He wanted to be taken seriously? I thought it was a joke (silencing people
in the name of free speech).

Why would that be a joke? Silencing those who threaten free speech?
Do people really believe that they just pulled sw frequencies out of a
hat? Oh well, let's just see how the power companies will want to
stand behind & push BPL if there is another 9/11 or WHEN other natural
or man-made disasters strike & emergency communications becomes the
real joke.