Dumbing it down cheapened the license, making being a radio amateur
nothing special. No wonder they leaving.
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Why should anybody be 'special' for being a radio amateur .
AR is for most of us just a hobby ....a hobby involving lifelong
learning on a huge range of radio communications related topics.
It is a hobby for anybody interested in 'Communicating' by radio,
whatever the level of past education.

Sadly a number of AR licensees see the hobby as one reserved for the
'elite' and look down upon those with ,what they consider, a lower level
,even inferior , license.
I fail to understand why superior skills in receiving and or
transmitting Morse telegraphy would make anybody a better Ham
,considering the other aspects of the hobby ,like emergency comms
(mostly without Morse telegraphy), satellite comms , propagation study
,digital modes and ......homebrewing ,just to name a few.

The above referred elitist's attitude towards the hobby is not just
apparent in the USA but also in Britain and many other European
countries.

Frank GM0CSZ / KN6WH