Well said. I am starting to learn that if Amateur Radio is destroyed, it
will be by the kind of action to which KI4LA's e mail refers. Yesterday for half
hour I listened to a 12 and 14 year old discuss J-Poles, AC Hum and the causes,
the relative merits of radials, what amperage would be too high for a cigarette
lighter plug, the purpose of PL tones on a repeater, why it isn't good to use a
battery charger as a power supply, etc., etc. Then I hear adults, long
time Extra and Advanced operators, engaging in this kind of conversation: whose
wife is fat, who is an asshole, who is stupid as hell, singing, jamming and
harassing and slander and ridicule and so forth and so on. Some of the adults,
and David I'm afraid you're one of them, just don't have a clue as to what
Amateur Radio is all about. You are the ones that will destroy it--not the
new Techs coming in under restructuring. I never have any problems with
them. In fact, from the conversation between the young hams
yesterday I learned a few things myself. The operators I have problems with are
Extra's and Advanced who have been licensed for 100 years and think they know
everything and don't have a clue or don't care that the whole world is
listening. My only hope is that your type of operation doesn't drive the new
young people away, because if it does Amateur Radio is history; and as you
know history is especially unforgiving of people or technologies that
take things for granted..
>>> Gary Johnston
<ki4la@arrl.org> 08/08/02 10:59AM >>>
on 8/6/02 2:59 PM,
David A. Smith at dsmith@smithassoc.com wrote:
> David Alkire Smith W8YZ
Dave,
By drawing my line in
the sand I had no intention of instigating a war of
words with you, Dave. I only want to see the bands free of off color
jokes
and other indiscrete references. On
the air character assassination and all
the above may be protected in part
by the First Amendment, but as gentlemen
and ladies, we must go beyond what
is legal to what is moral and ethical -
and what is right.
If you go back and visit my motivations
for running for office, you will see
that cleaning up the ham bands
(supporting the work of Riley Hollingsworth),
and bringing young people into
the amateur radio service are high on my
list.
The two go hand in hand. Young people should be
able to tune across
the bands without being subjected to "adult" humor and
vulgar references.
What is entirely
appropriate for an email message or face to face
conversation may be
entirely inappropriate on the air.
Users of
the amateur airwaves must answer to a higher standard. I am
perfectly willing to work with
you and call you a friend once again, Dave,
if only you can let the
gentlemanly side of your personality dominate, and
the risqué side atrophy.
Please do this for me. The next time you speak on the air, imagine that you
are addressing a room of fathers and grand fathers, each standing and
holding the hands of their 6 year old sons/daughters
grandsons/granddaughters. Your
perspective might change.
I now consider
this matter closed. I have expressed my feelings
clearly, and
listened to yours. It's time to
move on.
Sincerely,
Gary KI4LA
+----------Gary L. Johnston KI4LA------------+
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