Spontaneous conversion to digital TV is not a good idea. Never in past technology advances has our government been employed to force us to throw away our old technology like monophonic FM radio or black-and-white TV and buy new noncompatible alternatives.

A better plan, particularly in this time of a possible energy crunch, would be to keep a few analog channels running side-by-side with the new digital system. The existing plan that on a certain day in February 2009 we throw the entire over-the-air, analog TV system on America’s growing trash heap of capitalist resource consumption is insane.

What will be next, the automobile? Has the auto industry seen the success of the electronics industry’s planned, rapid obsolescence and is now getting ready to have us all throw away our oil-based cars and buy electric- or hydrogen-run vehicles?

My old black-and-white TV and FM mono radio work fine on today’s compatible signals thanks to legislators who worked for the people. Call or write your legislator and ask him or her to sponsor a bill to keep some analog TV on the air until it dies a natural death.

Mike Rivers

Lubec