Govt must be off our back

I am replying to Odo Fadloeli's letter of Aug. 10 which posed the question "Should they (Americans) be allowed to fly their own planes?"

One of the reasons America is the lone remaining global superpower is because our forefathers had the wisdom to keep the government off our backs as much as possible, and allow each individual the freedom to reach our fullest potential. This includes the right to take risks with our own lives.

Kennedy and Denver were both intelligent and thinking individuals who loved flying. (Denver was flying a plane he built himself at the time of the crash.) The training to earn your pilot license is rigorous, and a large part of that training is focused on weather and the impact of bad weather on flying a small plane. The training also emphasizes the importance of erring on the side of caution.

We have a saying among the flying fraternity: "There are 'old pilots', and there are 'bold pilots', but there are no 'old and bold' pilots." Both Kennedy and Denver knew the risks and took their chances. They died doing something they loved doing, living life to the fullest. They lived this lifestyle without government involvement in micromanaging their every move. To imply that the government should somehow intervene and "protect" these people from themselves is an anathema to the American Way of Life. It is a lesson that Indonesia might take to heart in these days of reform.

PAUL D. GIAMMALVO

Jakarta