What’s the story with this?

[jclalor 12]

https://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/community/dallas/article214794310.html

[gowlerk 1,911]

It just popped up in my FB feed as well.

Always remember the brave children who died defending your right to bear arms. Freedom is not free.

[grimmie 173]

Pretty pathetic, and giving our sport a pretty big black eye.

I have known Hank for a long time. It's pretty unreal to me that he is doing this.

[RonD1120 58]

jclalor

https://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/community/dallas/article214794310.html

As a former tandem instructor, I agree with Hank Schraeder. His reasoning is self-explanatory.

Look for the shiny things of God revealed by the Holy Spirit. They only last for an instant but it is a Holy Instant. Let your soul absorb them.

[Bob_Church 7]

jclalor

https://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/community/dallas/article214794310.html

What if this goes Starbucks on us and every DZ in the country has to somehow defend itself as not having the same policies?Suddenly wearing a skydiving shirt down the street gets you pelted with rocks heaved by college students and attacked by people for separating children.

[grimmie 173]

And how many people will boycott all of the other Texas DZs, thinking they are the same one?

[Bob_Church 7]

grimmie

And how many people will boycott all of the other Texas DZs, thinking they are the same one?

Yep. On the internet nobody knows when you're talking out of your ass. We've created the ultimate "punish them all!!" machine.

[gowlerk 1,911]

grimmie

And how many people will boycott all of the other Texas DZs, thinking they are the same one?

Yes, it will give the skydiving community somewhat of a black eye. But most people will be able to understand that this is one man talking. Unless of course they come here and check out RonD and whoever else agrees with him. We all know plenty of racist skydivers and a couple of DZOs as well. The skydiving community is mostly white and reflects all kinds of mostly white viewpoints. Meaning there is a small but significant percentage of racists.

Always remember the brave children who died defending your right to bear arms. Freedom is not free.

[jclalor 12]

grimmie

Pretty pathetic, and giving our sport a pretty big black eye.

I have known Hank for a long time. It's pretty unreal to me that he is doing this.

I saw a picture of him Holding a Trump sign and a sign below it that said “No Wetbacks”. I couldn’t downloaded it.

[jclalor 12]

RonD1120

***
https://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/community/dallas/article214794310.html

As a former tandem instructor, I agree with Hank Schraeder. His reasoning is self-explanatory.

It’s kind of funny, the whiter, blonder and thinner a non-English speaking tandem passenger is, the requirement to speak English seems to vanish like a fart in the wind.

[ryoder 1,382]

jclalor

***Pretty pathetic, and giving our sport a pretty big black eye.

I have known Hank for a long time. It's pretty unreal to me that he is doing this.

I saw a picture of him Holding a Trump sign and a sign below it that said “No Wetbacks”. I couldn’t downloaded it.

See attached.

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

[wmw999 2,121]

I know him from old-fart events. He’s a nice guy. Obviously I disagree with him on this (not that he would have consulted me even if I were at his DZ) but it does sound like he’s willing to risk his business for what he thinks is important.

It’s a pretty good example of how someone can be both nice and diametrically opposed on some issues.

Wendy P.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[faulknerwn 36]

I have never met him but my question to you was he nice to people who did not have white skin?

We have had people from all over the planet who did not speak great English. Using translators in their group or translation apps on your phone it is easy to communicate these days. Heck I have not been there but from what I understand half of the people at the dropzones in Hawaii are Japanese tourists. Especially with modern technology it is easier than ever to communicate.

Our first group this morning was a black-skinned family of 4. The organizer was a male who is in the US military. He talked to his family in a language I have no idea what it was because it was not one I recognized. They understood enough English and were super sweet and wonderful and the type of customers we would love to have come back.

I have jumped in Japan and Brazil and Spain and elsewhere - should I have not been allowed to jump in Japan because my Japanese was fairly limited to hello and goodbye and thank you?

I truly think most people who think like this have never spent much or any time overseas. I love nothing more.

[Bob_Church 7]

At the World Meet in 1981 I did a lot of eight ways where the only other English speaker was Nancy Dwyer. Planning the jumps got really interesting but great fun.
It added another level of stuff to work out.
We did a LOT of drawing in the dirt with sticks.

[wmw999 2,121]

We were at skydiving events (POPS 10 years ago, SOS the last two). Not a lot of minorities... but he wasn’t all about politics in casual conversation. It just didn’t come up.

I grew up in another country; my family has sponsored multiple refugee families in the past. I am incredibly enriched by both of these. But I’ll admit it’s not the absolute first thing I talk about with people (comes from being a liberal in a Houston suburb all those years)

Wendy P.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[Westerly 61]

wmw999

Obviously I disagree with him on this (not that he would have consulted me even if I were at his DZ) but it does sound like he’s willing to risk his business for what he thinks is important.

Which in this case seems to be the right to be racist. Not exactly a noble cause... Whatever. It's his grave. He can dig it with an excavator on speed if he wants to.

[faulknerwn 36]

15 years ago I was over in Tokyo on business and I went with a girl from the office to the skydiving center. We hung out all day Saturday because the winds were too high and I showed them CRW videos, and we had fun. Very few people spoke English. At the end of the day my friend from work headed back to Tokyo but I ended up crashing on the floor of the hanger with the rest of them. We went out to dinner and after observing my very pitiful abilities with chopsticks someone managed to find me the only fork probably within a 100 mile area for which I was very thankful :-)

We went back, drank beer, played cards - which I just had to figure out the rules. There was one guy in the group who was telling stories and who was clearly the comedian of the group. I don't have the faintest idea what he was talking about but he was clearly hilarious and I was laughing so much with everyone that someone even asked if I spoke Japanese. Nope he is just funny :-) Understanding the language is highly overrated!

[tkhayes 125]

if you go to their home page and scroll down, you can actually leave google reviews - they appear to have disabled the facebook ones.

[wolfriverjoe 1,340]

tkhayes

if you go to their home page and scroll down, you can actually leave google reviews - they appear to have disabled the facebook ones.

Just out of curiosity, would you think it's appropriate for people who have not jumped there to leave a review?

"There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy

"~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

[gowlerk 1,911]

wolfriverjoe

***if you go to their home page and scroll down, you can actually leave google reviews - they appear to have disabled the facebook ones.

Just out of curiosity, would you think it's appropriate for people who have not jumped there to leave a review?

Exactly. Be careful what you wish for.

Always remember the brave children who died defending your right to bear arms. Freedom is not free.