Re[2]: [at-l] (Guest Post) 2002 hiking

[Bob Cummings <ellen@clinic.net> (Bob Cummings)]

"...any idea how the communities along the trail will feel towards hikers if we
are in a big war by March?"

 I suspect most trail towns will continue to be friendly, but for what it's
 worth, we are in a big war now and I suspect we will still be in one in March.
 This war won't require big masses of troops, but neither will victory be easy
 or quick, I'm afraid.

 We have enemies that have built up monstrous hatred for this country in a part
 of the world where for both religious and governmental reasons most people live
 in extreme poverty, which makes it easy to recruit those willing to sacrifice
 their lives in return for the promise of a joyous afterlife.

 As long as we are dependent on that part of the world for oil, I'm afraid the
 battle will continue. In the meantime life must continue -- even thru
 hiking.

 Oh,yes. Your other question. I have no way to "check" on either anything I've
 said or how trail towns may or may not respond, other than to report from the
 perspective of many decades, that most people will revert to ordinary attitudes
 once the excitement of the moment recedes.

 Weary