Listening Between the Lines

Listening Between the Words

Not having Jim ki6gu, Bill wb6bnq, Billie n6ayj, Timmie n5mza, and Steve kg6txh around to throw wrenches (and often well thought out ideas – not to mention funnies) into the over greased and slick wheel of ‘the group’ (I will have to come up with a ‘cutesy’ name as Big Ben kd7bcw, calls my descriptive labels), has been a major loss to most SWL’s and indeed, many HAMS, if they have the mental and emotional fortitude to admit it.

The list of ‘outcasts’ is growing long, is it not?

Many have been driven out of the group during the past two years, for one transgression or another. Transgressions often related to being human (no excuses allowed, no explanations asked for, no real forgiveness offered).

Yep, they’ve been told, in no uncertain terms, to leave and not come back; had their spots removed from HamCams, and their names and calls put on some invisible ignore list.

Have NONE of the judgmental, perfect human beings, who are making the decisions of what is ‘right’ and ‘wrong’, of what is ‘acceptable’ or ‘not’, for everyone, ever heard of glass houses and throwing the first stone?

Perhaps next week, one of these ‘Moral Majority’ Hams will do or say something that will get them ousted. You never know. After they come for ‘me’, they WILL come for ‘you’.

I think an immediate, double dose of ‘live and let live’, ‘take your OWN inventory’, and MYOB (mind your OWN business) is desperately needed by some of these HAMS. And the ones that don’t need these remedies, should take the high road, and PRACTICE the above. Lead by doing!

Then there are those HAMS who, for whatever reasons, just do not want to participate any longer, and have disappeared from the group, like Karen w6so. Is there any wonder why?

Then there is a still another long list of HAMS who used to participate regularly and are now just occasional visitors like Trish k4ze, and Mac w7lw. Is there any wonder why?

But what’s worse perhaps than all of the above is the automatic and subconscious practice of ‘group think’ that is going on here. The HAMS that are still with the “IN” group (insert cutesy moniker), are not allowed to mention the ousted, or the out of favor HAMS on air. I am positively sure that behind the scenes, HAMS are taken to task, via email or messenger, when this strongly reinforced unspoken (literally) ‘rule’ is inadvertently breeched.
I am the first one to admit that a certain amount of decorum, manners if you will, should prevail on air MOST of the time. But not ALL of the time. People are people! And each person is different. People are going to act like themselves, on and off air, including dictators, directors, and followers!

I am NOT saying that truly bad on air behavior should be condoned; it shouldn’t, displeasure should be conveyed to the miscreant (and to the FCC), and ignoring the party, completely and totally, by those that CHOOSE to do so, should be the extent of the action, period. Anything more is vigilantism…

I am saying that the ‘group’ (insert cutesy moniker) does not have the moral or legal or social obligation they seem to feel, to exclude people. By taking on that self appointed, self righteous ‘role’ they have inadvertently lessened themselves (perhaps even more than the wrong doers!), their hobby, and their on air lives.

How sad! How mundane! How low class! How cliquish! How unthinking! How unbelievably predictable of the ‘IN’ (insert cutesy moniker) group! And what a loss for everyone involved (including SWL’s and commentators). Hasn’t there been enough loss???