I thought I'd forward the thoughtful comments below from
e-ham.net ... they say a LOT. (name/callsign omitted to
at least partially protect the innocent ...)

Carl - wk3c

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For the last 25 years I have been in the US Coast Guard serving as
telecommunication technician. I am now a instructor at the same course.
I started off as a Morse Code operator in New Jersey. I grant you I
graduated at the near bottom of my Morse code class but still passed the 40
wpm requirement easily.
I also was sent to 9 months of antenna and radio theory and fundamental
classes. Upon graduation billions of years ago we all were required (simply
because the instructor was a Ham Extra Class type) to take the Morse code
and written tests. My class had 37 folks in it. On a windy Saturday in New
Jersey in winter 1978 we all went and took the Ham radio test and all by
simple virtue of having studied Morse and electronic theory and fundamentals
for almost a year left with our Extra licenses.
So in 1978 37 of us got "forced" into Ham radio and to this date - 22 still
are active (three of my class passed away, and I think one is in jail) but
the point is that we are still active running MARS stations, teaching in
service schools and running C2 systems for the DoD and doing so as Hams and
Coast Guard Instructors.
A few years ago the Coast Guard decided to do away with the Morse
requirement for us to learn as newbies - and for good reason - No one ever
used it for emergencies. Technology had developed a means to communicate
request for assistance via HF voice, FM, AM, TacSat. And the trusty
cellphone. I mean - in my opinion only a fool would trust sending a morse
code message that his ship was sinking - people wanted to call on a phone -
ask for help - and hear a warm friendly voice on the other side saying help
is on the way.
Two weeks ago 28 Coasties graduated from the DoD Signal center at Ft
Gordon - they had over a year of telecommunication training, satellite
uplink/downlink, antenna theory, computer ops, you name it - but what they
didn't have is any morse code. So how many of the last 3 classes that have
graduated have became Hams - ZERO. The reason is simple - they simply don't
see a need to study something that the US Govt (both the FCC and Coast Guard
and DoD) themselves have stated was not necessary.
One of the seaman that was asking me about how to become a ham told me that
to be forced to study the code to get a license was like a surgeon being
told he had to learn about Ether because that's how they use to do it back
in the civil war or a skipper having to learn how to pilot a steamboat
because for the longest time that was the naval tradition - and he has a
point - morse code was around and was an acceptable form of communication
when Steamers and biplanes were the norm but technology has changed greatly.
But here it is today - the 21st Century and we are judging folk on their
capabilities of being good Hams based on a 19th century art form.
Do I believe in tradition - of course -- but tradition shouldn't be the
basis of restricting new technology or ideals.
Do I still use morse - yep, do I scream and yell at my new students because
even though they can design an antenna system with a coke can and chewing
gum that can talk to someone 1000 miles away but must be inadequate because
they don't know morse code - No.
Bottom line is that there are a ton of great folks out there that would be a
great benefit to Ham radio but just don't want to, or can't learn the code.
And just for the record - for the last two classes I asked "how many of you
guys use CB radios" - to date the number is Zero. I had one girl in the
telecommunication class raise her hand and ask "What's a CB?". so the
argument that if we open the airwaves up to these fine Americans that have
served for over a year learning the best in radio theory and fundamentals
that they are suddenly going to invade your air space and start talking CB
is just ridiculous.
Anyway . my two cents worth.
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END QUOTE FROM E-HAM.NET