NOT the collecting debate :-)

[Mark Walker]

Anne wrote:

<snippage>

> Greed is the problem we're circling round, I think. The non-collector,
> in his innocence, supposes that the collector is trying for the last
> Great Auk. The solution is to hang out with them, let them get to know
> you, allow them to observe that you don't have horns and a tail. Mark,
> you probably did a good deal to put the anti-collectors' minds at ease
> about collectors, just by talking to them.

I do agree.  The misconceptions of most people can be dealt with through
education - especially quality education performed at the grass roots level.
I guess my biggest concern (and you are probably right - there is somewhat
of a chip sitting there - but then there's that big one from Ensign Hatcher,
too, and that got me through graduate school) is that the propagation of the
misconception is spreading at a rate too fast for my Rockports to deal with.
If you think that I think that the NABA folks were tough, you should see how
I'm treated on the trail by day-hiking eco-wanna-be-conscious soccer moms!

Mark Walker
Mission Viejo, CA