Quote Originally Posted by rkumetz View Post
I decided to add to this a bit. Falconers constitute such a minimal amount of votes that politicians pretty much l laugh us off like spilled water in an expensive restaurant. There are so few of us that we are not really an effective lobbying force against animal rights groups even when we DO stick together so the reality is that we had better stick together or risk being singled out like the one lame gazelle in the herd.

I am a member of both NAFA and AFC. To be honest their political agendas are a bit different and I have some issues with BOTH when
their priority list doesn't match my own. On the other hand I get
even more frustrated with falconers who decide they are not going to
support either (or both...) because their agendas don't precisely match their own or because they are not currently addressing something that is
important to that individual.

Guess what folks, ever hear that saying about throwing the baby out with the bath water? I am not fond of the antiquated NAFA structure where the president is not elected by the members but by the board. That seems to me a bit like an extension of the old boy network and reminiscent of tweed clad falconers with pipes and glasses of single malt scotch deciding who is is practicing falconry up to standard. That old school crap was elitism and I am not fond of it. Now having said my piece, I am not going to effect any change from outside so I pay my dues, participate as much as I can and when I step back and look closely I can see that things HAVE changed for the better. Things are generally moving in a positive direction even if not at a speed that I am totally happy with.

So if you want to snipe over some beers when you are with your falconry buddies go for it. When it comes time to sit down with legislators and law enforcement I suggest that everyone show up willing to avoid giving any
sense that he falconry community is in any way divided.


That's pretty much what I was trying to say 8 months ago!