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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Having been in the SCA since 1987 (no big deal, I
know), I've been to several wars and archery events.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I'm authorized as an archer, and I'm authorized as
a heavy fighter. I live in the kingdom of Atlantia.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Am I concerned about being hit in the face with the
tail end of an arrow? </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Less so than I am concerned about getting stabbed
in the face with a branch in any woods battle. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Is such an injury likely to hurt?
Yes.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Is such an injury LIKELY to cause permanent
damage? No more so than any other combat related injury.
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>If you read your medical information, you'll
discover that the eye itself is actually basically as tough as any other body
part. It's the area AROUND the eye that is more sensitive to pain.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I note that the SCA itself doesn't seem to concern
itself with the potential for non-permanent injury in any other area that I'm
aware of; helms in Atlantia that would fail in Meridies pass all the time,
because Meridies doesn't want the underside area of the chin to be able to be
touched, and Atlantia doesn't mind it because Atlantia uses SCA minimum
standards.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>In my opinion, if the SCA chooses to legislate the
chance of being shot with an arrow, they should also require the marshalls at
every woods battle to walk around in the woods and cut off any branch that has a
chance of sticking a heavy fighter in the eye. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Hopefully that will put this in
perspective.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>My opinion: let those that want to protect
their eyes, protect their eyes. But trying to legislate this is just like
trying to bet on the odds of being attacked by a shark at the beach, which are
lower than the chances of dying in a car accident on the WAY to the beach.
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>You can bet on it. But odds are, nothing
will happen. And not getting in the water (protecting eyes with extra
equipment) doesn't mean there was a shark out there (an arrow would have hit
anybody anyway).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Regards,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Jonathan Blackbow</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>SCA #90487</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>