Ham Arrested at NC Airport

While it's true that emcomm drills have been around, that is only one aspect. ARRL has been **soaking** us with all of the emcomm this and emcomm that for about the last 10 years.

The ARRL's "overaccommodative" attitude toward public safety employees, I'll grant you, does not increase whackerism on the surface. Subliminally, it mixes with the mindsets of some, like this thread example, such that "calling dispatch" could be a morphed form of calling someone who is an emcomm employee ham. (Whether on duty at the time, or at home).

If many law enforcement officers are hams, it could be perceived that's a first step to getting into the program. Or, being self-appointed constables, as in this example.

Why didn't ARRL come out and pursue prosecution of the 100 or so Indy PD officers using 2M radios in their cars without licenses? That example screams so loud it's deafening. A virtual ARRL endorsement of the abuse of amateur radio by a public safety agency.

 

yep your right this is just STUPID

 

A little more background from a ham that knows him from the Coshocton County Amateur Radio Association:
http://www.zanesvilletimesrecorder....01/4280304/1002/McVey-released-from-N.C.-jail

Also in the article:

 

We all could probably find someone who would say anything about another member of a group any of us belongs to.

I would be hesitant to accept anybody who had any character testimony on McVey. I fall back on what I want before I make my mind up on rather this guy needs to be convicted with something or not. I want to hear him explain his actions. I have read his bio here on the Zed and that leads me to believe what McVey needs more than anything is an Elmer. Someone he looks up to to provide him with a little guidance.

 

Yes, but this goes beyond ham Elmering. When to and when not to display your firearm (even when legal) should come from firearm training. Is there an equivalent term for "Elmering" for gun owners? "Elmer" is a ham term.

 

I was using the term in the relative sense.
What this guy really needs is a retired cop he looks up to. Someone who would show him some gun and Emcom related social skills.

 

And AR EMCOM seems to be a sink for those who flunk the psych evaluations for such proffessional roles: "I'm here to help! You're supposed to need me!"

And, unfortunately, they tend to be un-Elmerable.

 

Yes I totally agree with you on that idea Joe, Clearly he seems to be a misguided individual who has been running into Police on more than one occasion.

...**However**,

What's really alarming to me is all the blown out of proportion media reports associated with this incident regardless if the young man is misguided or not.

Perhaps, next time it will be you and I who will become the next media victim simply because we have "police radios" installed inside our car, antenna's installed on our trunk, a PA horn (siren?) under the hood, or even a list of "radio frequencies" on a piece of paper (ARRL repeater guide?) "hidden" inside our glove box. Are we all impersonating police if we wear an HT ("police equipment") on our belt?

There seems to be a growing perception in the media, the public and even the police that posessing ordinary amateur radio equipment somehow makes you a suspicious individual who needs to be stopped, detained and questioned by authorities.

That is a problem for everyone in my opinion.

 

You bring up a very important point;
The media has maintained (for whatever reason) a state of hysteria since 9/11.

 

Yup and it's all done for ratings. Money over truth.

 

From the Homeland Security Advisory System created soon after 9/11:

So it's not just the media.

 

It's also been raised for political reasons, that is something you can find with Google easily.
It's meaningless from a security standpoint.

 

It has not been changed from Elevated (Yellow) since August 12, 2005 (excluding domestic and international flights).

 

This example does not fit. The ham in question is NOT a LEO, he is a whacker. Whether or not any LEO wants to become a ham is a question for he himself to answer. The issue of whether or not any LEO wants to become a ham is a separate issue to the existance of whackers.

You need to get off the Indy thing, it's getting old. The ARRL doesn't "pursue prosecution" of anyone, any more than a whacker pursues prosecution of a speeder. We don't need the ARRL or it's members becoming "FCC whackers".

Joe

 

Until a couple of years ago I didn't even notice "EMCOMM" anywhere . . . until I started reading QRZ frequently where the anti-EMCOMM folks are crying daily about the sky falling.

When I look at the ARRL website and QST, I see *MUCH* more info on DX, propagation, VHF/UHF, building projects and technical stuff than EMCOMM.

FWIW . . . .

.............Bob