Mary Malmros wrote:

Show me a reasonably
parallel situation where similar events have caused "the
politicians" to "lean on" participants as a whole -- presuably with
the effect of restricting their activity -- and I will perhaps be
somewhat more inclined to believe that someone dying because he
can't do a self-rescue is going to mean the end of kayaking as we
know it.

How soon they forget...

It was only a few months ago that paddlers in CT fought off an attempt
at registration w/mandatory training that was being (thinly) disguised
as a safety measure. It would have severely curtailed retail sales and
rentals. Maine had a similar proposal that was beaten down by an email
campaign. Politicians are chomping at the bit to get their hands into
our wallets and "safety" is one issue that the general public will bite
on, if there's any significant justification to it. Fortunately, paddler
deaths are few, but it would only take one unusually bad year and we'd
probably not be able to stem the legislative tide. We are a tiny
minority and we're certainly vulnerable to the voting public forcing
regulation on us "for our own good."

--
Regards

Brian