Change of subject. Forwarded from a newsletter to which I subscribe. Very well written, I thought. --When I came to Delta so many years ago it was one of the greatest days of my life. I had "made it." I had "grabbed the gold ring." I was finally in the position I always wanted. I was a DELTA Pilot!!!

Only Delta pilots knew that feeling. So, what happened? Well, we all know the demise. We all know who is to blame. But what about the strike? How can we do that to all the other employees and retirees? So here is my perspective.

First, I do not want to strike. I will, in fact, not cross the picket line. There is no point. No matter how many cross it won't help. It will only result in a lifetime of harassment (just ask any Eastern Scab). The only hope for Delta is NO strike. So why are we doing this? Why did 94% vote to strike?

Well, here is my humble and very personal "take" on the whole insanity.

To put it simply, most of the pilots are just plain tired. We have been held personally responsible by EVERYONE for EVERYTHING! From Ron Allen's "Leadership 7.5" to the current situation. We are considered (and called) "greedy," "whiners," "overpaid premadonnas," etc. And as I read the letter from the unnamed L1011 Capt. I sensed some of the same.

Oh, I know he doesn't "blame" us. But he certainly indicated it was our "responsibility" to ensure his retirement isn't affected. I certainly appreciate that. After all, I have already lost 62% of my pay and benefit package, and over 50% of my retirement. I also am fully aware that no matter how much more I give, my retirement (and yours) will be liquidated. I will end up with less than 30% of what I earned.

But Let me explain where the letter insinuates I am "responsible" for him, and why I take exception. He states that we, the pilots, hold the cards for " for thousands of others who weren’t dealt a playing hand in this game." Well, in fact Grinstein is the one who actually holds those cards. And in what I am sure is a very unintentional manner, the author simply restates what so many believe, that it is, yet again, the "fault of the pilots."

You see, Grinstein refuses to do what has been done for 77 years, negotiate. ALPA has already given 50% of what they asked for and, amazingly, is still trying to get management to negotiate in good faith. And all this after our "do it once and do it right" give back of $1billion per year in 2004 to stave off bankruptcy! And what did management do? Why, reduced fares and frittered away the 52% of our contract that we gave them, and filed bankruptcy anyway. And even before they filed they stated they were going to reject our contract! So much for our "do it once, do it right" investment of $1billion.

And what about the letter of agreement regarding that giveback and bankruptcy? What about the "equal" sharing of the pain by our creditors, suppliers, etc.? And they wonder why we don't trust them.

So what about the "view from the cockpit?"

I fly with 10 year F/O's. NONE of them are staying. Strike, don't strike, it doesn't matter. After 10 years the 767 F/O makes about $80,000 per year. They can make that on the outside, and be home for Christmas, birthdays, holidays, school plays, etc. They, to a man, are no longer willing to put in the long (and getting longer) days and nights and give up their family life for mediocre compensation, little hope of moving up, no retirement (they get basically none regardless), and most of all, NO RESPECT or Appreciation for their work and sacrifice. This lack of respect was painfully noted when Chief Pilot Jim Graham stated that if we strike the "next words out of [our] mouth will be 'do you want fries with that." I suspect even without my Masters Degree I can find something other than flipping burgers.

But I certainly don't want to strike. It just isn't up to me. It's up to Gerry and the boys. All they have to do is stop blaming us and begin addressing the real issues, fuel, fares, and service.

They actually hold the cards. We only hold one.

By the way, as a 767 Capt. I make less than an electrician. I make less than many of you do in retirement. But worst of all, I barely make more than an Airtrans capt. Our MD 88 Capts. Make $20 LESS than an Airtran Capt. We are less than everyone except JetBlue, and airplane to airplane we are about the same as them. And that's with NO FURTHER give backs. So the question is, how much more can we give? We are already at the bottom of the industry. My guess is it isn't the pilots, it's something else.

So I hope that I can, in a few short years, join all of you in retirement. I hope the bill passes Congress allowing me to get a PBGC retirement of $47,000 at age 60 vice $31,000 because that will be what I get when they liquidate the pilot retirement (and they will no matter what). And I hope there is Social Security for me. But I think that, at the very least, the years of saying "goodbye" at Delta will come in handy when I become a Greeter at Wal Mart.

As for the strike, it is unthinkable to me. Just as unthinkable as Bankruptcy was.

I loved my time at Delta. I hope it continues. To all of you who I had the honor of flying with, thank you for the wonderful memories.

This certainly isn't how I thought it would end. But either way, it has simply become a job. I still love flying, and I will until the day I stop. But it's the memories that I have from all of you that I will cherish. Thank you for a wonderful career. I hope that people younger than me can someday recapture some of it. I hope cooler heads prevail and Delta survives.