[Ares-races] ARRL & Democratic Convention...

[Dave Haney]

Steve is right on the mark. There is no reason to polticize this. Hams are
there to help when needed in emergencies. This announcement was simply the
ARRL's way of pointing his out.

I am sure that a similar announcement wil be made just prior to the upcoming
Republican election.

Dave
W3SJ
List Administrator




Ordinarily I stand on the sidelines and watch this list fly by.  It is
usually a good and valuable forum for information pertinent to the
ARES/RACES community.  I have personally picked up many tidbits from it
over the years.  I hope in the future it continues to maintain a high
standard of usefulness for the whole of the ARES/RACES community.

I, for one, read absolutely NOTHING politically motivated in the ARRL
press release regarding emergency communications preparedness in
anticipation of the Democratic National Convention.  As someone who has no
chip on my shoulder either way with regard to Democrats or Republicans I
can say that all I read was a routine, run-of-the-mill, press release
trying to drum up recognition for Amateur Radio as an adjunct arm of
effective emergency communications support.

I know a thing or two about press releases.  I work for a public relations
firm here in the Philadelphia area.

If the ARRL were one of our clients I would have urged them to issue just
such a press release.  I would urge them to do the same thing yet again in
anticipation of the Republican Convention.  You see, those of us who are
responsible for publicity for ARES/RACES know that there is a cardinal
rule in our particular line of volunteer service...

When you are providing communications support for a large scale event,
"get the word out."

The ARRL simply "got the word out."

There are very few areas of service left in this country that truly
transcend the harsh polarization of political beliefs that have overtaken
us as a citizenry.  We in Amateur Radio need to be mature enough to shelve
our politics, our rhetoric, and our heightened sensitivity to opposing
beliefs when it comes time to serve our fellow citizens in a time of
potential crisis.

Put plainly, we needed to take less offense over what was, in the end, a
guileless effort to "get the word out."

The ARRL announced, using a "press release", that Amateur Radio was doing
its part in the war on terror.  The ARRL didn't "endorse" the Democratic
party OR its ideals.  It simply let the world know that we as Amateur
Radio Operators we are standing at the ready to do our part should
sinister elements take aim at a very public event located in one of our
country's most historically significant cities.

Just as I am sure there would be Republican ARES/RACES operators who would
serve selflessly if something happened in Boston, I am equally certain
there will be Democrat ARES/RACES operators who would serve equally
selflessly if something happened in New York during the Republican
convention.  Come to think of it, I am quite certain people from both
parties served side by side, in harms way, on 9/11 and in the following
weeks.

So for those who saw some sinister political agenda hidden between the
lines of the ARRL's press release I have just one suggestion...

"Lighten up."

Steve, N3LJZ
n3ljz at arrl.net
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