IF BASE WERE LEGAL - FRANK AND JAN WOULD STILL BE ALIVE

[guest]

I have waited to see what everyone had to say before I "entered the fray". I feel that BASE 44 is totally RIGHT ON. If BASE jumping were legal in our National Parks, Frank would have gone and had a drink with his friends after a successful jump just like I have done many times after climbing a difficult wall. Jan Davis would have jumped her own gear that she was used to jumping and would have probably been the subject of a beautiful video of the successful and uneventful jump. No "circus" of a demonstration would have taken place. No one, except for friends would have even been looking up at El Cap for jumping activity at that exact time. Many other people would either still be alive or not have spent long stretches in the hospital, lost the full use of their legs or ruined their careers if it were not for the ridiculous policies and selective discrimination The National Park Service. I am a big wall and ice climber, skydiver, cave and wreck diver, pilot, motorcycle rider and paraglider pilot. In my opinion, BASE jumping is safer than many of these other sports and activities. It is way safer than Ice climbing, big wall climbing, and cave diving. However, BASE is illegal in our National Parks and these other sports are not. I do not think that anyone was trying to demonstrate the safety of our sport. We BASE jumpers readily acknowledge that BASE jumping is dangerous. And as far as environmental impact is concerned, thousands of tour busses run through the National Parks and in spite of repeated requests, the Park Service will not even ask them to not leave their Diesel engines running for hours while the busses are sitting in the parking lots. There was talk for years of shuttle busses in the parks with low pollution engines, yet the new busses do not met the original criteria. The concessions in the parks run their own tours with smoke spewing trucks pulling hundreds of screaming, pointing tourists and in Yosemite, one can not enjoy the peace and tranquillity of the park for the "bull horns" of the "Green Dragon" which is a tour run about every 20 minutes through the main and lower park by the concession. There is Horse crap on the trail to Half Dome left by the concession. And now there is a plan to close down hundreds of campsites and cut down old growth trees to install luxury motels in Yosemite Valley. The brothers of the Secretary of The Interior are even in control of the concessions in several parks.(can you say - CONFLICT OF INTEREST ?) Climbers routinely throw trash, cans, haul bags and poop al over the walls. Hikers and climbers put a burden on the rescue/body recovery personnel in the parks much more than BASE jumpers. As a matter of fact, Jean Boenish, myself and others have offered to provide insurance for full payment for any rescue services provided to BASE jumpers in the parks as well as supervising safety, training and the permit process just like hang gliding and this was refused by The National Park Service, along with the permits to jump. The Park Service has had years to sort this out and reach a reasonable compromise on the BASE jumping issue. I feel that the responsibility for Frank, Jan and many other fatalities and serious injuries have been a direct result of the National Park Services refusal to reach a compromise with organized BASE jumpers like they have reached with the organizations representing other sports. I strongly encourage the BASE community to think about the FACT that many of the tragedies we are witnessing today could have reasonably and easily been avoided had our NAZI, rights violating(vehicle and home searches, gun laws), murdering(Waco Texas - Ruby Ridge Idaho), lying(the president, the FBI on the witness stand, The National Park Service) government listened to us and taken reasonable action years ago to legalize BASE jumping in our National Parks. Compare statistics for injuries and fatalities resulting from BASE jumping illegally in National Parks to the ones from legal BASE jumps on BLM and at other legal sites. You will be surprised. Imagine if rock climbing and ice climbing were illegal. People would be forced to sneak in and climb at night or in really bad weather to avoid the rangers and many would die. I implore the National Park Service to stop making excuses and legalize BASE jumping in our National Parks, just like climbing and other sports before more needless deaths occur. And to all the wimps who have suddenly decided to get on this board and insult us, I have this to say. We do nothing whatsoever to hurt you or the environment. Go learn to skydive, go learn to BASE jump, go learn to rock climb, go learn to climb a frozen waterfall, go ride a street luge at 70 mph and THEN come back and tell us how you feel. Because, at this point, you are all just mindless, clueless, head-in-the-sand sheep who are blindly following your NAZI government to a "New World Order" just like Germany became under Adolph Hitler. Go get a life and leave BASE jumping to the people who really love it.

Earl Redfern

[kleggo]

that if BASE were legal, (what does that mean anyway? any bridge? any builing? any antenna?),

we would be inundated with even more yahoo m.f.'s that would end up just as dead due to their lack of knowledge and inexperience when they attempt more and more objects because everything is legal.

'course if it was all legal and we could jump anywhere we want perhaps the carnage wouldn't matter 'cause we could just continue.
cool

cya

kleggo

[guest]

Are you wacked? How can you in one sentence accuse our government as being Nazi's and in the next side with a bunch of neo-Nazi white supremacist hate mongering gun loving killers? Ours is a nation founded on the rule of law. We may not like the laws, we may try to change them, we may even engage in enlightened civil disobedience, but don't wimper about this being a fascist government when its really not even close. You may know about adventuring, but your political views sound really naive.

[guest]

They were trying to get caught! are you not listening ??? This jump was no secret.. even the rangers knew they were gonna jump. How clueless can you be?

"I do not think that anyone was trying to demonstrate the safety of our sport. " - Earl

I think you need more facts before posting. As I recall e-mails were sent out to notifiy as much media they could for this event. It was stated that they were going to jump the cliff and have there gear confiscated in protest of the ban at the park. The were trying to show the world how safe BASE jumping is and to use this as a steping stone to start the discussion to reduce the restriction in the park.

