Ham Radio has a well-regarded position in society as the
nest from which the engineers of the country fledge; but
what is its position today; and, do we wish to do anything
about that tradition?

1. We have a privileged position in that we are authorised both
to make and also to operate our own transmitters. No-one else has the
privileges of both and hence we are in a unique position. Do we wish
to preserve this status quo, or, are we happy that our numbers
are increasingly over-run by CB types, by which category I mean those
who buy their rigs ready-made off-the-shelf and even send them back
when minor repairs are needed?

2. Ham Radio has traditions of international gentlemanliness, but you might
think otherwise from reading these NG. The foul-mouthed infantile temper
tantrum is an increasing problem, and, as such, it reflects badly upon us.
Do
we wish this to continue, or should we set ourselves firmly apart from
such people AND REFUSE EVEN TO DISCOURSE WITH THEM,
THESE CHILDISH BROADCASTERS (CBERS), IN THESE NG?

3. The self-styled "national" society, in Britland at least, is going
through a
financial crisis as the _REAL_ Radio Hams leave in their droves when faced
with an influx of what can only be described as CBers. (How else can you
describe
a 6-year-old licensee who does not have the mathematical skill set to
deal with decimals, let alone the elementary transpositions that are
necessary
to deal with Ohm's Law?). Do we wish to have a society that represents the
technical aficionado that is the _REAL_ Radio Ham?

In short, do we simply stand by whilst the Mongolian Hordes of
Ne'er-Do-Wells
destroy what we and out predecessors have setup?