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From: robie@umbc1.umbc.edu (Mr. William Robie; POSI (GRAD))
Newsgroups: rec.skydiving
Subject: Suicide? Naaaah!!!
Message-ID: <1991Jun13.124921.11221@umbc3.umbc.edu>
Date: 13 Jun 91 13:37:48 GMT
Article-I.D.: umbc3.1991Jun13.124921.11221
Sender: newspost@umbc3.umbc.edu (News  posting account)
Reply-To: robie@umbc1.umbc.edu
Organization: UMBC University of Maryland Baltimore county - Baltimore, MD, US
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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. ... :-)  )