Jess, the "community" wants to believe bullshit like
this. They have all had their shots and blown it .
WKPP is now where the action is.

>where does Allen think the rest of the members of the
wkpp got their time
>and money to "DIR".  Does he think they don't have
jobs and families to
>support?
>
>Another guy that wants something for nothing...must
be a Democrat.
>
>Trout
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Trey [mailto:trey@ne*.co*]
>> Sent: Monday, August 14, 2000 2:07 PM
>> To: Allen Wooten
>> Cc: cavers@cavers.com
>> Subject: Re: Closing of the South of Tallahassee,
Florida Caves
>>
>>
>> Allen, you don't know what you are talking about.
>> The cave diving community got the caves closed due
to
>> their disregard for the landowners and their track
>> record of death and detruction.
>>
>> I got them opened back up.
>>
>> They are opened up with the stipulation that we do
>> things the way I promised they would be done. That
is
>> not open to debate with you or anyone else.
>>
>> The real world is that I have overcome what your
>> source (who lied to you ) screwed up .
>>
>>
>>
>> >My name is Allen Wooten and I live in Thomasville,
>> Ga.   I have my Dive
>> >Master Cert and Master Scuba Diver Cert.  Not too
>> long ago, I was cavern
>> >certified through NSS-CDS.  I am scheduled to take
>> Intro to Cave class
>> >this month at Ginnie Springs.
>> >
>> >Now that I've at least introduced myself, I'd like
to
>> share with you my
>> >feelings/concerns regarding the closing of the
South
>> of Tallahassee
>> >Caves to the overhead diving public.
Specifically, I
>> really wish they
>> >would be re-opened.
>> >
>> >What I want to communicate is based on the
following
>> information I have
>> >been told by more than one person.  I understand
that
>> your organization
>> >(WKPP) was instrumental in convincing the
landowners
>> of those South
>> >Tallahassee caves that the WKPP was the only group
>> qualified to dive
>> >those springs/sinks, that the rest of the cave
diving
>> community were
>> >basically strokes, and the liability was too high
to
>> keep these places
>> >open to the public.
>> >
>> >I can't speak for the rest of the cave diving
>> community, but I can speak
>> >for myself.  Everyone has to begin somewhere.  I
am
>> beginning where I am
>> >and look forward to the journey ahead.  I wish I
had
>> $50,000 and 24
>> >hours/day to get the necessary training and
equipment
>> to dive with you
>> >guys.  But I don't and can't.  I have to earn a
>> living for my family.
>> >It just so happens that I love to dive and seek
these
>> opportunities in
>> >the North Florida area.  I would love to be able
to
>> go just South of
>> >Tallahassee to a sink and get some overhead dives
in
>> before I meet my
>> >wife at TGI Fridays for early evening dinner.
>> However, with the current
>> >closed-cave situation, I have to go further South,
>> spend more money, and
>> >get back home later to get in the necessary dives
to
>> build experience.
>> >
>> >Let's face it, it is my belief that the cave
diving
>> community regards
>> >the WKPP as the best in the world, but there is
more
>> to diving in caves
>> >than being 15,000 feet back.  Many cavers just
want
>> to go in and safely
>> >enjoy the experience.  To say that you can't dive
the
>> Tallahassee caves
>> >unless you are part of WKPP is to say that there
is
>> no other form or
>> >motivation for cave diving.  This argument simply
>> does not hold water.
>> >
>> >To say that the South Tallahassee sinks are more
>> fragile or require more
>> >skill than the other 250 caves in Florida may be
>> quite a stretch as
>> >well.  Why would these caves be more of a
liability
>> than any of the
>> >other caves that are open to the public.  It seems
>> that a liability
>> >release is satisfactory for the rest of the legal
>> world.  Why would it
>> >apply differently in Tallahassee?  Or is this the
>> only sphere of
>> >influence that the WKPP has managed to create?
>> >
>> >Cave conservation is important.  I think any
>> respecting cave diver would
>> >agree, but conservation efforts are larger than
any
>> one organization.
>> >If that were not so, then the government could
simply
>> mandate it across
>> >the board.  The fact is that they can't and
neither
>> can any one
>> >organization.  It requires teamwork.  I have my
>> Master of Business
>> >Administration (MBA) degree.  I know enough to
know
>> that an organization
>> >doesn't accomplish its mission through superiority
>> complexes,
>> >alienation, and an exclusiveness culture; but
rather,
>> it must work
>> >together with all stakeholders (including the cave
>> community).  The end
>> >does not always justify the means.  The non-diving
>> public doesn't have
>> >enough knoweldge about the situation to make
educated
>> decisions.  They
>> >will believe anything you tell them and are mostly
>> motivated by fear.
>> >
>> >If indeed the WKPP convinced the landowners to
close
>> these sinks, then
>> >it is my feeling that the WKPP is biting the very
>> hand that fed them
>> >individually for so many years.  After all, the
cave
>> diving community
>> >taught you the skills necessary to cave dive
safely.
>> You simply
>> >expanded upon them to do more extreme missions.
And
>> that is good, but
>> >it isn't comprehensive of every possible
motivation
>> to cave dive.  Some
>> >people just want to cave dive for fun.
>> >
>> >Sheck Exley was a true industry leader.  He didn't
>> resort to exclusion.
>> >Rather, he fought to keep the sport of cave diving
>> legal for ALL who
>> >wanted to participate by creating and educating
>> others regarding safe
>> >cave diving practices and conservation through the
>> NSS-CDS.  This was
>> >during a time when increasing deaths almost made
the
>> sport illegal by
>> >society (as if society had any authority to make
>> decisions regarding the
>> >risks that an individual takes upon himself).  By
>> getting sinks closed,
>> >it seems to me that the WKPP is working directly
>> against what Exley
>> >fought so hard to achieve.
>> >
>> >As far as I'm concerned, the Wakulla Springs and
all
>> sinks in Leon
>> >County are a waste of a resource in total.  Sure,
>> they provide Florida
>> >with drinking water.  But so what?  Water is
useful
>> for more things than
>> >drinking.  It can be used for recreation.  Since
I'll
>> never get to see
>> >the features of the Leon sinks, how will that
>> resource ever touch my
>> >life personally?  Life is about making the best of
it
>> and being happy.
>> >Being restricted from dive sites and doing the
things
>> you love doesn't
>> >create happiness.  It creates sadness in an
already
>> hateful world.  The
>> >goal of any organization should be to make man's
>> existence more
>> >beneficial, peaceful, and happy.  Taking away
their
>> freedom doesn't
>> >accomplish this.  I don't think I can support an
>> organization that
>> >actively attempts to take my freedoms away.
America
>> used to be the land
>> >of the free and the brave.  I do not believe this
to
>> any longer be the
>> >case.  It seems to now be the land of the
regulated
>> and the soft.
>> >
>> >I don't mean any of this as a personal attack in
any
>> way.  Every
>> >organization must face its critics.  This is part
of
>> organizational
>> >dynamics and behavior.  I, like you, am trying to
>> make a difference and
>> >be the best that I can be.  I don't expect this
>> E-mail to be the
>> >save-all of the opening of the Leon County Sinks,
but
>> I do hope you will
>> >file this one away with any others you may have
>> received and will
>> >receive.  At a minimum, thanks for hearing me out.
>> >
>> >Thanks,
>> >Allen
>> >
>>
>>
>
>

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