Phil, Et Al:

Just a quick humorous observation about the people we've seen leaving one of
the larger churches in Arlington, Texas once when we were there visiting
friends. As the people rushed out of the church to get in their cars and
leave the church, they turned the church's parking lot into a demolition
derby! It was actually very funny to see all of those presumably religious
church attendees get into their cars and try to beat each other to the
parking lot's exit. They were cussing at each other, giving each other the
finger, and a couple cars even bumped into each other. It was such a
demonstration of hypocrisy and irony. My wife and I laughed and laughed at
the  thought of those people all singing the praises of God in one moment
and turning into the devil's disciples the next! 

Now, I don't want anyone to read anything into this other than the humor of
the scene. I am not condemning all people who attend church. I am simply
sharing a real scenario that I think is incredibly funny, and before anyone
calls my attention to it, I realize it has nothing directly to do with ham
radio, except for this...

I knew two hams who used to be ugly as ugly can be with each other over the
air. One of them was KB8IWM, Ed. I don't remember the other's call or name.
They would intentionally QRM each other and call each other names. However,
they had never met in person before until they met at a hamfest. At the
initial time they met at the hamfest, they didn't realize who each other
was. Ed, KB8IWM, had a table and was selling some of his ham gear. The other
one stepped up and asked how much one of the rigs was, and they got to
talking and being really friendly. They were talking about different ham
gear, and finally, the one guy made Ed an offer for some of the stuff he was
selling, and they agreed on a price and the deal was made. Then, after the
one fellow walked away from the table, Ed said: "Now, there is one hell of a
nice guy. I wish all of the hams were that decent." I was sitting at the
table next to Ed when another ham who knew both of them and knew how ugly
they were to each other on the air, spoke up and said to Ed: "Do you know
who that was?" When Ed found out, he was shocked, and all he could say is
"Well, I'll be damned. I would have never guest that. He's not such an ass
hole after all!" We laughed and laughed over that. I don't know what all
evidently happened after that because they stopped being so ugly toward each
other on the air. Ed died a few years ago, but whenever I would see him
after that incident, I would always ask him: "Have you met any new ass holes
lately?" Then, we would both laugh. 

Ron, K8HSY
  to Ed and   
-----Original Message-----
From: For blind ham radio operators [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
On Behalf Of Phil Scovell
Sent: Friday, June 13, 2014 12:02 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Ham Radio Ethics In Decline

Richard, Ron, Butch and others,

It is always fun to see a knew ham either on the air or on this list. 
Richard, I hope the hobby turns out to be as fun for you as it has for most
of the rest of us all these decades.

Ron and Butch,

You guys hit the nail right on the head.  It is indeed a societal problems. 
Ron, Butch knows this for the most part, but I was in the ministry for 40
years, both traveling as a guest speaker in churchs around the country, and
then later I pastored in two different churches.  I met Butch on 75 meters
when I was an assistant pastor in western Colorado back in 78 or 79. 
Anyhow, what you guys both said about society degrading sure is true and I
hate to say it, but it is even true in many, if not most, churches.  They
have become mega businesses.  I've been attending a new church with my
family for a year now and don't have one person I can call a friend.  To
this day, people still are afraid of blind folks it would seem.  I've
preached hundreds of times in probably a hundred different churches and
being a guest speaker, everyone want to talk to me after church.  As a youth
pastor in one church, an assistant pastor in a couple of different churchs,
and then the head pastor in a couple of churchs, people always treated me as
a normal person.  Become just a walk in member and if you are lucky, if 1
out of a hundred other members will either shake your hand or say hello. 
I've been a Bible teacher, youth pastor, as I already mentioned, counselor
and therapist, and started out when I was 20 years old as a social worker
and I get right down bumbed out thinking about the American life as a kid
born and raise in Des Moines, Iowa compared to now.  In those days, I never
locked my bike at school and the first time I did, the teacher found out and
made me remove the lock.  So I put it on my locker and got in trouble for
that.  I was told it was against the rules to lock your locker.  Try that
now and see what happens; leaving something unlocked I mean.  My dad had a
tool shed with hundreds of dollars worth of tools, even for those days in
the fifties, and we never once locked it and never had anything taken. 
Hells Bells, I lock up everything now.  So, it most certainly isn't an
exclusive ham problem I guess but it makes me sad to think the hobby has
come down to this level we see today.  I'm even more disturbed about our
country.  Shoot, let me live with the red necks any day; at least they know
how to live, haha.  Butch, I am writing a followup message you will find
interesting so look for it tomorrow or the next day.

Phil.
K0NX