CRIKEY! MATES!
I loved Irwin's shows and was always immensely entertained by them.
I never said Irwin deserved to die. I merely said that in the case where people take risks that are inherently
dangerous and are of no particular necessity other than "showing off", that should they be injured or killed that
calling it an "accident" seems to me to be innacurate, notwithstanding Webster's definition. Here's an
example: I saw a program where a fool jumped out of an airplane without a parachute, then glided to
another skydiver who had a parachute, and hooked up with him to come down. If he had died as a result of
the stunt, I would not consider his demise to be an "accident", but rather the unpleasant result of unnecesary risk taking.
As far as the ray being buried in the sand, that by no means means that Irwin was unaware of its presence.
See above in LeeAnnes post the comments by Mike Keating who observed the film footage of Irwins death:
"There is no evidence that Mr. Irwin was intimidating or threatening the stingray, my advice is that
he
was observing the stingray," he said. (Italics mine).
Also notwithstanding the personal attack on me for simply having an opinion ("keep your unpleasant observations to yourself."), please note that while we may disagree, I have not attacked anyone else. Perhaps I am mistaken in my understanding that I have the right to express my opinion as much as anyone else.
Ineresting slant on the subject by Mark Washburn in the Charlotte Observer. Please read:
http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/15477205.htmI guess everyone is entitled to their own stupid opinion, including me.... I stand by my original post, and you all have the right to express a different opinion. I wish that everyone could do so without getting personal.
Sorry about the link above, I forgot you have to sign up with the Obsrever to see its content. Here is Washburn's article:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted on Sat, Sep. 09, 2006
TV/RADIO
Something in his nature doomed the croc man
Irwin made a living taunting death, and for what?
MARK WASHBURN
Something in his nature
doomed the croc man Irwin made a living taunting death, and for what?
But.
Listen, Steve Irwin was someone all of us mammals could look up to, a real stand-up guy.
But.
His freak death was a shocker, killed by a stingray Monday while doing a documentary on the Great Barrier Reef.
But.
Stout and intrepid, gutsy and bold, Irwin was a terrific entertainer with a personality big as the Australian Outback.
But.
Irwin pushed it too far.
Nobody seems to want to say it, but Irwin's demise was not -- quotes in this newspaper to the contrary -- a one-in-a-million fluke.
Irwin's death was the result of taking a featherbrained risk for the camera, an impromptu stunt that ended just like you'd expect it to.
From a bridge in the Florida Keys, I once saw a ray drift past. It's a vivid memory of an animal the circumference of a Volkswagen Beetle gliding by with elegant grace.
And in that beautiful moment, every cell in my body barked at the brain: You Do Not Want to Mess With That Thing.
Irwin made a living overriding that survival instinct. It was part of his considerable charm, that swaggering sense of immortality cloaking him as he'd wade into a crocodile pit and pick out an ugly specimen.
Never mind the jaws that could crush an auto bumper, the tails that could knock bricks out of a wall. It was all "Lookee here mate," and that prehistoric bundle of big muscle and bad mood was a toy in his grasp.
Irwin, who once demonstrated his pluck by holding his infant son while feeding a nest of crocs, seems to have been pushing the limit of luck for a long time.
Stingrays are a reclusive clan as a rule, content to brood in solitary, but swimming over top of one begs an unpleasant surprise for all concerned.
"Cameras can kill" is the warning label I'd recommend for the video industry. Hot-dogging for ratings isn't the exclusive province of the intrepid Irwin.
Evel Knievel used to sacrifice life and limb for the greater glory of "ABC Wide World of Sports."
ABC has never offered a cogent explanation of why anchor Bob Woodruff was standing up with his photographer in the back of an armored vehicle in one of the most dangerous zones in Iraq, a decision that nearly cost both of them their lives when a roadside bomb went off.
And then there's the storm troupers, perfectly respectable, intelligent people who become morons with microphones when presented with the opportunity to stand up in front of a camera during a hurricane.
As stop signs spin through the air looking for a decapitation opportunity, with coconuts moving at the velocity of cannonballs, they brace against the wind and rain and do their silly thing.
This must stop. Somebody's going to get killed under the fictional umbrella of public service.
"I really cannot stress this strongly enough," the Weather Channel's Jim Cantore implored the residents of greater Wilmington as Tropical Storm Ernesto bore down last week.
"Do not venture out."
He offered this sage advice outside in lashing rain and 70 mph winds.
Listen, Cantore is the gold standard of meteorologists, a real standup guy.
But.
Mark
Washburn
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mark Washburn: 704-358-5007;
mwashburn@charlotteobserver.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
© 2006 Charlotte Observer and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.charlotte.com 
