Hi Tweeters,

This is very sad, and more than just a little aggravating. My one visit to
the Redwing site was this past Sunday. My wife Laurie, sort of a ?fair
weather birder?, was along. A certain individual, familiar to me, immediately
drew Laurie?s attention, mainly as a result of her vocal volume. She made an
immediate negative impression.

I had no idea the worst was yet to come.

When I get to the point in my life where my free time is unlimited, I hope I
can be a welcoming presence to visitors and newbies.

I?m an elementary school teacher who for the last decade has directed an
after school activity group called the Firgrove Naturalists. It is made up of
4-6 grade students with an interest in nature. Last year I finally developed
a code of ethics for the group. In recent years students have become louder
and louder, and less aware of their affect on others. I had always had an
open door policy for the group: Anyone, anytime, no matter what. Members now
must complete an application and sign a pledge to follow our code of ethics.
This has helped weed out those who were joining to hang out with their
buddies or to have an hour of free daycare. They know if they fail to follow
the code they?ll be booted out.

I just hope that those who need to read this do.

Michael Brown
Puyallup, Washington

"I am glad I shall never be young without wild country to be young in. Of
what avail are forty freedoms without a blank spot on the map?"

-Aldo Leopold, A Sand County Almanac

"to announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or that we are
to stand by the president, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and
servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public."

-Teddy Roosevelt

"The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the
several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of
the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or
Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever
be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United
States."

-The Constitution of the United States, Article 6, Clause 3