Jump to content

Geocaching May Be Outlawed In South Carolina


wkhaz

Recommended Posts

I've set up an email account to collect your emails in support of geocaching in South Caroline and why you don't want to see this bill passed.

 

Send them to isupportcachinginsc@sc.rr.com

 

Beyond being presented to the legislature and those fighting this, your email addresses will not be shared with anyone, nor will you receive any coorspondence from us. If you would like to receive updates sign up for the SCGA mailing list found here. It's doulbe opt-in and easy to remove yourself later if you so choose.

 

Thank you in advance for your support.

Link to comment

I am wondering what happened to get the attention of the state leg. in the first place. I could see if a cache was placed in a historical sight and the increaded foot traffic or car traffic if people are tring to drive or 4 wheel to get closer to the waypoints are messing up the natural historical beauty of the said park or cemitary or Archelogical site what ever may raise a few unhappy eyebrows. Geocaching is suppose to be suttle and non destructive not to mention kind of secretive. I know I played the I'm on the phone bit when muggles have passed by a few times. Anyway I am wondering what insident happened to start this snow ball because you know they didn't just one day go those bad geocachers need to be stopped. HMMM :o

Link to comment

Since some of the local geocachers near me have...um...more time on their hands, they have created a....um....very good piece of writing! :lol:

Cemeteries are public places.  They are intended to be that way to allow the living to walk among the dead and to honour them by remembering.  Visiting a cemetery and feeling comfortable there takes away the stigma and fear of death, especially in young people.  In addition, it gives a sense of heritage and continuation, rather than the idea that people are gone and forgotten.

 

 

In North America, we have developed a much more prudish attitude to death than that found in the rest of the world.  We tend to mystify a process that is natural and inevitable for all. In the past people would take picnic lunches and spend the day touring a cemetery. Cemeteries used to be popular attractions where 'tourists' would visit the graves of the famous. In Europe for example, people often visit cemeteries as a family.  Children play amongst the headstones because they are comfortable there, not terrified of the dead.  If we follow the arguments put forward by the South Carolina legislators, the great churches and cemeteries of Europe, including those where soldiers who fought for our freedom are buried, should be policed and banned to those who might not behave as the legislators think that they should.

 

 

Desecration of cemeteries occurs all too frequently around the world.  This destruction and vandalism is the work of hate groups and mindless vandals, not ordinary people like geocachers.  It is hate and destruction that should be targeted by legislators and law enforcement, not hobbyists who, on the whole, choose cache locations with the intent of introducing others to an area of historical or natural interest, as a way to preserve it.

 

 

There will always be people who are disrespectful of public places, be that parks, cemeteries or historic monuments.  This includes some geocachers.  However, the majority of geocachers, as with the majority of people, understand the significance of these places and treat them with the respect that they should.  It is not in geocaching’s interest to damage property or to alienate non-geocachers.  There are strict rules that govern the placing and finding of geocaches.  The majority of the participants of this world-wide sport, follow these rules.  Many geocachers participate in the activity as a family.  This is an opportunity for children to learn to respect others’ property and to gain an understanding of the world around them-the interesting and beautiful places on our planet.

 

 

It is an over-reaction to attempt to legislate respect.  Openness and discussion is the way to highlight appropriate respect for public places.  This is not just about geocaching and cemeteries.  It is about educating people in general to think of others when they act.  The attitude that the South Carolina legislators are trying to stamp out in this heavy-handed manner is the same attitude held by people who litter and pollute.  There are better, more benign and comprehensive ways than fines and jail terms to increase awareness and to improve behaviour.

 

 

In England geocaches have led us to discover a Saxon church from 800AD with the grave of Crusader dating from the 1200's in the Churchyard, and nearby the memorial to the World War II deaths in the parish from bombing raids. We have been to the Minster at Ashingdon, where King Canute seized the throne of England and a Viking longboat still hangs from the ceiling in remembrance. One geocache brought us to a simple country church and a beautiful angel carved in a pale stone, the memorial to a little girl long forgotten....

 

 

One of the best things geocaching has done is to introduce wonderful places, historical or natural, to other people. These places, especially the abandoned ones are not being desecrated when they're visited by geocachers - they are being promoted, shared, and appreciated! We're disappointed by the attitude displayed by Jonathan Leader, the state archaeologist for South Carolina,  and legislator Catherine Ceips,  that having people visit somewhere, or one particular activity among many is intrinsically bad and must be banned.

 

 

Good hunting everyone,

 

Enjoy (or whatever)

Link to comment

At the risk of repeating what I may have missed in another post, I mention the missing persons case (missing for 12 years) that was solved by geocachers in SC in 2004. Although not the desired ending, cachers were directly responsible for providing closure for a grieving family. The logs (and links) speak for themselves. An extreme example of a positive result of geocaching.

 

The Cliffs of Cache

Link to comment
At the risk of repeating what I may have missed in another post, I mention the missing persons case (missing for 12 years) that was solved by geocachers in SC in 2004. Although not the desired ending, cachers were directly responsible for providing closure for a grieving family. The logs (and links) speak for themselves. An extreme example of a positive result of geocaching.

 

The Cliffs of Cache

The logs they are reffering to are:

Last Log

Log with Newspaper article

Link to comment

Desecration of cemeteries occurs all too frequently around the world.  This destruction and vandalism is the work of hate groups and mindless vandals, not ordinary people like geocachers.  It is hate and destruction that should be targeted by legislators and law enforcement, not hobbyists who, on the whole, choose cache locations with the intent of introducing others to an area of historical or natural interest, as a way to preserve it.

 

There are also plenty of other ties between tourism and cemetaries. You can find cemetary tours everywhere. Why is that traffic thru the cemetaries ok yet the geocacher traffic isn't?

 

The bottom line is that this legislation deems that Geocachers as a whole are LESS responsible than the general public. This mean YOU! It does not matter if you are in SC, PA, CA, or anywhere else in the world. THIS MEANS YOU! YOU are irresponsible and insensitive to the needs of others and you need to play games in your OWN backyard. I have been to many geocaching meetings and met hundreds of fellow cachers and I strongly judge the character of those I have met to be far superior to those of a ramdom sample of the public. I have felt a benovolence at these incounters that I can only compare to a church meeting or a boy scout event...ooops on second thought, remembering my scouting days, I'd better scratch that last one. BUT GUESS WHAT...the scouts will be welcome, just not YOU and your GPSr! :unsure:

Link to comment

Okay confession time. I have no idea who my House or Senate representatives are in SC. I don't know which district I live in either. Now seems like a perfect time for a Civics lesson. Once I figure all this out I will write a letter expressing my concerns. Can anyone point me in the right direction?

Link to comment
Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
×
×
  • Create New...