[Vision2020] Boxing and liability

DonaldH675@aol.com DonaldH675@aol.com
Tue, 4 Mar 2003 19:03:04 EST


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Dear Nate and interested Vision 20/20 readers,
Thank you for your prompt response to some of my questions.  I understand 
that you have not claimed that the BBC holds membership in the BUSA. The 
fights that were conducted last Friday night would never have been allowed by 
BUSA, as we both know.  If Mr. Browning, your coach, trainer, and promoter, 
has decades of experience in boxing he should be well acquainted with the 
requirements and parameters of a genuine boxing (not fighting) match.  The 
fact that he chose to ignore the safety rules required by    BUSA, both in 
training and matches, which protect boxers and lower injury risk is more than 
a slight lapse in judgment.  He certainly was/is not prevented from adopting 
them even if he is not a registered BUSA member.  Perhaps he was so swayed by 
you and your pals' fighting fantasies that mature and reasoned caution was 
tossed to the winds. Despite your/his claim that he has decades of boxing 
experience, in my opinion he seems to be a coach/trainer/promoter that you 
should be very careful of relying on. I have decades of eating behind me 
(literally) but my fat bum does not make me a gourmet - nor to I anticipate 
that any 4 star restaurants will be applying to me for help in menu 
development.
Your official fight record, Nate, should not be your primary concern.  Safety 
and liability however, should be.  Do you realize that if the parents of an 
injured participant decided to sue the Bonhom Boxing Club, coach, adult 
organizers, etc., and won the suit, there would be far reaching consequences? 
 A good personal injury lawyer, and there are many, would have you guys for 
lunch.  I have been told by informed and knowledgeable professionals that 
liability extends to the place where the boxing matches are held - good bye 
Logos Field House and Logos School, personal assets of officials, (hope your 
ring-side physician, referee, time-keeper and seconds are also well insured), 
personal assets of the officers of the Boxing Club, the owners of the rental 
space where you practice fighting, and any individual or business linked in 
even a remote way to the to the fights.  Perhaps you think that you are 
immune from the possibility of such a suit because Bonhom fighters are drawn 
largely (apparently) from your faith community and private school.  I am told 
that these considerations become superficial in a hurry when injuries have 
long term financial or physical impacts on the life of a young fighter and 
his family.  
You have been put on public notice that there is an official, recognized 
difference between boxing and fighting. You have been made aware of how to 
connect your desire to learn the art of boxing with the appropriate, 
nationally sanctioned way to do so.  (If boxing, not fighting is what you 
really want to learn.)  It seems as though your longing to hit (and be hit) 
by others (while also having the boys and young men in your group hit and be 
hit) has superseded an intelligent approach to meeting this goal.  If you 
lack the funds at this point to act on the dream of an officially sanctioned 
amateur boxing club, how about holding some car washes or bake sales?  Why 
hesitate to join a bona fide boxing organization like BUSA that will provide 
authentic, experienced training and development support?  Is it outlandish to 
suggest that the BBC work on the concept of delayed gratification until these 
issues can be addressed?  Or, is the prospect of another "hilarious night of 
fun" where you get beaten up, and children, who rely on the reasoned judgment 
of their parents and trusted adult authority figures, either beat or get 
beaten up, just to pleasurable to delay?  You are right.  I will not attend 
any fights put on by the Bonhom Club.  But that does not mean that I do not 
recognize the right of adults (not minors) to beat each others brains out, if 
that's what they want to do.  
Rosemary Huskey

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<HTML><FONT FACE=3Darial,helvetica><FONT  SIZE=3D2 FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" FACE=
=3D"Arial" LANG=3D"0">Dear Nate and interested Vision 20/20 readers,<BR>
Thank you for your prompt response to some of my questions.&nbsp; I understa=
nd that you have not claimed that the BBC holds membership in the BUSA. The=20=
fights that were conducted last Friday night would never have been allowed b=
y BUSA, as we both know.&nbsp; If Mr. Browning, your coach, trainer, and pro=
moter, has decades of experience in boxing he should be well acquainted with=
 the requirements and parameters of a genuine boxing (not fighting) match.&n=
bsp; The fact that he chose to ignore the safety rules required by&nbsp;&nbs=
p;&nbsp; BUSA, both in training and matches, which protect boxers and lower=20=
injury risk is more than a slight lapse in judgment.&nbsp; He certainly was/=
is not prevented from adopting them even if he is not a registered BUSA memb=
er.&nbsp; Perhaps he was so swayed by you and your pals' fighting fantasies=20=
that mature and reasoned caution was tossed to the winds. Despite your/his c=
laim that he has decades of boxing experience, in my opinion he seems to be=20=
a coach/trainer/promoter that you should be very careful of relying on. I ha=
ve decades of eating behind me (literally) but my fat bum does not make me a=
 gourmet - nor to I anticipate that any 4 star restaurants will be applying=20=
to me for help in menu development.<BR>
Your official fight record, Nate, should not be your primary concern.&nbsp;=20=
Safety and liability however, should be.&nbsp; Do you realize that if the pa=
rents of an injured participant decided to sue the Bonhom Boxing Club, coach=
, adult organizers, etc., and won the suit, there would be far reaching cons=
equences?&nbsp; A good personal injury lawyer, and there are many, would hav=
e you guys for lunch.&nbsp; I have been told by informed and knowledgeable p=
rofessionals that liability extends to the place where the boxing matches ar=
e held - good bye Logos Field House and Logos School, personal assets of off=
icials, (hope your ring-side physician, referee, time-keeper and seconds are=
 also well insured), personal assets of the officers of the Boxing Club, the=
 owners of the rental space where you practice fighting, and any individual=20=
or business linked in even a remote way to the to the fights.&nbsp; Perhaps=20=
you think that you are immune from the possibility of such a suit because Bo=
nhom fighters are drawn largely (apparently) from your faith community and p=
rivate school.&nbsp; I am told that these considerations become superficial=20=
in a hurry when injuries have long term financial or physical impacts on the=
 life of a young fighter and his family.&nbsp; <BR>
You have been put on public notice that there is an official, recognized dif=
ference between boxing and fighting. You have been made aware of how to conn=
ect your desire to learn the art of boxing with the appropriate, nationally=20=
sanctioned way to do so.&nbsp; (If boxing, not fighting is what you really w=
ant to learn.)&nbsp; It seems as though your longing to hit (and be hit) by=20=
others (while also having the boys and young men in your group hit and be hi=
t) has superseded an intelligent approach to meeting this goal.&nbsp; If you=
 lack the funds at this point to act on the dream of an officially sanctione=
d amateur boxing club, how about holding some car washes or bake sales?&nbsp=
; Why hesitate to join a bona fide boxing organization like BUSA that will p=
rovide authentic, experienced training and development support?&nbsp; Is it=20=
outlandish to suggest that the BBC work on the concept of delayed gratificat=
ion until these issues can be addressed?&nbsp; Or, is the prospect of anothe=
r "hilarious night of fun" where you get beaten up, and children, who rely o=
n the reasoned judgment of their parents and trusted adult authority figures=
, either beat or get beaten up, just to pleasurable to delay?&nbsp; You are=20=
right.&nbsp; I will not attend any fights put on by the Bonhom Club.&nbsp; B=
ut that does not mean that I do not recognize the right of adults (not minor=
s) to beat each others brains out, if that's what they want to do.&nbsp; <BR=
>
Rosemary Huskey<BR>
</FONT></HTML>
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