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AF6AY · March 26th 07, 08:52 PM posted to rec.radio.amateur.policy

From: on Sun, Mar 25 2007 6:47 pm

On Mar 25, 2:26 pm, "AF6AY" wrote:
On Mar 24, 7:50?am, wrote:
On Mar 24, 12:40 pm, wrote:
On 24 Mar 2007 08:35:26 -0700, wrote:
On Mar 22, 9:10 pm, "AF6AY" wrote:
On Mar 22, 3:04?pm, wrote:
On Mar 22, 11:05 am, "David Stinson" wrote:

ARRL's "Diamond Terrace" Memorial

? ?Amateur radio
? ?is NOT MILITARY SERVICE and NO ham has to put their LIFE
? ?into defending the Constitution of the ARRL! ?:-(

? ?73, Len ? ex-RA16408336

Jim served in other ways... ?No?

and sneers at those that served

Operating a ham radio in the ARC basement is the moral equivalent of
military service.

They call it "serving in other ways..." :-(

No pass unless a physical disability was involved. If they had better
things to do or just didn't want to, then too bad.

We can't tell them that, Brian. Their combination of ego and
imagination is too strong in them...

Let them go up to Newington's Barracks and stand guard
around the Diamond Terrace and protect it with their LIVES
if they want to "serve."

Ten-hut!

:-)

They only thing they "serve" is their own imaginations.

I'm with the ARRL Vice Director that said we shouldn't believe own own
BS.

Yes. I wonder if that individual is still holding office?

Amateur radio is supposed to be about enjoying an
interesting, technical avocation. In here it is mostly
a group of middle-school mentality male misfits carping
at all the others who won't agree with them.

It can be about emergency communications.

For example, I have a fire extinguisher in my kitchen but that doesn't
mean that I'm the fire department.

True. But, I think there is TOO MUCH EMPHASIS on this
"emergency communications," so much so that it has become
a trite cliche' of rationalization by some. [I think we
all know who those are...]

If we look at the REAL reason behind amateur radio, we
will find out it is NOT "because" of the emergency
communications POSSIBILITY, but just for the ability to
communicate and tinker with radios.

The "Diamond Terrace" project is something the ARRL
thought up...apparently to enshrine its own home grounds.
I have nothing against such a project but I object to what
I think is a mis-use of "my club" funds in order to boost
their home grounds appearance and "memory." [I am a
member of the ARRL]

Perhaps actual ARRL members should have a complimentary brick, and not
through our windows.

Neither, I think. :-)

I have nothing against donations made to membership organizations.
What I am against is the idea of a quasi-shrine sort of memorial
to what is basically a hobby activity...and over-much emphasis on
all the "excellence" of those who are memorialized...and at the
same time trumpeting the idea that the League is THE judgemental
organization that determines such "excellence." History determines
that, not some organization trying to brainwash its membership
into believing ONLY the League.

Making up some nebulous "reason" for enshrining some
names, possibly callsigns, in a "memory walk" area is a
rather transparent effort to bring in more funds for the home
ground's budget. It only reinforces a false delusion of
"greatness" of past amateur radio hobbyists which will lead
other, newer amateurs into a false idea of their hobby.

The only "memorial" I need are the QSL cards that are in the shacks of
all the hams I've sent my card to.

Sounds good to me.

Recently the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce had to move some
of the embedded brass-and-terrazo "stars" on its "Hollywood
Walk of Fame." Digging under them was needed for deeper
street-sidewalk repair. No big hu-hu on that and all here
know full well the whole "Walk of Fame" thing is one huge
publicity thing. The entertainment biz is very much INTO
publicity of any kind, indeed one of the life-blood factors
of the business. Nobody rationalizes that those stars mean
"greatness" or "excellence." Except some tourists from way
out of town...who really like celebrites. Billions have seen
the work of actors and entertainers; they are "larger than
life" on the big screen and leave indelible impressions in
the minds (and imaginations) of the audiences. Big impact
and BIG Business. This area is the acknowledged center of
world motion picture and television production.

I see this "Diamond Terrace" little more than a transitory
trip to some kind of publicity for the League, a publicity
designed to generate income for the League and make the
League grounds a prettier place to WORK in...locally. I'm
not about to become a Believer tourist who makes a trip to
Newington to "pay respects to olde-tymers immortalized" in
bricks to be walked upon. I doubt you would be one of those.

I do know some who ARE Believers in the ARRL, to the point
of making outright gifts to them. Gifts for what? Services
rendered? Such service is implicit in the membership
contract all members sign (in the equivalent of actual
signature via e-mail/Internet application). Unfortunately,
the League goes overboard on its own publicity for the VALUE
of such services...and at the same time, doing its PR thing
for publications from the League...publications that increase
the monetary profits TO the League.

We are engaged in a HOBBY activity for the purposes of
communicating with others. If a very few of us managed to
come up with something that really advances the state of
the art of radio and communications, that is a good thing.
However, MOST radio amateurs just USE their radios in the
hobby. The stage is set for imagination trips in such use.
Some align themselves WITH the movers and shakers of
technology AS IF they, too, were innovators/pioneers in
something. They aren't. They are mainly hobbyists having
fun in a technological endeavor. There should be nothing
wrong with that, but some individual egos just won't let
go and join reality.

The "Diamond Terrance" project isn't even close to the
Vietnam War Memorial. Those whose names are on that
memorial gave their LIVES in the service of their country.
Amateur radio is a hobby pursuit, NOT a "service to the
country" nor even close to it.

You can't completely ignore the emergency communications aspect of the
hobby.

I'm not. I've been trying to point out that MOST radio
amateurs are just into radio for communicating or tinkering
with radios for their own enjoyment. Thoughts of 'heroism'
or 'serving the community' by means of their radios is
largely imaginary or exaggerated...or just a rationalization
(usually invalid) as an excuse for playing with radios,
sometimes rather expensive toys. The vast majority of radio
amateurs have NO experience with real emergencies and few
have training in such things beyond lecturing in a classroom.

The "Diamond Terrace" project doesn't have a thing to do
with emergency communications, does it?

Those of us who HAVE served our country in the military
know the true feeling of such service. Those who have
not so served will never know it nor understand it. They
cannot ever understand it.

But they talk about it as if they might.

THAT is the wrongness...on their part.

73, Len AF6AY