Bill Sohl wrote:
"an_old_friend" wrote in message
ups.com...

Bill Sohl wrote:
wrote in message
oups.com...
From: "Bill Sohl" on Fri 2 Sep 2005 02:08


"Bill Sohl" wrote in message
cut
For tens of thousands of humans in Louisiana and Mississippi, the
basic needs for survival are NEEDED NOW. Most don't have a single
one of the basic needs now and none of those can be supplied by a
radio. Local aid people have to handle that, up-close and
personal, ON THE SCENE. Now radio communications CAN be of
service to those local aid people, coordinating their activities
and delivery/distribution of needed supplies/shelter. Such radio
communications is presently being handled by radio facilities that
survived the hurricane and following flooding. Maybe THAT is
where amateur radios (that also survived the hurricane and flooding)
can help. "Health and welfare messages" just wouldn't be on a
disaster victim's immediate needs right now.

True to a point, but there's also been no shortage of victims making
an efffort to let others know they are safe. Not every victim there is
only inward focused on their own basic needs.

We need to put things in perspective...and rationally try to
imagine the plight of victims who have lost almost ALL of their
basic survival necessities.

Agreed...and the only point I am trying to make is
that amateur radio can and is oproviding help for
communications. Whatever help that may be, it is still
of value and would not necessarily be happening by
other (commercial/military/whatever) services because
ALL the help resources are already maxed to their limit.

And Len is pointing that it seems that Hams in here and the ARRL it
publication is rateing the importance of that aid the ARS does provide
and inflating it.

In his opinion and mine to point of turning it into something of a Lie

Ham radio provides useful, important, and valuble aid in a disaster
(esp in one of this size) but it is in the ssecondary (but important
feilds) very if any of the Ham radio is all that VITAL, and we (hams)
are fooling ourselves if we think otherwise

It is if I may presume to speack for Len the sin of hubris that Len
cautions against (as do I)

Hubris is dangerous if we are seen as too full of hubris instaed taking
our due credit,we the ARS may be seen by the powers that be as unworthy
of the freqs we hold

From everything I've heard so far, as a result of Hurricane Katrina,
we (hams) will be viewed as considerably worthy of the frequencies
we are allowed to operate on.

as do I but if we make it more than it is we risk damaging the the
value of that service in maintaining our freqs

Indeed we have seen some of the regs in here spend years calling those
that even want to discuss how much we are doing and its value savagely
attacked by others for even bring the question up

I think it is vital that we all take a GOOD look at this disaster and
be very careful what we say about it and about our roles in it

Be proud Hams, but claim no glory not due us, there is enough due us

Agree completely, but I don't see any hams claiming any undue
glory to begin with.

But i see hams, here at least, dismissing the efforts and uses of other
means, indeed even insulting them. Over the years frankly at best
bluring the lines of what we have have done, and I am guessing we will
see more later later in print (based on past write ups or other
disasters)

Cheers,
Bill K2UNK