15 allkirjad
Kogumine valmis
Petitsioon on adresseeritud: Nebraska state legislature
We seek to close a loophole in the 1996 Telecommunications Act which allows private land use agreements such as homeowners associations and covenants, for purely aesthetic reasons, to prohibit the erection of permanent antenna structures for the use of amateur radio. This petition is to demonstrate to legislators the amount of interest in passing a bill such as S. 3690 at the state level.
Selgitus
While amateur radio is widely viewed as a hobby, it also serves vital functions. Many operators are members of ARES (http://www.arrl.org/ares) which supports a wide variety of emergency communications when traditional communication infrastructure is impaired or unavailable. There is also the SKYWARN program (SKYWARN Amateur Radio Network) which relies on amateur radio to relay timely and important information about dangerous weather events such as tornadoes.
By prohibiting the erection of antennas, and therefore the effective use of amateur radio in American neighborhoods, these land use agreements are impeding an important safety apparatus. It is perhaps a dramatic example but is nonetheless a relevant comparison to say this is similar to an HOA refusing to allow fire hydrants because they are not visually pleasing. Antennas, like hydrants, serve a vital safety function.
