It's simple, really. The only reason the Morse testing was required was
because of the international agreement that code is needed for HF access.
Now that the world agrees that code is no longer required for HF access
(from the WRC-03), there is no reason to keep it as a licensing requirement.
All of the emotional arguments about "tradition" and "keeping the riff-raff
out of the hobby" are irrelevant. Anyone who wants to use code will still
learn it, and the mode will still continue to be used by amateurs (who are
really the only people still using it). Every country should drop the
testing requirement, including Canada and the US because it simply is no
longer needed, and the whole world agrees, except for a bunch of stubborn
old hams (and no one even cares what they think any more).

Despite all the "emergency" arguments, even the coast guard dropped it.

If there ever was a situation where CW might actually be needed, that was
it.
Now, it's just for contests, and hobbies.

In article , "Dave VanHorn"
writes:

Despite all the "emergency" arguments, even the coast guard dropped it.

It's a bit more complex than that.

Newer radio systems replaced the need for *radio operators* on ships in the
1990s, and the rules were changed to eliminate the need for maritime CW
capability. Eliminating those jobs saves money, so the shipping companies were
all for the changes.

The Coast Guard eliminated their use of it when the rules changed for the same
reason.

If there ever was a situation where CW might actually be needed, that was
it.

In the recent tsunami disaster, a significant part of the initial radio
communications by amateurs in the disaster area was reportedly done with Morse
Code.

73 de Jim, N2EY

"DougSlug" wrote:

: All of the emotional arguments about "tradition" and "keeping the riff-raff
: out of the hobby" are irrelevant. Anyone who wants to use code will still

and when it goes, you will turn amateur radio into multi-band cb radio.

standards will fall.
respect for the license will fall.
problems of deliberate qrm will rise.