Arnie Macy wrote:


This EMA Director won't. I have already incorporated CW in my Emergency
Management Plans. It's a great tool to have (in conjunction with the other
available communications modes). I actually feel sorry for those in EMA,
and Amateur Radio, that discount it. We put it to great use during
Hurricane Floyd in 1999, and I'm sure we'll use it again in the future.

And your response comes because you are a ham and support CW and
you just can't stand the thought that CW may not save the world
someday. Go talk to your local emergency officials about how you
can save the world because you can use CW and see how much
importance they put on you views. So you put it to use in 1999
during Hurricane Floyd. Why? Was it the only means of
communications that could get through? I seriously doubt it. I am
not arguing the fact you used CW, just don't tout it as the end
all to communications during the Hurricane.

Your 40 years as a Ham apparently haven't taught you very much. It's always
better to leave Emergency Management Planning to the professionals. You
just proved it.

It has taught me that I have never had to use CW as the only means
of communication during any emergency, and that includes
disastrous tornados, hurricanes, floods, and earthquakes. It has
taught me that CW is an antiquated mode and I am not silly enough
to think it will be some ham nut like Dick, Larry or you that will
save the world from disaster with your little code key. I am not
anti CW, just anti those who claim that it will be the savior of
the world and anyone who doesn't use code isn't as good a ham as
Larry, Dick, and others (you too I guess). I have known many hams
that never operated CW after upgrading from Novice, and they would
put Larry and Dick to shame as far as being "real" hams.
Look into the future and you see Larry's skeleton sitting at his
rig, hand on the code key still waiting to say the world with is
CW skills. It isn't going to happen.