended with just such an example. Much like there is a “Farm-to-Table”movement to support small farmers, there is a “Dock-to-Dish” movement as well, which was started in Montauk. The intention of both is similar, to raise awareness as to the source of the food/seafood that we buy. In the case of fish, the intention is to encourage consumers to buy local and try eating some of the lesser-known species of fish that may be more plentiful for the local fishermen to catch.

This message is perhaps the most powerful: individuals have to step in when they see something is wrong and try to fix it. Individuals have to protect those in their community who the government may actually be putting at risk. Whether it’s supporting the Heart of the Hamptons food pantry or buying and eating local, we all have individual responsibility.

Perhaps this is the ultimate message: that the only thing that will save us all is each other’s humanity.

Paula Angelone, Ph.D.

Southampton Village