I don't know about a "right" to protest. What an overworked word. It's
more about the propriety of the time and forum in which to interject an
element potentially detrimental to the overall effort and spirit. If the
contest director deems it unsportsmanlike in this context, then it is.
Some are prepared to take one action or another, including vocalizations,
but crave to be excused from the consequences, pleading "rights". And these
persons also have their (perhaps unintended) apoligists running
interference.
The consequences to these actions may also be delivered by those exercising
their "right" to do so.
W4LC
----- Original Message -----
From: "Tree" <tree@kkn.net>
To: <cq-contest@contesting.com>
Sent: Monday, March 31, 2003 19:37
Subject: [CQ-Contest] Re: Unsportsmanlike conduct
>
> Well - many of you might feel that contesting / amateur radio should be a
> political free zone. I probably agree with that - but I don't think it is
> appropriate for us to impose that upon other people who don't agree with
it.
>
> However, I think the act of "not working" some people really is very silly
> reason to say someone is unsportsmanlike. How many of us have "not
worked"
> someone calling us in the ARRL DX contest when they were in the USA?
>
> I am also reminded of my own selfish actions during the 1990 Californina
> QSO Party from 4U1ITU where I was shunning people in all countries, and
> 49/50ths of the USA by only working stations in California.
>
> A similar situation could exist for someone in Asiatic Turkey, who decides
to
> ignore the one point JAs calling him, and rather tries to scare up another
> European who is worth 3X the points.
>
> Another vivid memory is at XE2SI back in the early 1980's. I had the gall
> to start up the contest below the American phone band (28.500 back in
those
> days). And it was alarming the number of people coming down below .500
> shouting "United States" at me... despite the fact that I had a high rate
> going into Japan with QSOs that counted more points. I declined to work
any
> USA stations until the next day.
>
> Back to the politics...
>
> People have their own motivations, and one of the things the USA does
pride
> itself on is letting people express them. You may not agree with his
position,
> but give him the right to make his protest without being ugly.
>
> Just my opinion.
>
> Tree N6TR
> tree@kkn.net
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