To say "blacks cannot swim" Absolutly wrong, we had a lad from Sierra Leone, couldn't swim, but after a year of training and practice he was up to compete with the white boys, got an award for his dedication and perseverance.
I heard a story once that blacks are WORSE SWIMMERS becasue they have thicker skulls, hence the need to use more energy to keep heads above water. I thought this was the usual racist bull as was the case in a report conduted by the US goverment as to why African Americans are unsuitable ase pilots due to the ze of blood vessles in the head and difficulty in compensating for preasure differential.
Now the US stuy was bull, it pertained to the Tuskagee airmen, who have demonstarted their skill and hard work, and who I have had the honour of meeting personally.
On the other hand it has been prooven that Africans do have thicker bone structure in the skull, hence why I have seen an African fall off a Dump truck and get up and run after it and get on again, a Drop that would have felled manny of us white boys.
Why do I bring this up? Well simple really. The African needs to exert more of his energy to raise his head for a breath. Hence the limited amount of African olympic swimmers. They exell in other sports and in many factors due to enviormental and physical conditions are stronger and more hardy than us white boys. Ever seen a picture of the front line defence of an American Football team? (American Rugby for those you are un cultured) they are mostly black. They are big tough and mean and there is no way I would get between them. Just look at the latest sports ilustrated and you will see a great pic of the New York Giants pulverising a poor line man.
Now racial and physical elemts aside. I would like (in the extreme unlikly event of a ditiching in wich the before mentioned Ethiopian was involved. All cudos to the Captain, I think it has been the one and only and most sucessfull landing of a jet in history on water in given circumstances) That the crew be able to assist in a proper maner not below the standard of a life guard whilst in the water.
Race is not an issue, training is. The Captain of said flight was an African (see previous post on Africans Flying in Apartheid) Training is the key, qualified personel will make the diffrence. It doesn't happen often but once in a blue moon you will need that training, and I think in all fairness all flight deck crew should meet the same standard, after all once in the water doggy padeling around your wrecked plane you are still the Captain, the man in charge and the man who is responsible for all those who were on board.
The Captain is the end all of responsibility, he must be able to swim, load, fuel, serve tea and coffee. Becasause we all know at the end of the day the buck stops with us and we are the one's that have to sort out the Daily trials and dilemas be it due to a screw up on the ground or something going wrong in flight.
Lead By Example
