----- Original Message ----- From: "Adam Fikso (by way of Mary Sue Ittner<msittner@mcn.org>)" <adam14113@ameritech.net> To: <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org> Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2009 7:41 PM Subject: Re: [pbs] Importing Bulbs and Seeds >I fully endorse Ellen's position and do not think that this is "bickering". > The term "bickering" diminishes the importance of the subject. I have > been > critical before of APHIS during this administration, and expect to be > again. But they do seem to be getting their act together. The work is > important, but it will only be through a back and forth exchange of ideas > and criticism of ideas and procedures that the system will be improved. > > At present, there are NO foolproof methods for ensuring that potential > pests can be stopped at our door. And the nature of the problem is such > that it CANNOT be made fool proof. Organisms mutate. Wind blows. Pests > from China ride the winds around the world 6 miles above our country, and > pollution is not only from "those foreigners", but from every country in > the world, including ours, all mixing in the "soup" of viruses, molds, > bacteria, excreta, metal powders, radioactive particles, etc. that we all > live in. > > I am absolutely for an open exchange of ideas including criticisms. It is > the only way to improve our common welfare] > > A few days ago, I was annoyed about the repetition of "old" ideas and > their > repetition, and posted my annoyance-- because apparently, some folks had > not yet learned about the ongoing restrictive conditions for > importation. But some people come late to knowledge that may be "old > hat" to others, and room needs to be made for newcomers with tolerance > for > repetition of old information > > I note in passing that Mr Aley may not be aware of how threatening his > arrival, coupled with his eMail address, on this list was-- to some > people. He probably regards himself as benign, and his workplace as > equally > benign. but,..to others it had the effect of a comment such > as (Hmmm... You have relative in Odessa? No? Minsk? Is all > right..Ve can check.) The implied threat could also be rendered in more > clearly defined Cyrillic or Germanic overtones. > > The Department of Homeland Security and its nearly unlimited power under > the PATRIOT Act is not viewed as altogether necessary nor benign. So, > Bill, I'm old enough to be a vet of WWII, and may therefore have a longer > view of certain kinds of events, including the forcible overnight removal > of my Japanese friends to places we didn't even know about for a quite a > while. Having the USDA under Homeland Security is downright spooky even > though it may be logical if one thinks only in terms of apparent > effiiciency and economy in a Table of Organization. It remains to be seen > whether it will be. Also, it's hard for the military aspects of DHS to be > reconciled in many minds with peaceful little flowers. Not ham and eggs, > but ham and chocolate truffles, with mayo on the side as an analogy--or > worse.} > > Regardless of the utility or necessity of certain government moves > undertaken by the recent past administration, or one's view of them > politically-- politics affects bulbs, and diseases of geophytes, and their > survival in out of the way locations. I note the fact that military bases > have been havens for many threatened and endangered species, in California > for the kit fox, in Israel (The Golan Heights for oncocyclus irises ). I > mention this because there is a tendency in this group to set the > boundaries of acceptable topics for discussion wa-a-ay too narrowly. Down > to the species level and below for taxonomic distinctions of no use to > anybody except a taxonomist, and the connoisseur who wants to be sure that > s/he has the "true" species, when there may be no recent agreed-on > picture > of the entity in question. PBS works to supply it. Sometimes annoyance > follows close on the heels of such concerns being voiced...but > rarely. And Mary Sue does a magnificent "presidential " job of > moderating the discussions. If she wanted to drop my entire presentation > here, I'd understand--and accept it . > > But I think that in order to advance the case of the PBS, and its future > without its becoming hidebound or calcified, we need to work out ways of > easier importation and distribution so that we continue to have samples of > what we talk about. If Bill Aley (WDA) and his associates can help us do > this, I'm for welcoming him. Maybe he could even help simplify some of > the > rigmarole of getting registered as an importer of small samples. Do we > really need a 10-letter password composed of 2 symbols from the top > line,... etc?. Sincerely, > Adam Fikso, Ph.D.,(psychology-- not one of the botanical subspecialties.) > > _______________________________________________ > pbs mailing list > pbs@lists.ibiblio.org > http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php > http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/