I have no flames for Michael Price. I cannot disagree
with his observation that birders, collectively, constitute
a notably wimpy special-interest group. (See Michael Price,
"Re: reply to Baccus, the ammo excise tax," Tweeters 10/9/97.)

(Long-time Doonesbury fans may recall the forlorn efforts of
Lacy Davenport's husband, who labored to rouse his local birding
society to polite and ineffectual political action when
development threatened a bird sanctuary.)

I include myself in the crowd of birding bystanders who
stand on the sidelines while others do the real work (and
sometimes impolite work) of holding off the despoilers.

Now, why is this? Hmmmm.

Thanks, Michael, and Don, too, for the articulate diagnosis.

--Jim Lyles, Tacoma
<jrlyles at eskimo.com>