I’ve been off the air or “QRT” for most of the pandemic because I’ve been disillusioned with my hobby of more than 30 years. The microaggressions and outright racist behavior of a few LIDS (as in “lids” on the fun) both on the air and in person seemed more than I could bear–particularly with the stress of #COVID19.
I’m not going the list all the racist jabs and attacks I’ve had to deal with both on the air and off over the years. Evil is banal. On balance, it seemed that most hams were reasonable people–even those to the right of me politically. But after the 6 January 2021 insurrection, I actually considered selling all my gear and getting off the air permanently.
During the insurrection, I monitored fellow ham radio operators participating in the attack on the White House and tracked some of them who were dumb or arrogant enough to leave their radios’ APRS tracking beacons on during the attack. It wasn’t lost on me that they could similarly track my signal to my home and attack my family. Those that haven’t been caught still could.
Even the “peaceful” participants in the so called “#StopTheSteal” rally who did not attack the capital were essentially supporting the nullification my vote and their leaders are currently supporting legislation to prevent me from voting in the future.
Before my uncle George Alexander entered the Realm of the Ancestors (Omega Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.), he told me that as an US Army chaplain, he was called to be with the men and women in his change–especially in their hardest of times. He prayed with dying and wounded soldiers in Vietnam and he, too often, had to counsel families that lost their beloved child, spouse, father, or mother.
He said that cowardice is really choosing personal safety over your calling to be with difficult people in difficult circumstances. And, I learned from him that having courage is not about being unafraid. Courage is choosing to serve even when you are afraid.
So I thought to myself, what if there was some other ham radio operator out there like me? What if there was someone out in the ether, who, also dispirited by the loud voices of hatred on and off the air, needed someone reasonable to talk with? Who would be there for them? Who would answer their CQ or send them a message on APRS? What if during this slow COVID19 induced emergency, there were a bunch of us who want to share the geeky fun and goodwill that ham radio promised back in 1975 when I got started?
So what do you say? Will you join me back on the air? Will you answer the call?