Good rebuttal Alex.
You are correct, the ARRL does not represent you. In fact no
organization represents you at all. To the federal government, when it
comes to all of the commercial interests that do represent large groups
of "consumers" (read voters), you are a non-entity as a licensed ham.
And I agree with you--I wouldn't call the ARRL a democracy anymore than
I'd call AARP a democracy. They're both lobbying organizations in one
sense. The ARRL does at least have member representation through
elections; not sure about AARP or others. Many people do confuse
representative elections with democracy.
In addition, with ARRL representation, we don't get any
conservative/liberal differential brought to light through campaigning
like we sometimes do in our government elections. It would cost too
much. We don't know where they really stand on future issues until they
vote on them. I know that my Division Rep went to the trouble of taking
e-mail polls to get the feeling where his folks stood on the recent
licensing changes and voted accordingly. Other reps probably didn't
bother with that. So it's hit & miss when it comes to representation.
Today the Amateur Radio Service faces spectrum threats like never
before. And it's only going to get much worse as new wireless
technologies increase exponentially. This exponentially increasing
demand for spectrum will force the FCC to allow harmful interference to
older analog technologies by redefining interference under its
Interference Temperature concept. Anyone still using AM, SSB, CW, FM,
or any other analog-based technology will be viewed as low-tech
spectrum-wasting users who must move out of the way for the more hi-tech
consumer-driven digital technology. This will go far beyond any damage
BPL could do.
Knowing how cheap most hams are and how long it took for acceptance of
SSB, I doubt we will be able to make this transition fast enough for
most regulators. We will simply be viewed as a stumbling block, and if
that ends up being the case, it could be the end of Amateur Radio as we
know it or even altogether.
So if you're somewhere from 50% to 99.9% opposed to whatever the ARRL
does or stands for, stay a non-entity and non-member. You have that
right, and I'll respect that. But I believe you're doing yourself and
ham radio far more harm than good given the situation. Divided we will
easily fall. Of course, I hope that I am completely wrong.
73, de ed -K0iL
-----Original Message-----
From: rfi-bounces@contesting.com
WA2BPE wrote:
> What bothers me is that there are so many HAMs who refuse to support
the ARRL
> because all policies aren't to their liking.
Yes, it is very easy to get distracted by that fact. Complaining about
such, and simply dismissing the concerns non members have ("because all
policies aren't to their liking"), only brings out defensive feelings in
those you are addressing in your complaint and will hardly persuade a
person to become a member. As a member of an organization you simply
have to accept the fact that not everyone will support you or your
cause. It's impossible. There really is nothing that can be done about
it, no matter how bothersome that is to you.
I'm not an ARRL member. The ARRL does not represent me, regardless of
what anyone claims. I've tried, until some time last year. I came to the
conclusion it didn't work for me. I try to support the ARRL on issues I
can agree with, but will not lend default support by becoming a member
again. The democracy you speak of has been proven imaginary to me.
I respect the choice of my fellow ham to be an ARRL member, and would
never try to persuade members to give up their membership just because
of what my feelings about the ARRL are. I wish sometimes though that
folks would reciprocate the same courtesy of respect for the choice I
have made.
Either way, I don't let it bother me too much that so many hams choose
to support the ARRL just because they like a few of their policies. :-)
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