Could you imagine this…

One of the many hobbies I've had is #AmateurRadio. It's a very neat hobby, and doesn't get nearly enough respect.

Just imagine if you will, that me exercising my hobby resulted in thousands of preventable deaths every year. Just imagine that somehow, little handheld radios like I used to carry in my pocket quite frequently were used to kill over a thousand children each and every year.

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And just imagine if my response was to say, "I have the right to exercise my right to this hobby no matter what. If you're worried about "mass radioings," just make sure all the teachers get radio licenses so that they can deal with the interference.

Wouldn't you call me mad? Wouldn't you consider me a monster?

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And yet, this is the conversation we have to have EVERY SINGLE MONTH over #GunControl in the USA, and the proponents of unrestricted gun access are NOTHING MORE than hobbyists with a deadly hobby, and zero concern for anyone but themselves.

Sorry, this wasn't prompted by any recent event (from which I sadly could have taken my pick freely), but just a thought process in my head.

@RL_Dane What if carrying your little handheld radio prevented many preventable deaths every year?

@golemwire

Then you are an asset. But at the same time, you being an asset with your radio should not insist that those radios be sold with no background checks or checks of any kind. If you respect the instrument enough to use it only for good, you should care that it never be used for evil.

I had to study and take a test to get my radio license. It wasn't trivial.