On Thu, 28 Aug 2003 23:14:02 GMT, Dwight Stewart wrote:

The Amateur Radio Service does not exist, nor has it ever existed, in a
vacuum. At least two of our reasons for existing (pool of trained operators
and emergency service) lies with those other radio services - radio services
outside Ham Radio. Therefore, our rules and regulations must reflect the
needs of those other radio services. At one time, those needs included code.
That is no longer true. Code testing was once needed. That is no longer
true.

At one time (admittedly in ancient times) the Navy station that you
were interfering with could/would come onto your frequency and order
you in Morse Code to QRT, so knowledge/proficiency/skill (whichever)
in Morse was essential.

This, too, is no longer the case.

It's no myth, Dwight. Our culture has been
stagnated by 50 years of liberal propaganda in
the high schools and universities, the constant
whining of the liberal media, and the "mainstreaming"
of any kind of perversion known to man in the name
of "enlightenment." Sorry, but I have to call it
like I see it. It's a dumbed-down culture, pure
and simple.


Larry, it's spelled "dumb-downed" or "dumb downed." And, while I
agree with some of your points about the education system, I'm not
willing to make blanket statements about an entire culture.

That's OK...anything that is progressive or modern (called "liberal
propaganda" or "whining of the liberal media") or is just plain
different (called "any kind of perversion known to man in the name
of enlightenment") processed through Larry comes out as the cause of
all of society's ills including falling arches, low bit rates,
foreign QRM, garblem CW, warts, and incessent rain.

I've learned to tune it out as a sign of ignorance at the mildest
and bigotry at the worst and get on with my worthwhile, enjoyable,
and very moral "liberal" life.

Most schools and universities today are either state owned or state
supported. Therefore, to find an answer to the problems with schools, we
only have to look as far as our own state representatives. And, since they
like the federal education assistance available to them, those
representatives are not going to change unless we vote them out and are
willing to fund schools locally. I see no effort in either of those
directions.

A bloody shame both ways - the Feds play their games, the locals
play theirs, and the kids - including my kids in their time - lose
out. Private schools were no better......they just had different
funding ills.

--
73 de K2ASP - Phil Kane

From a Clearing in the Silicon Forest
Beaverton (Washington County) Oregon