When you apply for an amateur radio license in the US there's a box that asks if you've ever been convicted of a felony.
And I think that sucks.
@KF0BRS see it as an incentive to get licensed before your first conviction.
@dl4mat lol. I mean that's something I guess.
However I think your license *can* be revoked as part of your conviction.
@dl4mat In a strictly legalistic sense, I can kind of understand the logic of wanting to keep people found guilty of *radio related crimes* away from amateur radio.
But it's hardly the same as keeping people found guilty of *gun related* crimes away from guns because you don't need to go through a background check to get a radio like you do with buying a gun. In the case of ham radio, the only things you might not be able to do are things like Echolink where you need to verify your call sign.
All it really does is continue the punishment of people who have already supposedly "paid their debt to society" by blocking their participation in society in the same way that ex-prisoners are blocked from getting a job due to their conviction.
@KF0BRS that last argument about having paid their debt is a good one. Especially because I don't see a good argument in favor of this law. What do lawmakers expect ex-cons to do with their rig? Roast their neighbors? If so, why would they get licensed for this?
@KF0BRS that's a very good point.