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This Is the Way...No Fishin' Allowed
in School
All of us have been confronted with the tall tale of "the big fish that got
away." Our usual response is, "How big did you say he was?" The teller
of the tale stretches out his arms as far as they can go. "C'mon, nothing in
this lake is that big," retorts the questioner. The storyteller grudgingly admits,
"Well, now that you mention it, maybe it was about this big," as his outstretched
arms shrink to a more believable length. We can all laugh, because we have all been
there, perhaps on both sides of the story. But to take the thought a step further,
the questioner is assuming that the teller of the tale actually went fishing.
Yes, a lot of leeway with measurements is offered when it comes
to fishing. The yarns and tales of the "almost" are part and parcel of
"falling for it hook, line and sinker." But such distortions of fact need
to be left at the dock, and never be allowed to enter the greater world of transmitting
truth to new and eager minds.
Recently, a Pulitzer Prize winner named Joseph J. Ellis was
called into question regarding the tall tales he spun while teaching a course on
Vietnam at Mount Holyoke College, where he is the Ford Foundation professor of history.
His story is a painful one, but it needs retelling. It reminds each of us, be we
parents, teachers, ministers or writers, who project knowledge and understanding
to an eager audience, that we must get the story right the first time.
Simply put, unlike the comical scenario of the "shrinking
fish," we may not be given another opportunity to get the size of the story
right. Mixing history with lies can mess up people's minds. This story is about telling
the truth the first time around.
Related Information on UCG Sites:
Table of Contents that includes "No Fishin' Allowed in School"
Other Articles by Robin Webber
Sincerity:
Truth:
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