Re: [Paddlewise] JFK, Jr.

I agree with you - it would not have been productive.  There is no reason
to be forced to speak at any length, for an unselected audience, about
the faults of someone who isn't around to learn from the discussion.  And
it's not likely that it would cause anyone who isn't already so inclined
to change their habits.  You couldn't come off well in this one.

On Mon, 04 Oct 1999 09:01:30 -0700 rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com writes:
> I got an interesting call on Friday from the TV show Inside Edition. 
> One of their research or other staff members called me to see if I 
> would
> like to appear on camera to discuss a quote by me that appeared in a
> People Magazine's book(I didn't know they had them).
> 
> I was surprised as I didn't know I had been quoted; I think I know 
> the
> genesis of it but hadn't seen anything in the immediate aftermath in 
> any
> of the People Mag issues and specials.  What happened is that a day 
> or
> two after the accident, I had a voice message from a friend who 
> works
> for People and who is a paddler.  He asked if I had ever paddled 
> with
> JFK Jr. or could say anything about his paddling.  I returned my
> friend's call, got his voice mailbox and told him that I had not 
> paddled
> with JFK Jr. but did see him paddle on several occasions and from my
> observations I felt that Kennedy's approach to paddling was "on the
> casual side." I think I mentioned my reasons (lack of wearing a PFD, 
> no
> cold-water clothing etc.) but I was quite shaken by the man's death 
> in
> what I felt was so avoidable a loss and waste of life, so am 
> uncertain
> of all that I said.
> 
> I frankly thought that my remark, which went counter to all the hype
> about the man, would put my friend off and my remark would not get 
> in as
> they would likely do a tender piece on JFK Jr.  Indeed, a lot of the
> stuff about his paddling that came out in mags and TV later had him
> being a careful person, albeit the photos of him PFD-less belie that 
> tag
> of carefulness.
> 
> So I was surprised to hear I did get quoted afterall.
> 
> I turned down the request for a on-camera interview for several 
> reasons:
> 
> 1.  The article said that I was an acquaintance of JFK Jr, which I
> certainly was not.  I had seen him a few times, said hello while 
> giving
> him his private space as we all did at the Downtown Boathouse where 
> he
> kept his kayaks.  I had only really talked with him once, at length, 
> a
> month or two before his death, and only because _he_ had approached 
> me
> since I had been pointed out as knowing something about folding 
> kayaks
> and he wanted info on some models.  So I could never with a straight
> face say I was an acquaintance.
> 
> 2.  I really don't want to speak ill of the dead and I am afraid it
> would come across as that in such a forum.  When we discussed the
> Kennedy paddling approach here on our paddling forums, I felt that 
> this
> was a sophisticated enough audience with a discerning mindset to be 
> able
> to speak frankly and constructively about the subject and keep it in
> context.  I think in a wider audience for a TV program that has a
> somewhat sensationalist slant (I think all the TV news magazines 
> have
> this flaw to one degree or another) anything I said would come over
> differently, even tacky.  In my comments to my friend's voice 
> mailbox, I
> had chosen my words with deliberation saying Kennedy's approach was
> "casual."  In retrospect, I guess I would also have been comfortable
> saying it was an "imprudent" approach to kayaking.  And it still 
> rankles
> me that photos of him in articles and TV specials that show him 
> kayaking
> depict him not wearing a PFD; they really give the wrong message 
> about
> this life pursuit we all cherish.
> 
> If I thought any good would come of such an TV appearance, I would 
> have
> gone ahead but I just didn't feel that way.  Any comments?
> 
> ralph diaz  
> -- 
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------
> Ralph Diaz . . . Folding Kayaker newsletter
> PO Box 0754, New York, NY 10024
> Tel: 212-724-5069; E-mail: rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com
> "Where's your sea kayak?"----"It's in the bag."
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------
> 

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