No Law Should Kill The Human Spirit
Newcastle Herald
Saturday June 17, 2000
CRIES for rules to govern the sport of abseiling in the wake of the tragic deaths of two members of Newcastle University's Mountaineering Club last weekend are surely unrealistic.
As shocking as was this freak accident I cannot help but think that yet another adventure sport is under threat.
And the prospect of yet another law to administer our lives and leisure arises.
These guys presumably loved what they were doing ? enough to take them out on a freezing June long weekend to the Blue Mountains in pursuit of a challenge and some lung-bursting exercise.
There were no signs and no fences warning them what not to do.
They were doing what they enjoyed and the adrenalin was pumping.
A tragic outcome was the furthest thing from their minds as they set out for the remote area of bushland.
A double fatality has changed all that.
Now authorities and governments want to ensure it doesn't happen again.
And instituting regulations seems the only logical way they can see to achieve this end.
People who participate in high-risk adventure activities such as mountaineering, abseiling, white-water rafting, orienteering or even rock-fishing take on their sports in the knowledge that they carry slightly more risk than lawn bowls.
They expect to encounter difficulties and trying conditions, and to venture where few others might dare.
They silently accept the responsibilities of their actions, knowing the inherent dangers. Laws and regulations they do not want.
It is the kind of brave, determined and sometimes mad spirit that has pushed the boundaries for the rest of us.
The Sydney to Hobart yacht race is an example of this sort of feckless competition.
Governments' willingness to run our lives has never been more apparent. Decision making on many minor daily actions has been taken out of our hands.
I was reminded of this recently in my own northern NSW town when the local council refused to grant a special liquor licence to a local hotel for a fundraising night.
The pub had sought permission for the alcohol-free zone restrictions to be relaxed for a few hours while the charity event took place, allowing patrons to consume drinks on the footpath.
Paris, Rome and most English villages ... not a problem. But here, forget it.
The council turned down the request on the advice of the local police.
What their reasons were we were not told but it appears they couldn't trust us with a glass on the pavement for a short period of time.
The idea of local government nannying us to that extent is irksome in the extreme. It undermines self confidence and, if anything, encourages subversion and illicit activities.
When responsibility is bestowed on most citizens it fosters a strong response. And most likely a positive one.
Signs that warn people not to venture towards a cliff edge or fencing that prevents entry to an area deemed dangerous almost serve as a come-on.
People now pay $100 to climb to the top of the Sydney Harbour bridge.
In my student days, it was something we did for a dare, knowing the risks but relishing the challenge because it was outlawed.
I've always liked the `Danger, falling rocks' sign on roads and wondered whether I should travel on the wrong side to avoid such misfortune.
Seriously though, this weekend we are mourning the loss of two athletic young people who took calculated risks and lost.
It is indeed a tragedy but, please, no more rules in response.
© 2000 Newcastle Herald