Oahu Tournament Commentary
Since '99, Hawaii Disc Golf has made extra efforts to sponsor holes for PDGA events and participate, and we contacted the PDGA and the PDGA State Rep(Alan Schwartz) regarding acquiring info and participating in the first ever Oahu PDGA event(jan2005), but again communication was lacking from them. Other Reps/TD's promoting their "tour"and events on their behalf made public announcements that I/HDG had been "censured" by the PDGA for 2 or so years, and therefore I/HDG was to be publicly shunned and excluded from participation. The PDGA reassured me that I/HDG had not EVER been censured, but then they clearly instructed us that we had to get the tour info from the very people who were making the false claims and refusing to cooperate. Hawaii Disc Golf was stuck in the PDGA's and it's numerous Rep's discriminating and non-cooperative limbo.....as we tried to participate, promote and ca$h sponsor a hole.
We have been asking for information about local events since 99, and as we did for the first few previous, we would have happily attended and promoted the PDGA events over the last 2 plus years had we just been notified or communicated with regarding such. Maybe soon, they will publicly cooperate and communicate with the organization from whom they took their original name(Hawaii Disc Golf Association), instead of acting like we do not exist, or that we do not wish to cooperate, communicate or participate. It would also be really cool of them to acknowledge our simple non-partisan sponsoring position that we have clearly been stating since our creation, as opposed to re-presenting us via their own various webpages, forums and announcements that we are only BigIsland oriented and refusing to cooperate with them.
We do know "a little" in regards to discrimination from DG participation and personal sacrifice, since back in the late 80's or early 90's I was discriminated against participating with a "black man(ooooooohhhhh)" as my doubles partner in a DG event. I was not the one being directly discriminated against then, like I and HDG are now, though I was not allowed to participate with one of the most "HONORABLE and GENTLE" human beings I know. Therefore on behalf of the fledgling sport and it's innocent Membership, and because my "GRACIOUS" partner was not pressing the issue himself, I and my partner quietly sacrificed for the sport and sat out that weekend. He was not even allowed to step foot on the "country club's" private property.....and I and HDG have been experiencing very similar here on "public" and private property. One weekend of sacrifice is one thing, 5 years of personal sacrifice is something very different.
Open and publicised cooperation and communication has been our repeatedly stated position, purpose and goal since loooooong before'99, and we cannot understand what someone's stated position would be as to why they are still re-presenting us in an opposing light. Because of our experience, the only reasons we can remotely fathom for discriminating against someone would pertain to the percieved ignorance of PDGA rules and/or governmental law by them.
The PDGA is not an "exclusive" club or organization, it is an "inclusive" club/organization. As I have explained previously and openly, "Neither the sport nor PDGA Membership can afford to discriminate or exclude anyone based on personal ideaologies, positions or beliefs relating to ANYTHING, so long as the entity in question is adhereing to PDGA Rules and local law. The PDGA can only accept so much responsibility on behalf of it's individual Members' acts , while it's Adminstrators have an extra responsibility to conduct themsleves and events properly as our self proclaimed guides, leaders, and Official PDGA Representatives."
We believe "one" reason for the Rules and foundation of the PDGA is to discourage discrimination based on personal biases, making it fair for all. We in no way believe the PDGA and/or Rules were established to promote or encourage exclusion, or to reward purposeful rules violations, based on vaguely defined or non-supported official public rules that create and promote discriminating inequities; and we have since our first Hawaii PDGA event openly fought against this local 20+ year non-PDGA promotional position.
We never wanted to have others be or feel forced into accepting Hawaii Disc Golf's purpose in promotion and support of "Professional DG" in Hawaii, knowing that the best way to accomplish new and solid growth was by a whole group effort and teamwork, and allowing others to present and be responsible for their own actual histories and stated positions. The discussion forum was an excellent attempt at facilitating this, until some actual history was removed and censorship was enforced according to someone's unknown and vaguely defined personal standards. Through our experience, we know force cannot be used, and so we still patiently wait for them to support us as we continue to support them in helping the local DG community. "Many hands make a big job small."
In what we believe to be the TRUE SPIRIT of the PDGA and "Steady Ed", we keep inviting all to communicate and participate, and we will of course continue to advocate for and promote that!
Congratulations AGAIN to Oahu for running such an exclusive and discriminating PDGA event, and maybe soon they can grasp and promote what our goals and intentions really are and have been, whereby they could then clearly demonstrate such acts themselves!
Ahhhhhh, the pitter-patter-putter of Hawaii's little feats growin'!
"And with thy Spirit, let us play!"©
Bobby Garner
PDGA #5714
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