robie@umbc1.umbc.edu (Mr. William Robie; POSI (GRAD)) (06/13/91)
I just don't see how anyone can possibly relate skydiving to suicide (or a "death wish") in any way. When you cross the street, you choose to "save your life" by not stepping out when a bus is about to take up that space ... is that flirting with suicide? I could give an infinite number of such examples. When I land my airplane, I "save my life" by using the proper procedures that are known to ensure a safe landing. Skydiving is really nothing more - you go through the proper set of procedures known to ensure successful landing of a soft, deployable wing ... nothing more. I am not flaming anyone, of course, for wanting to perpetuate our own "death defying dare-devil" image, but that sort of myth is bad PR for getting - and keeping - access to public facilities. We would be in a much better position to exert our rights before airport commissioners, city council people, the public, and airplane drivers, if we were perceived as legitimate aviators, rather than "those crazy, suicidal, skydivers." Crazy people are dangerous. All the skydivers that I know are incredibly conscious of safety (OK...there *is* one jerk in eastern N.C. ... :-) )
kovar@eclectic.COM (David C. Kovar) (06/17/91)
In article <1991Jun13.124921.11221@umbc3.umbc.edu> robie@umbc1.umbc.edu writes: >I just don't see how anyone can possibly relate skydiving to suicide (or a >"death wish") in any way. > >When you cross the street, you choose to "save your life" by not stepping out >when a bus is about to take up that space ... is that flirting with suicide? >I could give an infinite number of such examples. I was did not intend to advocate suicide, or even to compare skydiving to suicide. I simply meant to mention an observation that a friend and I had made at one point a few years back. I participate in a number of "dangerous" activities and have never considered it as "flirting with suicide". My appologies to anyone who may have misunderstood and my appologies to the sport in general ... -David -- -David C. Kovar Consultant Internet: kovar@eclectic.com Eclectic Associates AppleLink: ECLECTIC Ma Bell: 617-643-3373 MacNET: DKovar "It is easier to get forgiveness than permission."
robie@umbc1.umbc.edu (Mr. William Robie; POSI (GRAD)) (06/18/91)
In article <235@eclectic.COM>, kovar@eclectic.COM (David C. Kovar) writes... > I was did not intend to advocate suicide, or even to compare skydiving >to suicide. I simply meant to mention an observation that a friend and >I had made at one point a few years back. I realize that you were not, Dave. Your friend's comment is, though, one of the old Death-Defying Daredevil lines. I am sure that he picked it up from somewhere else, because it has been around almost as long as ripcords (the "ballyhoo artists" [anouncers] at airshows and county fairs used to hype the wuffos by telling them the fearless parachutist was about to plunge to the earth: facing certain destruction unless they saved their life with a tug on a frail ripcord amidst the death howl of the wind - that sort of thing). The same announcers loved to used words like "suicidal" and "tempting the Grim Reaper," because they were charging admission. Wuffos don't pay admission to see safe jumpers performing safe, but difficult, maneuvers - they want to see some gore. That's the way it has been since the earliest days of exhibition flying & parachuting. I think the point that I (and perhaps others) are making is that this is no longer the county fair, and we need to quit perpetuating such images.