[CW] Federal Regulation Is Our Future

[John Rippey]

Perhaps the views of hams on CW and other matters are affected more than we 
realize by the fact that our hobby is so very highly regulated. Its 
existence is almost totally dependent on the whim of the federal 
government. Consider as an alternative, recreational boating, which is not. 
People buy a boat, get on it, and it's every man for himself out on the 
water. Some boating situations end up being a matter of life and death, and 
yet federal and state regulation is comparatively light.

Not so, ham radio. And we seem to want it that way. Note the comments, with 
which I agree, that sub-bands should be retained and enforced because 
otherwise badly-behaved ops with strong sigs will crush others operating in 
other modes, etc. This is like petitioning the Coast Guard to tell boaters 
that they cannot use certain waterways unless they have certain 
boats--separating sailboaters from power boaters, for example. Boaters 
wouldn't stand for it, and the Coast Guard wouldn't, either.

It's as if we have chosen to spend our lives in a long-term care facility. 
We want Uncle Sam to take care of us. There are hams clamoring for the FCC 
to mandate/eliminate the learning of CW. Don't deregulate, let the 
government decide, we argue. Libertarians need not apply. We even have a 
fed enforcer out there (Hollingsworth) going after hams exhibiting bad 
manners, and many of us applaud his actions. In other words, hams over the 
years have sought federal benefits and/or protection and as a result have 
placed themselves in a position such that we are virtual clients of a 
federal regulatory agency. There may be another group of hobbyists out 
there who have maneuvered themselves into the same position, but I can't 
think of it.

I suspect there's no turning back.

73,
John, W3ULS