From: K0HB on Sep 3, 5:32 pm


"an_old_friend" wrote

you are braging,

My granny always told me "It ain't bragging if you can do it."

Then your "granny" is Jimmie Miccolis or she was a mis-quoted
former baseball player.


On "bragging:" Frank has the real motive pinned to the wall with
a big sign saying (variously) "Look at me!", "Love me because I am
a Hero", "Ham radio is Heroic, a savior to mankind" or some such
nonsensical SELF-praise.

Dan Jeswald and some others have the stock non-reply ready and
waiting: "Disagree with me and you HATE ham radio!" :-)

Indeed, ANY disagreement with Truthspeak sayings of the ARRL is
labeled as "You HATE ham radio!"

That sort of "critique" is as boring as it is nonsensical. It is
just bullsnit.

Amateur radio is a HOBBY, a personal activity involving
transmission of RF energy communications for recreation as a fun
avocation. It has always been so since the beginning of government
regulated radio 93 years ago. It is called a "service" because
that is the regulatory term used by the FCC for all U.S. civil
radio to denote a type and kind of radio being regulated.

Sending health and welfare messages does NOT supply BASIC NEEDS
to disaster victims, doesn't give them food, shelter, hygiene
facilities, medical aid, or anything else but some slight emotional
sustenance. Once this snack bite of emotion is satisfied, the
victims are still stuck with BASIC NEEDS that aren't satisfied by
some radio messages. Health and welfare messages do NOT reach into
the disaster center where the majority of victims are. Health and
welfare messages to distant family and friends usually "travels"
on the existing infrastructure of public communications that was
not affected by any disaster. Health and welfare messages don't
transport homeless victims to dry shelter over almost-impassible
flooded roadways. But, some of the carriers of a FEW health and
welfare messages think they are the next thing to those who can
walk on water, those who perform miracles, and other vainglorious
accomplishments.

ORDINARY CITIZENS can do much for disaster victims in their own
way by whatever means work for them. Few ordinary citizens want
"name recognition" for themselves or gratuitous praise heaped on
them for minor assistance efforts. They do it because they are
human and want to help fellow humans victimized by a disaster.
Tens of thousands, perhaps more, are doing that already. They
aren't USING what they do in order to heap praise upon themselves.
They just do it and that's that.

But, in HERE, we've got those who grab the banners of praise and
wrap it around themselves and parrot the feel-good phrases of the
clubs "Ham radio is showing what it's good for!" as if that were
the sole purpose of creation of that radio service. It wasn't.
Public Safety Radio Services were created for that and more and
have been as busy as possible, working without fanfare or big
signs of "look at me, I'm a hero" on their T-shirts.

So, somebody passes some health and welfare messages on a Net.
Clap, clap, mild applause. Their medals and certificates of valor
are in the mail. Not to worry, a big membership organization will
compose the sagas that will become legend in history. All those
Net members are automatic HEROES for passing messages and then
passing gas about their Wonderful Good Works. Clap, clap.

All who call their passing gas as vainglorious are labeled
"haters of ham radio" in order to end any and all discussion.
The HOBBY must remain "heroic." Clap, clap.


bip bip

---
Liberator of Common Sense and Deflator of Gaseous Egos