Mark Little wrote:

"Dave Heil" wrote in message
...
snip
The idea that non-amateurs "not understanding" amateur radio is false
and little more than an attempt at rationalization of their own
ignorance.

The idea that one who has no experience in using amateur radio has no
real feel for amateur radio is no falsehood.

Nonsense. There is nothing in life that is so insular that one cannot get a
"real feel" of it by doing similar things.

Nonsense, yourself. There are plenty of activities which might have
some outward similarities to other things but which are actually quite
different. Hunting with a shotgun is quite different than hunting with
a rifle. Even the aiming technique is very different. Driving the
family sedan on the roads and highways doesn't give one the feel for
Formula One racing. Being a Television station engineer doesn't impart
a feel for how to chase a weak one on 160m.

I've worked in commercial/scientific radio communications as well as being
an Amateur and there is a great deal of similarity between the operations -
there are licences,

How tough was the studying for a license for which there is no exam? ;-)

there are regulations,

The regs aren't very much alike, are they? In fact, such point-to-point
channelized communications can only be compared to amateur VHF/UHF FM
operation.

there are serious conversations,
there are "rag chew" conversations, there is problem solving and information
exchange. These is even a "siblinghood" (is that the PC equivalent of
"brotherhood"? ;-) ) amongest the operators.

What exactly are you suggesting is so different in AR that it is completely
alien from any other activity?

Oh, I can't think of a thing, Mark. Let's allow an artillery officer
who has never hunted game, decide best how game hunting should be
regulated.

Ignorance would be to
assume that because one has experience in another service, that all of
his experience in that service directly transfers to amateur radio.

This is more accurate as there are some subtle differences between even very
similar activities.

You can bet there are and if you've read many of Leonard H. Anderson's
posts over the years, you'll find that he doesn't see them.

Dave K8MN