2 Minutes, Go!

    "Because, Mija, the river is wide enough for all the fishes. The ones who are native to this water, and the ones who are not. The problem...sometimes the new fish are bullies. Sometimes, they push the other fish around. They take their food, their homes."

    "How can you tell which new fish will cause problems?"

    "Listen. All animals, fish included, can work together. The problem is that some animals are greedy. Some of them are selfish or stupid. Many of them don't realize the consequences of their actions. They are parasites, and parasites need to be removed before they kill."

    "The bass? They are big. They are strong. They are aggressive. They can learn to coexist, but there will always be fish who act out of character. Just like people. Some bass get so big, so strong. When they are small, there is peace, but the bigger they get, the more power they have, and the more they want."

    The girl nodded her head slowly but did not speak.

    "They have different personalities, fish. The trout are made for this water. They are cautious fish, and they can be extremely hard to catch. This is not the case for bass. Bass will attack anything in the right mood. They will eat a fish that chokes and kills them."

    "Then why don't we kill the bass we catch. Get them out of the water, so they can't hurt the trout?"

    "I have done it. Years, I did it. But then I realized. People move. Animals move. They migrate. They hunt. It is not for me to decide who belongs where. I am not a god. Who am I to say that these fish belong and these don't? Who am I to question the plan?"

    "What if there is no god?"

    "It is still not up to us. Science tells us that animals change over time. Science also tells us that all people started in the same place. We moved, explored, we changed depending on where we found ourselves. This is the way it has always been. No man should decide that he has the right to question nature's plan. There is no right place to be."

    "This is about more than just the fish?"

    "Of course, Mija. This is everything. There are those, like our friends in their bullet proof vests, who want to control nature, control life. To own God. Look at the bass, strong. Black and silver and white. You could write ICE on their chests and it would look right at home. I will not eat them. The native fish? They are beautiful, full of color and spirit, painted like the rainbow. They are home. They have history. The bass will always be there to take from the trout, but as long as the trout still exist, their colors cannot be muted - their beauty cannot be dimmed."

    The sun dropped behind the trees, and the light from the fire danced on the pines. There was stillness, and the man gradually drifted off to sleep. The girl did not. She stayed up all night, thinking about fish, and federales, and fate.