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H2Ocaver wrote: > > This letter was passed around the conference and I got a copy. > In the interest of the list I post it. It is here in the exact > words that are on the copy. > > etc. etc. see below I was shocked and amazed after reading Bret Gilliams purported letter to George Irvine, although George has still not actually received this communication via the normal modes of conveyance. My incredulity was further compounded by the fact that we have always considered Brett Gilliam and Mitch Skaggs to be supporters of the WKPP, if not our friends. Bretts impressive and successful career as a dive industry entrepreneur has been worthy of our respect. Remarkably, Bret Gilliam cloaks himself in righteous indignation while simultaneously choosing to disclose this private letter in a very public venue via a sequence of questionable proxies. He opens his letter, with a great dramatic flourish and tells us that the preeminent board of directors of TDI, in some hastily convened courtmartial proceeding, has summarily revoked Georges instructorship. For those of you who know George Irvine and are familiar with his role as Director of the WKPP, you realize, that apart from being totally irrelevant, this TDI instructorship was the equivalent of an honorary academic degree (or some might suggest a mail order divinity degree); nothing more, nothing less. Through the vehicle of the WKPP George has acted as an unofficial and fully independent ombudsman reviewing, exposing and criticizing the policies and public practices of the alphabet soup of certification agencies. Does the timing of Gilliams missive bear more than a causal relationship to certain of Irvines recent pronouncements on training practices which advocate greater than 130 ends? Just coincidence Im sure. Reading like a papal encyclical, Brett further lectures Irvine about ethics and norms of civilized behavior. Like most people who attack Irvine, he broadly characterizes all of Georges statements as being thoughtless, vulgar rantings without validity, content or message. Oh? Brett, as most of us, must be acutely aware of the irrevocable changes George has wrought on technical diving through his organization the WKPP, his widely acclaimed educational videos and his often controversial, but effective, public commentary. All of us shared a certain measure of grief at the loss of Rob Palmer, including George. This is not the first time George has lost friends and colleagues in diving or other accidents. Might I mention such names as Sheck Exley, Parker Turner, Sherwood Schile, Bobby McQuire, Win Remley and Pete Gomez just to name a few. I closely followed the emergence of facts and commentary in the wake of this event and recall the almost elegiac post from George, quoting from Robs well known book. Indeed, as the discussion of the incident evolved into a general debate on certain diving practices Irvine, as a recognized authority on technical diving, has been bluntly frank. This is Irvines trademark, like it or not, and his honesty and straightforwardness in exposing the truth, despite the attendant personal abuse, will have the effect of continuing to save lives. Gilliam adopts an ecclesiastical tone as he reminds Irvine of his Christian obligations or lack thereof. This ministerial rebuke is very surprising. I rather think Irvine feels that he is performing his Christian duty by saving lives, exposing the truth and throwing what he perceives as the proverbial "money changers" out of the temple. There is a peculiar shot at Tom Mount for not beating George silly. This is somewhat paradoxical inasmuch as Mount probably harbors similar feelings towards Gilliam and Skaggs following their well publicized departure from IANTD and formation of a competing agency. The letter ends with the standard tirade (phillipic) of implied and direct threats of litigation. This is very tiresome. If someone were foolish enough to actually invest the tens of thousands of dollars required for a full court civil trial there would be no guarantee of vindication for the plaintiff, especially since the plaintiff would have to prove conclusively that the libelous charges lacked truth. Nevertheless, the image of a Scopes like Monkey Trial in which the focus of the proceedings became the rational for diving beyond 130 on air would be most amusing. The heavy handed attempt to enjoin the sponsors of the WKPP, for what vindictive purpose I have no idea, was likewise amusing. These sponsors, being risk averse and prudent, have astutely distanced themselves long ago from the deep air bogeyman. I would hope that this letter is an articulate fake. > MAY-23-97 05:19 PM UWATEC USA INC 207 729 3805 P.02 > > May 20,1997 > Mr. George Irvine > 1400 SE 11th St. > Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33316 > > Dear George > > It is with considerable regret that I am compelled to write you > and advise that the Board of Directors has met and decided > to terminate your membership and status as an instructor with TDI. > You should recall, as a condition of accepting you into this > agency we made it clear that we expected a certain standard of > ethical behaviour from you, and your recent rantings on the > internet and personal attacks on Rob Palmer and other TDI senior > members has breached that promise. > > George, it is of little interest to me how you choose to conduct > yourself in an other wise polite society. And your reputation as > an incoherent and vulgar egomaniac may well be a badge you wear > proudly. However, your thoughtless and insensitive attacks on > Rob Palmer, one of diving's true gentlemen,is beneath contempt. > Before his friends had even the chance to contact his widow, you > had seen fit to weigh in with comments calling him a "dumb fuck" > and other demonstrations of your dubious command of language. > You also viciously attacked a host of other dive professionals > who merely acting to effect an Internet posting of Palmer's > disappereance. > > No one will ever know what ever happened to Rob but accident was > not caused by any provocative dive profile. It is suspected, > in fact, that he may have suffered a fatal heart attack or > stroke upon entering the water. But your irresponsible comments > caused imeasurable grief to his mother, widow, and other family > members. And your antics provoked an out pouring of outrage > from the dive community unequaled in memory. > > Supposedly, you hold yourself out as a devout Christian. I wonder > what your wife and members of your church would think of your > callous and hurtful behavior? What would your family think if > they were subjected to such a bitter and unwarrated philippic if > you were killed in an accident? > > Perhaps you can live with yourself. But, for me, and most others > in the professional community, it is far easier to live without > you. > > > p.03 > > You, like any other person, are entitled to your opinion. But you > are not entitled to sully the fine reputation of a dignified man > whose list of accomplishments in diving and education were varied > and unique. And, of course, you knew nothing of the actual > circumstances of his death. Neither myself, Mitch Skaggs or Joe > Odom (whom you have castigated) were with Rob or had anything to > do with his diving that day. We were as shocked and saddened by > his passing as anyone and to return home and se your various > uninformed comments only added to everyone's sorrow. > > Some day you may learn that true leaders do not resort to > cowardly attacks on the deceased or hide behind self-serving > anonymous Internet postings. I've yet to ever see you have the > courage to confront anyone in person with your tirades because > you know they would probably beat you to a pulp. It truly > amazes me that Tom Mount and others haven't slapped you silly > years ago. > > Calls received in the last week informed us that you were now > being sued in Federal court by at least two parties for your > apparently libelous and slanderous comments in a public forum > directed at those individuals . And be forewarned that any such > comments directed at members of this company will be imediately > pursued by our legal counsel. You can well imagine the list of > persons who are willing to testify against you. So be smart (or > at least not so terminally stupid) and shut up for once in your > life before you become such a pariah that no one in the industry > will speak to you. > > I truley pity you and hope you can get the help you need. > > > Sincerely, > > > Brett C Gilliam > President > > BCG:dc > > c.c.: Tom Mount, IANTD > Dick Long, DUI > Robert Stoss, Scubapro > Lamar Hires, Dive Rite & NSS-CDS -- Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aquanaut.com'. Send list subscription requests to `techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'.
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