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>much as they are the primary users of these sites.  Shipwreck divers have a
>large actual and potential impact upon these public resources through their
>dives.

While I'm not usually one to cast a gleering eye this post hit me
the wrong way.  I would like to know *why* the government thinks that
these shipwrecks are "public resources".  The whole question of
admiralty law/etc just riles my feathers and every time I even hear 
of this I just think - time to downsize - my money is *not* being
well spent.

First, who *other* than wreck divers will ever benefit from these
ships.  Why does the damn government think that *it* can claim
whatever is down there for it's own use - this sounds pretty much 
antithetical to the ideas that founded this government hundreds
of years ago (I bet they're rolling in their graves so much these 
days they look like spinning tops!).

There was an excellent session at the Boston Sea Rovers by Peter
Hess - noted wreck diver and admiralty attorney.  It took *8*
years to get permission to dive on the Monitor - why?

>to examine shipwreck diver motivations.  I anticipate that the information
>obtained by the study will help to build a foundation of data on shipwreck
>divers that could be utilized by individuals responsible for managing as well
>as selecting sites and resources for inclusion in shipwreck parks as they 

Shipwreck parks - what a euphamism for "government controlled".  Most of
these ships are sitting down there rusting away and the government acts
as though it's a piece of gold that's going to be there forever.  In
the past couple of years that dives have been allowed on the Monitor,
signifigant deterioration has been noted.  Indeed, divers could have
been viewing, taking pictures and enjoying this wreck for many years
but the government in it's infinite stupidity forbode it.  I would like an 
answer as to why diving *anywhere* should be limited this way (well, a freshly
downed nuclear vessel would be a different story), but the Monitor
certainly plays no part in national defense.

I'd suggest that a better research topic is why government is a
neverending struggle to limit individual rights and freedoms
(you can focus on wreck divers if you wish).  Use the Monitor for one 
example, and the marine "park" down in Florida as another one.

To everyone else, I apologize for this uncharacteristic posting -
I have to go throw up.

-Carl-

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