[Ansteorra] Story from Crown Tourney

[Childers, Jeff]

I concure this topic of safety has come up more than once, from blow calling or heat or armor inspection. I have lost a relative to heat stroke while he was mowing the grass. Heat related issues are a very seriuos thing So this does strike a cord within me. Besides this, concerns of issues of safety should continue. I perfer to believe we all have the best interests of our fellow ansteorrians at heart.

Arguably I guess safety is a seconary consideration to most who fight. I don't want someone else telling me if I am able to fight. Or I am not calling my shots. Or my armor is unsafe. 

"I have been doing this for 20 years I think I know myself better than you". or "I have my weak spots covered even if my kidney belt isn't even close to 'legal'". We all justify these differant conditions. But maybe someone should be forcing the issue. Even if we are best of friends or a peer of the realm. This is a sport. A sport in which we prove ourselves and weakness is view rather... harshly.   We seek to be viewed as a equal, to be thought of with respect. Perhaps even to be a considered a peer. Whatever insanity that compels us to strap it on one more day. Is the same insanity that pushes us to continue to fight past the point that a sane person would have given up long ago. And the fathers of ansteorra whos bodies have been broken by this sport are proof of this. We say this won't happen to me or whatever to override the fear of disability or death. We give our bodies up to the dream perhaps when we should be on the sidelines. 

I don't see us letting those with broken legs take the field because it is unsafe. Yet we have folks collapse at the rez point and we do nothing, letting them head right back out. If someone collapses for whatever reason on the field something is wrong. I guess we could argue legal liablity but I perfer to argue moral liabilty. Who is to be blamed. The guy who BELIEVES he is ok or us, his supposed friends, who lets them head back out. There have been times where someone should have said something but didn't.

Sadly, the only thing that motivates people to exact change is when tragedy strikes. Hopefully when it happens it won't affect our "GAME"  to some nurfed out mockery. Surely safety and fun can go hand in hand. So we don't have to fight indoors how about start the lists at much eariler time. I know yikes that would suck but most tourmeys would  be almost complete by the heat of the day in the really hot months. 

I hate the thought that copora having to play "big brother" and inact law to fix something that really should be a no brainer.

just a concerned peasant,
Garreth Silverthane