A Note from Frank Gambalie’s mom about Uhuck
Hello everyone, I am Frank Gambalie’s mom, Riccarda Mescola. I have read all the Uhuck-related postings, and I would like to say a few things about it because I know my son would say that they needed to be said. So here goes:
I object to their using Frank's name, especially because they do not even have the courtesy to spell it right.
I object to their using the anniversary of his death to draw attention to their plan. It's not right that they are using him and our misfortune as an excuse for their actions. It is too painful for those of us who love and miss him to even consider, and they did not even have the courtesy to ask us about it before they did it.
I also object to and am very upset about Frank's demo being on the Uhuck website, without permission, and I ask that they remove it immediately.
I do not want my son and his death to be their excuse to do this mass jump. I am a 60-year-old grandmother and I belong and support the ABP. Do you? The ABP is a great organization made up of knowledgeable people who have worked tirelessly behind the scenes to gain access to the parks. Much progress has been made since we lost Frank, and more is to come – and I know Frank would hate to see that progress lost because of a misguided, uninformed effort to reach goals that the ABP already achieved – especially a misguided effort done in his name! As Frank would tell me, "After all Ma, the whole point is to be able to do it again.” If he was alive, he would be a member of the ABP – and he would be proud that his “Ma” is too.
Frank was adamant about NOT burning sites, and if they all jump en masse from El Capitan, and disrupt the park the way they say they are going to, they WILL burn it, again, and not just in Yosemite but in all U.S.
national parks.
We want access that is going to last and be available to all jumpers, not just the chosen few, and the way to do that is to be responsible and level headed. That means learning how federal agencies really work and then acting accordingly. The ABP has done this and is building on this even now.
So while I applaud Uhuck’s energy, I do believe it is important to channel it positively, and therefore I hope they listen to my plea and reconsider what they are doing. Sometimes there is nothing more dangerous than an undirected rebel with a cause.
Sincerely,
Riccarda Mescola
