The Apology

On Sunday, November 1, 2020 at 10:31:14 PM UTC-5, Kenn Sebesta wrote:
I can't help but be saddened by this thread. RAS has developed a reputation for general toxicity, and this outdated masculine toxicity on display furthers the impression.

It is extremely disturbing that B. Youngblood is exposing the next generation of glider pilots to this attitude. The program directors at his club might want to sit him down for a real-life intervention, so that he can understand how extremely harmful this is to the future of our sport. Certainly donating time, energy, and money counts for something, but it smacks of a Harvey Weinstein defense to say that these past contributions justify the ongoing damage.

Excellent points have been made by so many other posters, and I don't want to repeat them in detail. One sticks out, however, and that's, "As a pilot, always being willing to learn something is paramont[sic] to safety, no matter what your experience." Truer words have not been spoken.

Consider what it means to be flying in the vicinity of someone who is so hidebound on not progressing and so stubborn in their world-view. The reckless attitude toward others we are witnessing here on the ground is certainly the same attitude carried into the air. In an emergency, will these pilots second-guess a woman? In an ADM capacity, will they disregard safety advice if it's not delivered by an older white male? If they physically hurt someone through their ignorance, will they take any more responsibility for it than they are for the emotional pain they are causing here and now?

If you are in a club with any of these men, please reach out to your club officers and fellow members so that you can stage interventions-- sometimes it's only in person that aggressors can understand how badly they've hurt others. It is crucially important that we come together as a community to stamp this out before it does any more harm. It's far more widespread than I think any of us realized. I hope the SSA can work with the WSAP to devote future articles to tackling this subject head-on.

A big shout-out to those who have consistently and eloquently pressed the point that accidental and intentional degradation of women is wholly unacceptable. Keep up the good fight.
Kenn, it would be my pleasure to have you to represent the soaring community for your much wanted intervention. Opportunities like this present themselves too infrequently, only then can you get someone to open their ears, and shut their mouth. Enlightening the most intelligent and delusional can be accomplished, I promise to fulfill that opportunity. As you made reference to the post that you were always willing to learn , you will not be disappointed.
Please book the flight ASAP, I will pay for the trip down. Bob