Radio Clubs and The First Amendment: Some Radio Clubs Don't Give Members Their 
First Amendment Rights!-by Eric Bueneman
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(This article was originally posted on the N0UIH E-mail list server.)


The First Amendment of the United States Constitution guarantees us freedom 
of speech, right? Yes and no.
While some radio clubs do allow their members to freely express their views 
on an aspect of the hobby (even if it's controversial), others, 
unfortunately, do not allow members to freely express their views on the 
hobby. 
Take, for instance, the controversial issue of "country counting". The N0UIH 
Countries List, which is available free of charge on the World Wide Web, is 
the ONLY countries list that is politically correct. To put "politically 
correct" into this context means that it is the only Countries list that has 
it's standards established as of January 1, 1999. Unfortunately, most 
"countries lists" have standards established as of September 1, 
1945...standards that are over half a century old. One club (and I am not 
naming clubs here, for fear of legal trouble) simply refused to publish my 
opinion on this issue, while another published a similar opinion on the 
issue, and allowed it's members to reply with opposing viewpoints.
In the case of the former club, refusing to publish a member's viewpoint on a 
controversial issue is unconstitutional. In this case, this club illegally 
denied this member's right to express his views on a controversial issue, as 
granted under the First Amendment of the Constitution of The United States. 
As a result of this club's denial of a member's right to express his or her 
opinion on this issue, they never allowed it's members to reply with opposing 
viewpoints. In other words, this club was forcing their opinions on the 
membership. Their interpretation of Constitutional law, in this case, is DEAD 
WRONG. By denying the member a chance to express his or her opinion on how 
the club was being run, how "radio countries" were being counted, etc., the 
club was not open to making the changes necessary to improve relations 
between the officers and the membership, making them closed-minded to any 
kind of change. This is unfair, bordering on Communism, and is truly 
un-American.
In the latter club's case, they observed the member's First Amendment right 
to freely speak out on a controversial issue. Any club who allows it's 
members their rights to free speech, as granted under the First Amendment, is 
also allowing for other members to reply to opposing viewpoints on 
controversial issues in the hobby. DXers, isn't this what the United States 
is all about? Being given your God-given right to speak your mind on what's 
wrong in this hobby? I believe that free speech is what helped build this 
country; some clubs continue to attack members' free speech rights, while 
others do the right thing, and grant it's members their constitutional right 
to free speech.
I think this what ALL radio clubs in this country need to do. They need to 
protect the rights of it's members to free speech. In other words, they 
should always be allowed to let a member speak out on a controversial topic 
in the hobby, and allow time for members to send in opposing viewpoints. No 
radio club has the right to suppress free speech, and force it's opinions on 
it's membership.

(This is the opinion of Eric Bueneman, Amateur Radio Station N0UIH, and does 
not necessarily reflect the opinions of the other members of this list. You 
are welcome to E-mail opposing viewpoints at n0uih@egroups.com) 





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