"Leo" wrote:

The belief that a mandate for amateur
radio to participate in public service
communications is quite common -
just did a quick search on Google,
and II have attached an ARRL
reference as well as one amateur
radio club, who both clearly call it a
"mandate".


No, the real problem is that some simply don't understand the full meaning
of the word "mandate." They feel there is some kind of requirement behind
it. So, of course, they get confused when it is used in a non-required
context. However, there is no requirements associated associated with the
other senses of the word. For example, the president can be given a mandate
by the voters to lower taxes, but there is no requirement to do so. Amateur
Radio operators have a mandate to perform public service (it's in the basis
and purpose of this radio service), but there is no requirement to do so.


Dwight Stewart (W5NET)

http://www.qsl.net/w5net/

Dwight,

I did some digging on this, and I believe that you are absolutely
correct - a mandate is an authorization or an approval.

In fact, the word "mandate" can be used to mean either a mandatory
requirement or an authorization. The dictionary defines "mandate" as:

http://www.yourdictionary.com/ahd/m/m0073800.html
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=mandate

1. An authoritative command or instruction.

2. A command or an authorization given by a political electorate to
its representative.

http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary

1. an authoritative command; especially : a formal order from a
superior court or official to an inferior one

2 : an authorization to act given to a representative accepted the
mandate of the people

Meaning #2, "authorization", would fit the wording and intent of the
regs quite well.

Cross referencing to the Thesaurus, we find the following synonyms
listed for the word "mandate":

http://thesaurus.reference.com/search?q=mandate

Entry: mandate
Function: noun
Definition: authority
Synonyms: authorization, behest, bidding, blank check, carte
blanche, charge, command, commission, decree, dictate, directive,
edict, fiat, go-ahead, green light, imperative, injunction,
instruction, order, precept, sanction, warrant, word
Concept: authorization
Source: Roget's Interactive Thesaurus, First Edition (v 1.0.0)
Copyright © 2004 by Lexico Publishing Group, LLC. All rights reserved.

Entry: approval
Function: noun
Definition: authorization
Synonyms: acquiescence, assent, bells, blessing, compliance,
concurrence, confirmation, consent, countenance, endorsement, finest
kind, go-ahead, green light, leave, license, mandate, ok, OK,
permission, ratification, recommendation, sanction, support, the nod,
validation
Antonyms: denial, disapproval, refusal, rejection
Concept: authorization

Note that both dictionary definitions are represented in the list, but
that the root concept of the word is "authorization". "Mandate is
also listed as a synonym for the word "approval"

The word "mandated" , however, is much clearer - it means "to makes
something mandatory", period.. Mandate, however, is not necessarily an
imperative. These similarity between these two words (and their
interchangeable usage in common speech) may be the source of the
confusion here.

Based on these references, the reference to authorization in the regs
could well be interpreted as a mandate, using the dictionary
definition #2 from both sources, and confirmed by the thesaurus.

73, Leo


On Wed, 14 Jan 2004 09:27:36 GMT, "Dwight Stewart"
wrote:

"Leo" wrote:

The belief that a mandate for amateur
radio to participate in public service
communications is quite common -
just did a quick search on Google,
and II have attached an ARRL
reference as well as one amateur
radio club, who both clearly call it a
"mandate".


No, the real problem is that some simply don't understand the full meaning
of the word "mandate." They feel there is some kind of requirement behind
it. So, of course, they get confused when it is used in a non-required
context. However, there is no requirements associated associated with the
other senses of the word. For example, the president can be given a mandate
by the voters to lower taxes, but there is no requirement to do so. Amateur
Radio operators have a mandate to perform public service (it's in the basis
and purpose of this radio service), but there is no requirement to do so.


Dwight Stewart (W5NET)

http://www.qsl.net/w5net/

"Leo" wrote in message
...
Dwight,

I did some digging on this, and I believe that you are absolutely
correct - a mandate is an authorization or an approval.

In fact, the word "mandate" can be used to mean either a mandatory
requirement or an authorization. The dictionary defines "mandate" as:


Except that the FCC rules do not grant any authority in anyway to do public
service nor do they establish any requirement to do public service. In any
sense of the word mandate, there is none in the FCC Part 97.

Dee D. Flint, N8UZE

"Dee D. Flint" wrote:

Except that the FCC rules do not
grant any authority in anyway to do
public service nor do they establish
any requirement to do public
service. In any sense of the word
mandate, there is none in the FCC
Part 97.


Okay, now that you have accepted the authorization or approval sense of
the word, and have acknowledged 97.1 and the regs relating to RACES, go back
to my original statement you objected to - "there is nothing in Part 95 that
mandates public service like that found in Part 97." Would you now agree
there is nothing in Part 95 relating to public service that is like that
found in Part 97?


Dwight Stewart (W5NET)

http://www.qsl.net/w5net/

"Dwight Stewart" wrote in message
nk.net...
"Dee D. Flint" wrote:

Except that the FCC rules do not
grant any authority in anyway to do
public service nor do they establish
any requirement to do public
service. In any sense of the word
mandate, there is none in the FCC
Part 97.


Okay, now that you have accepted the authorization or approval sense of
the word, and have acknowledged 97.1 and the regs relating to RACES, go
back
to my original statement you objected to - "there is nothing in Part 95
that
mandates public service like that found in Part 97." Would you now agree
there is nothing in Part 95 relating to public service that is like that
found in Part 97?


Neither Part 97 or Part 95 mandates or authorizes public service. Part 97
however recognizes and encourages public service which Part 95 does not.
That was obvious from the beginning and I never challenged the fact that
Part 97 is altogether different than Part 95.

Dee D. Flint, N8UZE

"Leo" wrote in message
...
Based on these references, the reference to authorization in the regs
could well be interpreted as a mandate, using the dictionary
definition #2 from both sources, and confirmed by the thesaurus.

The regs have no reference to authorization in them. So the usage of mandate
is still incorrect.

Dee D. Flint, N8UZE

"Leo" wrote:

(snip) Based on these references, the
reference to authorization in the regs
could well be interpreted as a mandate,
using the dictionary definition #2 from
both sources, and confirmed by the
thesaurus.


Wow. Thanks for looking, and typing, all that up for us, Leo. Words are
always modified by the context of the discussion. In one case, a mandate is
a command. In another, it's an approval, authorization, or so on. In the
context used, knowing most here should know the FCC rules (or could look
them up), the sense of that word should have been obvious.


Dwight Stewart (W5NET)

http://www.qsl.net/w5net/

"Dwight Stewart" wrote in message
k.net...
"Leo" wrote:

The belief that a mandate for amateur
radio to participate in public service
communications is quite common -
just did a quick search on Google,
and II have attached an ARRL
reference as well as one amateur
radio club, who both clearly call it a
"mandate".


No, the real problem is that some simply don't understand the full
meaning
of the word "mandate." They feel there is some kind of requirement behind
it. So, of course, they get confused when it is used in a non-required
context. However, there is no requirements associated associated with the
other senses of the word. For example, the president can be given a
mandate
by the voters to lower taxes, but there is no requirement to do so.
Amateur
Radio operators have a mandate to perform public service (it's in the
basis
and purpose of this radio service), but there is no requirement to do so.


Dwight Stewart (W5NET)


And you seem to be unaware of the political fluff that is tossed around by
politicians and lobbyists to "prove" their point. You've got to read the
rules for any activity. The FCC rules give no mandate or authorization or
assignment of public service to the ham operator.

Dee D. Flint, N8UZE