I love Riley Hollingsworth. 73, Gary KI4LA ------ Forwarded Message From: Riley Hollingsworth <RHOLLING@fcc.gov> Date: Thu, 08 Aug 2002 12:53:16 -0400 To: ki4la@arrl.org, dsmith@smithassoc.com Cc: nb4k@arrl.org, w8fqt@arrl.org, ka4map@bbtel.com, KA8YKK@concentric.net, William.Hays@mail.state.ky.us Subject: Re: Greetings 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.

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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------------+ | ARRL Great Lakes Division Director | | The National Association for Amateur Radio | | ki4la@arrl.org | | 10-10 # 08361 | | 425-984-7957 eFAX | | http://www.arrl.org | | http://www.nku.edu/~johnston/hambio.htmlx | | http://www.nku.edu/~johnston/ARRL/ | +-------Visit Our Division Web Site----------+ * Prospective hams... call the New Ham Hotline! * 1-800-32 NEW HAM (1-800-326-3942) * Or surf to <http://www.arrl.org/hamradio.html>! "I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do." - Edward Everette Hale "The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift." - Albert Einstein "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." - Ben Franklin, ~1784 ------ End of Forwarded Message