Scanners - Are They Really Needed?

[gmclam]

I used to do some grass roots lobbying here in the capital of California. I was always amazed that our idiots .. er I mean lawmakers at the Capital thought that all they had to do to make something happen (the way they wanted) was to pass a law and magically overnight that would be the way people behave. WOW. I'd swear things just about work 180 degrees the opposite. Case in point - cell phone use while driving or marijuana use.

I firmly believe that we do NOT need full time "law makers". We really need every law on the books gone over and many of them removed. I know most laws were written with good intentions, but few, if any, work that way. And then when it comes to enforcing those laws, especially on the highways, most are not enforced at all.

Every time I have boarded an airplane since 9/11/2001 I have the feeling that the terrorists have won. We used to have a (more) free country, but slowly over time our rights and privleges have been taken away. Someone once said 'those who give up freedom for security deserve neither'.

Shouldn't there be a law that makes pot illegal? Oh wait a minute there already is. So now you want a law about who can monitor what? And what is the punishment for this "crime"? And who pays for that enforcement/etc? We need less government, less laws and a return to personal responsibility.

[jrholm]

Hello, this is your local Gestapo member. Just wanted to let you know your friendly local Gestapo members support the hobby of scanning. Soooooooooooooooooooo, I would hate to think of somebody more protective of L/E than me requesting restrictions of scanning.

[Tim-in-TX]

Wow! This is just as entertaining as his other thread:

Shuold CPD Start Checking I-Phones?

Originally Posted by KC9NCF

The only people with the need for remote radio technology is us hams and public safety professionals. Beyond that, you will be hard pressed to prove the real need, need for the freedom for remote streaming radio access to public safety freqs, and what useful purpose it serves toward the benefit of the various departments out here.

[TBennettcc]

"Those that give up essential liberties to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." - Benjamin Franklin.

I think of this quote every time I board an airplane at an airport. They take away so many things that you can no longer take on a plane... no drinks? Are you KIDDING ME? That's right, because inside my SEALED can of soda, I have a bomb. Or maybe dioxin, or some nerve gas. Yep. I'm not telling you how I got it in there. It's a secret. >.>

... seriously. If we are not willing to lose our lives everyday to have and enjoy the beautiful freedoms that defines America, what is the point in living? We should learn to live EVERY DAY to the fullest. Otherwise, what are we doing? Are we merely existing? I think when people are threatened with their very lives, they find out very quickly what is important to them. Others think their lives are all they have. (Think "V for Vendetta").

To KC9NCF:

Originally Posted by KC9NCF
The only people with the need for remote radio technology is us hams and public safety professionals. Beyond that, you will be hard pressed to prove the real need, need for the freedom for remote streaming radio access to public safety freqs, and what useful purpose it serves toward the benefit of the various departments out here.

Scanning is, first and foremost, a hobby. Sure, there are some that use it for personal gain, and others use it for crime, but for the most part, it is used by law-abiding citizens. Would you require a person who wanted to buy a circular saw, or a lathe, or a wood planer show proof that they were making the purchase for a business, instead of for personal use? Is it illegal for them to own such equipment, because they *might* use it for illegal purposes? Should it be illegal for them? Should proof of a business be required? If so, what's to prevent someone from going and making a fictitious name registration and other required documentation to obtain said "illegal tools"? How far is too far?

Also, don't forget that amateur radio is also a HOBBY. Outside of ARES/RACES, if a communications emergency is declared by the government, we have no right to use our radios to communicate as well. Our radios are not necessary to anybody for anything. We do not NEED our radios for anything. We are AMATEURS because we are not paid, and operate our radios to learn and to promote international goodwill.

What everyday service to the public merits the possession and use of scanners by anyone and everyone? Why should scanners and any implied privilege of radio interception be preserved? Make the case for AND against.

If you're going to go that far, what everyday service to the public merits ANY hobby? Should it be illegal to fly model R/C planes? Build a boat? Work on cars without being SAE certified? Run low-voltage wiring without being a certified electrician? Own a telescope and observe the night sky (and sun, with special equipment) without being an astronomer? There are probably more... These certainly don't provide an everyday service to the public, yet I don't see them being illegal...

I'm not quite sure what your aim here was, but that's my two cents...

[FLRAILMAN]

Jim (Corn) whose post are you responding to?

FLRAILMAN

[Citywide173]

Originally Posted by KC9NCF

You are one of the valuable people given your credentials, and I think you should read my latest reply before you assume anything.

You seem to have missed my point entirely. Yes, I'm a ham, yes, I have public safety credentials up the wazoo....but I use a scanner to support my hobby of fire buffing, which has nothing to do with those. When I'm on a fire scene with my camera, I'm just a civilian, nothing more than that because of my other hobbies, or my profession.

There are plenty of fire buffs out there that aren't affiliated with public safety agencies other than a respect and general support of the fire department that use scanners for the same purpose, as there are other types of "unaffiliated" buffs that use radios to monitor as part of their hobby-railroad and aircraft come immediately to mind. Why should these people be subjected to a "red light review" just to enjoy a hobby?

[loumaag]

This has gone far enough.

The OP should consider carefully any future topics before starting them; I believe you are aware of why I say this.