Also if it was so easy for the first to find all these potential slayers and kill them why weren't the forces of good (COW) rounding them up and shipping them all to Sunnydale for a huge on hand army at all time. Training with the active slayer when you could possibly become one seems logical enough to me.

and

c) their own role and status would be so threatened by such an action that it wouldn't have been pursued even if they had come up with it.

Yes. I think it was all about the power. Think how they were trying to get "hand" - even when they knew a Hell God had manifested itself in human form. Think about the Cruciarmentum. Think of their headgames with Giles. Think of their attitude when Angel (whom they knew had been ensouled and was fighting on the side of good) was dying. Think of their "keep it secret; keep it safe" rules on slayer identity. Think of how they must have known what Faith's life was like to some extent, but never stepped in to help her until they had their own purpose for her. Watchers and their forerunners - the shadow men - were very early on corrupted by their power over this powerful woman.

The short answer would be that a) the Council never really looked into the source of the slayer's power, b) they weren't big on thinking outside the box generally, and c) their own role and status would be so threatened by such an action that it wouldn't have been pursued even if they had come up with it. There's more to it than that, but basically, it's simply not the way the Council works. And until Buffy, there wasn't anyone except the Council with any knowledge or ability to do anything about it.

before Buffy, no one had concieved of the idea that there _could_ be two Slayers. The rule was thought of as a law, like gravity. I think that if the Council could have, they would have created an army of fodder.

before Buffy, no one had concieved of the idea that there _could_ be two Slayers. The rule was thought of as a law, like gravity. I think that if the Council could have, they would have created an army of fodder.

We don't know that. We know that was true at the Active Watcher-Slayer level, or can safely assume it, because it was news to Buffy and Giles. We don't know what the upper-echelon of the Council knew. They never got splainy about the two slayer thing.

Alicia K cries at: Class Protector, fruit punch speech, and as soon as that music starts playing at the end of The Gift. Man, just thinking about that damn music gets her all sniffly.

Just chiming in briefly with the Little House on the Prarie Love. I still am excited when I catch it on TBS....My sister and I used to have Laura and Carrie dresses (I didn't want to be Mary and she is younger than I) that our aunt made for us and we frequently pressed our brother into playing 'Pioneers' a la Little House.

I had no idea that was the same actor, but I am also happy at the odd connection!!

(I didn't want to be Mary and she is younger than I)

But! But Mary was the pretty one!

(was the little one played by Shannon Doherty?)

No! Mary was the older sister of Laura, who later became blind (this followed Mary's real life) and married a blind teacher (the real Mary Ingalls never married).

Later on after Laura and Mary were married and their adopted brother (a fictional character, the only sons died shortly after death) left or died or whatever, Charles and Caroline took on orphans from somewhere, one of whom was played by Shannon Doherty. (Again this was fictional to drag out the series).

But they also had an original little sister named Carrie, right? Or am I making that up? If so, I'm doing a damn fine reconstruction in my mind!

(but Carrie wasn't played by SD)

Yes, there was a real little sister named Carrie -- but not played by SD.

yes, I think so. I used to be a big fan, for all that I've become lost to the forces of Corruption and Snark.