Remember when we found these pictures online of a guy Para-gliding off East Rock?
This subject of hang-gliding is a fascinating one, because while on the one hand it seems to indicate that humanity as a species is ready to take to the air, on the other it seems equally obvious to our litigious society that the inherent risks might make city lawyers uneasy, to say the least.
If only all daredevils and stuntsmen (*and women) could take an oath, which stated, "If I get hurt it's my own damned fault," then nobody but the person with the parachute would be responsible for the landing, correct? Seeing as municipalities might want to pre-emptively protect themselves against litigation, new ways of flying, such as paragliding off East Rock, seem as though they will inevitably become part of the social experiences of the future, as many "extreme" sports have.
Therefore, is it better to simply deny a human's ability to push his limits because another individual would not trust his or her own abilities to do the same? Certainly not, and in that way, the laws of man and the laws of nature continue to be at odds; one, extending our abilities outward beyond their limits, and the other to set parameters which keep that growth in check.
Now, a new song commemorates the experience in a few simple bars. In the key of B flat, it's likely that for generation this song will be sung among the locals, also in a few simple bars.
