Jerry wrote:
"John" wrote in message
...
cut
I have been watching the news I don't see any coverage indacating that
the ARs is preforming a vital service. It is providing the H&W traffic,
important but nothing life saving

cuting more hot air, with the same suggestion as before

Than it is the news coverage that has missed the boat. I have listened
(BTW first rule for an emergency net, listen, don't transmit, unless your
help is needed) to the SATERN net (14.265) and heard relays of quite a
number of life saving messages - e.g. someone at such and such an address
needs to be rescued. Sounds like life saving to me.
John

And I also have been hearing MARS passing life-saving traffic. Uh, MARS
is.............er, what? HAMS! And I've also heard the SAtern net doing the
same. "Mrs. X is out of insulin, critical need at such 'n such place". "Be
careful wading around there, we saw some water moccasins swimming there".
(Have you ever SEEN a cotton mouth, Mr Anderson)

It is not just H & W traffic; the ham volunteers are in place to facilitate
communications whatever the message.
They were onscene almost immediately doing what they have always done; a
part in the total scheme of things. How MUCH ham radio does is immaterial,
or WHAT traffic they pass is not important.

Both are relavant points and point we need to be able to answer with
facts not generalities

They ARE there doing what they
can just as I would if I were called. This bickering, snipping, arguing
about the "uselessness" of ham radio is stupid and those that who armchair
quarterback from 1000 miles away don't know what they are talking about just
as I don't know what is going on in NO. But I CAN monitor what is happening
and I know that the military, CAP, church relief organizations, Red Cross,
AND Amateur Radio are doing whatever they can to contribute to the effort.

indeed why is it when someone is questioning the vitalness they are
calling something useless

The thread began pre-Katrina and was basically about how Amateur Radio was
"useless" or irrelevant to disasters--even how the wonderfully "organized"
CBers could provide "communications into and out of a stricken area---along
with the usually attacks and accusations.

again overdrawing

The bottom line is, hams ARE providing a service. Some of it is Health and
Welfare traffic, some of it is vital communications concerning threats to
life and property. I'm sitting here LISTENING to it, dammit! So let's quit
yelling at each other and get back to work whether it be wading thru
several feet of water, looking for victims, passing the most mundane of
messages, OR opening our wallets to donate money or supplies.

indeed the only yelling I seeing is from the side that says one may not
question the content or the value of the message
]
Jerry