Posted on 12/17/2006 5:20:45 AM PST by Nasty McPhilthy
A trio of climbers, ascended Mount Hood, under adverse winter conditions — to test their survival skills. The intrepid climbers took gear such as food, fuel, bivvy sacks, a shovel and ropes. These men knew they were taking a big risk – or they would not have taken survival gear with them.
Mountain climbing is a sport for the wealthy who can afford to take weeks off from work to indulge in their expensive hobby.
These clowns have been missing for over a week, and the state is expending tens of thousands of dollars in search and resuce operations.
Why is the sheriff’s department and the U.S Forest Service rangers looking for these men who are addicted to danger?
The taxpayers shouldn’t have to pay for the foolhardy thrill seekers who knew they were taking a big risk. The families of the climbers should pay for their own search teams; they shouldn’t expect the government to pay for the reckless chance the climbers took.
From USA Today:
“Deputy Gerry Tiffany, spokesman for the Hood River County sheriff’s office, said its office does not charge for its searches.”
I think it’s about time the government starts charging for rescue operations – when it’s a case of adventurers who place themselves in danger.
I’m sick of hearing about the missing climbers; I’m sick of watching the relatives of the missing men on TV praise the courage of the climbers, and I’m sick at the thought that taxpayers are paying for the rescue efforts.
Didn't al gore climb Hood with his son,,the one hit by the car at an orioles game.
I doubt he summitted Mt. Hood in the winter.
I bet the author is delighted that he won't be hearing any more about the search for that one...
Well it seems one is dead so I guess only two are looking for the publicity?
No. They're the same guys. Where do you find really experienced climbers and outdoorsmen who can become qualified rescuers? The chess club?
If there's a big difference here, it's between how much I respect the rescuers and adventurers and how little I respect those who sit at their keyboards and whine about the money.
They were so brave!!!
/sarcasm
You said -- "just reported ...one found dead"
That's really too bad.
Here's a local news link with the rescue story on it...
http://www.katu.com/news/live/3882262.html
Regards,
Star Traveler
One could always turn the channel or turn off the TV, but that would take some effort on the viewer's part. Sometimes the lack of caring for others I read here overwhelms me.
Then again, I could solve that by no longer posting here. I'll have to think about that. Practice what I preach.
Oh, calm down and get off the high horse. This is a discussion site, but you'd never know it from some contributors who want to shut up anyone who offers a contrary opinion or speculation and get themselves into high dudgeon when they do.
I have done a considerable amount of reading about the mountain men and their adventures, and I haven't read anything that suggests that their primary reasons for going out there had very much to do with protecting America's national interests or opposing European interests in that region. That may well have played a relatively small part in their reasons for going into unexplored territory fraught with dangers from both untamed nature and hostile natives, but I got the distinct impression from my reading that they were restless adventurers who thrived on danger, and who cared more for living as they pleased without any societal restraint than they cared for their personal safety. And also, I think it's well known by anyone familiar with the history of that era that the fur trade at that time was unusually lucrative due to the high European demand for beaver fur hats, and that was unquestionably a major incentive for many of those men to risk their lives to reap that wild harvest. In practice, it seems that many of them squandered a large portion of the money they made from the fur trade on booze and gambling at the yearly rendezvous gatherings. But that doesn't mean that they were not very much interested in making money from their trade.
In any case, the mountain men's almost total independence from governmental intrusion into their affairs and their hostility to society's rules of behavior are definitly not characteristics of modern day death-defying adventurers who climb mountains in the face of well known extreme danger and expect government to rescue them if and when their reckless behavior turns deadly.
The posts on this thread, including mine, are becoming monotonously repetitive and argumentative. I'm getting off at this point to find a better use of my Sunday evening free time.
"In 1999, Gore embarked on a mountain-climbing expedition to "bond" with Albert III on Mount Rainier in Washington state (11 electoral votes). The "top-secret" three-day adventure was splashed all over the front page of the Seattle press. Private photos from the journey became props in a widely-publicized campaign ad and convention film narrated by the trail guide, Democratic activist James Frush, who touted Gore’s "strength of character."
--Michelle Malkin, Oct. 25, 2000
http://www.jewishworldreview.com/michelle/malkin102500.asp
"The motivation of the thrill of any emergency personnel occupation is to save lives and not simply to have fun. The motivation for the three mountain climbers was to fulfill a recreational need that in the process has created a dangerous situation for many lives."
I believe it is you that is missing the point. Both the rescuers and the climbers, IMO, are motivated by the challenge. That's what is behind our space exploration, ocean exploration, any exploration. The challenge, curiosity, and the exhilaration that goes along with conquering new territories, discovery, physical and mental mettle testing, all qualities that are necessary to the survival of the species. That's us. Nothing would have been gained in the world without the risk takers.
We have already made wimps of too many of our men in our society. I'm all for men being men, and doing what many men do, and part of that is to challenge their environment, and take risks. You can see it on the playground when little boys are young, and climb to the highest part of the jungle jim, while most little girls look on. It's a boy thing. I'm sick to death of too many women wanting to make men just like them, and/or too many men, sitting on their butts complaining about other men who actually get off their duffs and take risks.
Even in business, where bankruptcy is a real threat, most often it is men who jump in feet first to establish new ventures. Without risk, no society would move forward. Give me a manly man anyday. I don't like wimps. Too many Democratic men are wimps (think Alan Colmes of Hannity and Colmes, as an example).
These men were experienced climbers who knew the dangers and had climbed many times before. When you are out in nature, you always are surrounded by potential danger, as the victims of Katrina found out. Rescuing these climbers gives the search teams extra practice and experience on how to deal with a new rescue scenario, which adds to the body of knowledge on how to do rescues. An analogy would be our U.S. troops. Unless they eventually end up in battle some day, everything they have learned is theoretical unless put into practice at some point. Obviously there are risks to battle, but the troops gain experience in actual warfare and become better warriors for it. Man has been climbing mountains forever, out of need, or out of desire. I admire them.
You said: Have you ever stopped to think of all the things we should stop doing because of the cost of rescue, medical treatment, sending in the troops to pull us out? perhaps we could all stay in our homes, in the US and work from a computer.
(pardon me Star Traveler for using your technique-lol)
My reply was to a statement made by someone that this event happened to these climbers because it was beyond their control. Well, they just didn't happen to be on the mountain one day and then got caught in a storm. They put themselves in the situation. I never suggested that they be left to die because of cost.
As for thinking about things we should stop doing...how about mountain climbing ?
As I indicated in an earlier post...after the subjects of such a search are rescued and things settle down a bit...
Obviously under the current circumstances all such discussions about the cost of these operations and who should pay are very inappropriate.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.