[Fists] Honey vs. Vinegar

[Fred Bennett N9TA]

   Hi Gang

Here's a bit of reality.....If there is NO REQUIREMENT to
learn CW for higher license priveledges there will be DURN FEW
people learning CW. I'll give you my experience.... I became
a ham in 1995 and I entered the hobby as a Tech Plus. I learned
CW because I wanted to DX....and I knew DX hung out on freqs
that took a higher class license to get to. So rather than bitch and
whine I very rapidly upgraded from tech....to general....to 
advanced.....to extra  (20 wpm). I went from no ticket to extra in 
5 months. I did that not because I wanted to do CW.....but rather 
because it was REQUIRED for the kind of band access I wanted. 
HOWEVER, something happened along the way that I had NOT
planned for or dreamed about.....I found that I LIKED CW!!  In
fact......I like CW soo much....it's very nearly the ONLY mode I
now use (Although I've worked phone, SSTV, PSK31, RTTY).
If I had not been REQUIRED to learn CW, I would NOT have
put forth the effort.....I would NOT have been introduced to....NOR
would I have found that I ENJOYED CW !!

I like CW as much as any one of you.... and I've probably "chatted"
with many of you.....but the cold hard fact is that as CW becomes
OPTIONAL, fewer and fewer people will put forth the effort
to learn CW.....there will be fewer and fewer people on the bands....
they (the bitchers and whiners) will eventually take our band space....
and CW will become as rare (or rarer) as a 6 meter opening. Now 
you can get MAD and become one of the bitchers and whiners (on the
side of CW) or you can accept it as I have.....work as many of you
old farts as I can (I'm only 44....HI HI) and ENJOY CW while it
lasts.

If you think you can save CW as a requirement....you are fooling
yourself. If you think that CW will be around in big way for a long
time.....you are fooling yourself. If you let the angst of the above
two facts sour your ham radio experience and keep you from 
ENJOYING the time we have left......then you are a FOOL !

         Sent with love and care from Nashville Indiana
                      73....de.....Fred  N9TA   Fist#2301

                                     GOD Bless