Chris, has the usefulness of gas masks or hoods truly been dismissed? I would agree in general, or if I were in Salt Lake City or Chicago, but I'm not and I'm not yet ready to write them off.

I'm in DC, as you know. I don't have a mask or a hood and I don't plan on getting one, absent a reason. Congress, the Defense Department, and at least one other agency in DC think otherwise and have provided their employees with hoods. I gather that a number of other agencies are considering whether to issue masks or hoods to their employees, and certainly many first responders in DC have masks.

I'm not willing to put down these developments as government being foolish. I think, perhaps, masks or hoods may have a place in an urban survival kit, if one is in Jerusalem, NYC, or WDC. Otherwise, I would agree with you.

atty_guy