Now before you or Base44 get your panties in a wad. Got talk to the people that organized this and as them why they would allow someone to jump unfamiliar gear on such a publicized jump while representing the ENTIRE base community. What are we pay'n CJAA dues for ?? to ensure this type of publibicity is kept to a minimum, or is it to pay for a select few peoples legal fees ?

When someone steps up and attempts to represent the entire BASE community, like these few have they should have used more than normal precautions to minimize the risks of an incident. I know nothing is 100%... but how many skydivers and BASE jumpers have had problems with borrowed gear? a lot.

I agree the treatment we receive is unfair, but we must work from within the system to change it not from outside like the rogues we are portrayed to be.

[guest]

I sided with no one except BASE 44. It is simply a fact that we all have a right to express ourselves as long as we do not hurt others with our actions. I suggest you read the Constitution. It supports ALL our rights, even if we do not agree with one another. I support freedom to do anything that does not hurt others, even if I may personally disagree with a person or group. I may be simple in my way of thinking, but I am not naive. And I am not afraid to put my name down next to my written feelings and beliefs.

Earl Redfern

[guest]

To "my friend". If Frank had not run to escape the rangers, he would be alive. He ran to escape because BASE jumping permits are not issued in the parks and it is necessary to run and escape from the "jack-booted thugs".

Jan probably died as a result of jumping borrowed gear which was an indirect result of the Park Services' policy of confiscating BASE jumpers' equipment.

Therefore, in my opinion, The National Park Service is still partially responsible for these and other fatalities and injuries.

The higher the penalties for BASE jumping in our parks, the more injuries and fatalities we will see in the future. Something must be done. Making more laws simply will not stop the jumping. In fact, the number of new participants in our sport is growing rapidly. Younger people have absolutely no respect for these types of stupid laws that restrict their freedom. THEY WILL JUMP !
A program of legal BASE jumping in our National Parks is the only solution.


Earl Redfern

[guest]

Earl

Frank may be alive today if El Cap BASE was legal.

But . . . .

Jan on the other hand - it is absolutely disgraceful that Tom Sanders would organise such a high profile jump using cheap and/or borrowed gear and a jumper of average ability. Don't forget that the media were putting in money for his costs. Tom has also made a lot of money from the sport (as well as making some contributions to it). The load should have been organised by an experienced jumper - not Tom.

Under no circumstances should anyone use crappy gear on any jump.

Would you give your teenage child a car with bad brakes on it just so you can save yourself some money??

On a personal note: Tom has paid the ultimate price - my condolences to Tom for losing his wife.

[guest]

Confused you are, kid. So tell me, your attack on the Branch Davidians... does that mean _you_ side with the murdering ATF and FBI agents who are now being revealed, daily, for the liars and killers they were... Gun loving fascist? yYou mean like the 20 children under 14 that were butchered and then burned by the FBI and ATF? Those are the people _you_ side with?

Naive? Earl may be idealistic, but not naive. You, on the other hand, are worse than naive; you're an idiot who thinks he's smart.

[guest]

The press release was written by me and in no way, shape or form included any reference to "demonstrating that BASE was safe."

That was not the purpose of the protest. The purpose was to protest unfair and discriminatory NPS policies against BASE jumpers. Now, I know the AP blew that part of the story (or maybe some unbriefed BASE supporter provided a comment of that type), so I don't blame you for assuming that to be fact (although all of us ought to know better than to uncritically believe what we read in the mass media! :) ).

As for your comments about the organizational choices made, well, I had no part in them and while I do have some opinions about that, I certainly wouldn't voice them in a public forum. So many of you talking trash about the organizers of this event seem to forget that this is a public forum, and port-event reviews should be done publicly, not privately

[guest]

Didn't yo mama teach you any manners, boy? Offering condolences to Tom after you tell the woprld what an unconscionable idiot he was to get his wife killed is the height of idiot rudeness.

How dare you say such things about Tom publicly. You utter fuccking idiot. Just had to get you opinion of Tom on this board, didn't you? You ain't even fit to shine Tom's shoes, much less criticize him like this.

And you are so utterly wrong. Tom did not organize this event; he documented it. The organizer was Avery Badenhop, aided by some other BASE jumpers.

Why don't you show this exchange to yo mam and see how proud she is of you for it? I mean, of all the brain-dead garbage some people on this board have heaped on the organizers of this event, yours is by far and away the most insensitive, ignorant and disgusting. Just who do you think you are, you little WORM?

I'll tell you this: If in fact you are even a BASE jumper, karma is going to eat your ass up real fast if you don't _immediately_ post a sincere apology begging for forgiveness.

On the other hand, maybe you shouldn't; after all, karma is a lovely thing.

[guest]

To: I Am Absolutely

I can not believe what you have said here. You will surely burn in Hell ! You got it all wrong and made a fool of yourself while hurting a man who has done nothing but a great deal of good for BASE Jumping and Skydiving. Shame on you ! Tom lost his wife who, along with Tom has been our friend and helper in our cause. You are a piece of crap! Go and suck a bullet before you infect someone !

Earl Redfern

[Gaz]

Give it a rest.
If you can't think of something decent to say at a time like this, don't waste your time posting crap like that - It's an insult to all of us.