>Amateur radio is a hobby dedicated to communications
   >through radio devices and which is regulated by licensing but
   >availible to all citizens regardless of their race age sex bla bla
   >bla, which, as it happens, is what the CB band happens to be,
Message-Id: <20050721155137.FCWH3347.ibm60aec.bellsouth.net@[68.212.100.190]>

I guess I"m reading too many journals etc. devoted to emergency and
disaster communications, but one point made recently by the editor of
emcom, www.emcomm.org happens to be one I agree with.  HE says:

COMMENT:  Well OM, I'm sure you mean well.  You can have all the concern =
in the world and get hundreds of hams to write letters, but as long as =
you continue to refer to the amateur service (Part 97.1) as "a hobby",  =
you will gather very little (if any) sympathy from non-hams.  The =
telecommunication industry promoters that are lobbying for BPL (as well =
as the FCC and other regulatory agencies), do not give a rat's ass about =
someone's "hobby".  Years ago I had a retired FCC Field Officer tell me =
that in every single case or hearing, where he was called to testify =
before a federal administrative law judge, where the ham involved =
referred to the amateur service as "a hobby";  the judge immediately =
ruled against the ham no matter what the issue was before him.  The FCC =
Officer said that the standard answer from judges was:  "This court has =
no jurisdiction or interest in someone's hobby.  Case dismissed!"  As =
long as hams and amateur organizations see the amateur service as "only =
a hobby"...we are all doomed.  All hams need to read FCC part 97.1 and =
learn why we have our amateur privileges.

Just some food for thought I thought to throw out there with my first
cup of coffee.

73 de nf5b



Richard Webb

Electric Spider Productions
                                            "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
--- Benjamin Franklin, NOvember 1755 from the
Historical review of Pennsylvania