Tradition Stinks

Let me hedge a little on this issue. There is a place for tradition and it does have value to our hobby. However I have noticed in the last couple of years a certain resistance to change not based on the actual value of the change, but based on the fact that it challenges tradition. I have some ideas on why hams are being forced into this position.  I'm also trying to formulate some ideas to counter this trend.
    Technology is moving right along at a dizzy pace. This dizzy unprecedented  pace has caused some changes in the relationship between ham radio and technology.
    Can hams be innovative? That is create new technology just ahead of "state of the art" or "leading edge" to use some catch phrases. I think they can, but the chances of this happening are less today then they were 20 years ago and infinitely less than they were 75 years ago. Technical innovation can no longer be considered as one of the  bulwarks of ham radio's reason for existence.
    Can hams provide emergency communications? Well sure they can and do all the time, but changes are happening. Local police and fire organizations are being equipped with ever more sophisticated equipment, cell phones are getting better and every moderate sized TV station has a mobile satellite truck that can provide live TV coverage at the disaster area as quick as they can drive there. In Operation Desert Storm mobile satellite kiosks provided phone service to the troops. Pull the trailer to the site. Point the dish. Start the generator and charge ten cents a minute! So would you rather use a HF phone patch? You see where it's going, hams could be perceived in the future (and maybe now) as being quaint or worse they could end up being in the way.

More later! I gotta work on my resume.