On Mon, 24 Jul 2006 08:49:35 -0400, "J. D. B."
wrote:

Young people see our hobby as outdated and the CW testing requirement
reinforces that. What to see a huge drop in licenses? Bring back CW
testing for all licenses and raise the speeds again. There will be
hardly any new licenses issued if someone made such a gross and stupid
error in judgement.

The drop started MANY years before CW was dropped. Want to increase
the number of hams? Eliminate cellular phones (a lot of people got on
the air to have communications in the car) and the internet - since
those are two of the prime causes of lack of interest in ham radio
today.

CW testing has nothing to do with knowing how the radio works or how it
operates.

But many of the same people who want to eliminate CW also want to
eliminate any tests that would really test for knowledge. It's not CW
they want to eliminate, it's effort. You can cheat on written tests
but, since you can't cheat much on CW (although some have), they want
it eliminated. Not just kept for one class of license. What's wrong
with code-free HF, but an additional class with, say, a 20wpm CW test?
It would have nothing to do with the number of people becoming hams.
But those who are opposed to CW testing are opposed to ALL CW testing.
Getting on the air - with the highest class license available is, to
them, their right.

It's like people who are adamantly opposed to having driver's licenses
revoked because "driving is a right".

Sorry, but getting on the public airwaves is not a right.

Besides, since the US is a democracy, the ham bands will turn into
whatever we let it turn into because the majority rules

Democracy is a form of government that protects the minority from the
excesses of the majority - the majority doesn't need protection from
itself.