Setting the atmosphere: In the recent series “Around the World in 80 Days” Phileas Fogg at one point was asked if as an Englishman did he dislike the French? Fogg replied affirmatively, adding “But not personally!”
Our present Reality: The Russian – Ukraine conflict, with the not actively fighting but outspoken Belarussians included, have been largely banned from amateur radio contesting and events.
Most Ukraine amateurs are off the air per the direction of their government, excepting those in the now occupied areas where the Russians are tolerating amateurs returning to the air with their original Ukrainian call signs.
Reports from Russia are mixed whether hams there are free to operate or have some limitations. Perhaps based on proximity to the conflict areas?
The war is between governments, over complex arguments that can lead one to a bias one way or the other way depending on what information you have reviewed.
It is not a war between individuals.
Yet as a hobby we have selected the hams in these countries to act as proxies for their governments.
Is that even fair on an amateur to amateur level?
Retched presumptions of whether an individual supports conflict or not have steered our response.
As a hobby we have allowed pressures-political to control our actions.
Our cultivated-outrage has been displaced from the governments involved to the people as individuals.
Years ago when I was travelling Europe as a young man, when the USA was under particular criticism, I removed my USA flag from my backpack just to tone down the conflict it brought my way.
A few years later I was accosted several times on the basis that as an American I should somehow accept “punishment by proxy.” These brave Europeans (one German and three English, in four separate incidents) were easily handled, so I was never really in much personal danger. But I was forced to respond to their violence with situation-ending controlled violence of my own, which is always a fail in my own estimation. (For the record England in big cities is really weird, in addition to these foiled attacks, I was beset upon my huffers with a knife (glue sniffers), twice attempts were made to steal my car, my house was burgled, and I foiled a police parking ticket scam as the scammer didn’t know I was on good terms with the police through some VIP protection work I helped with for my school.)
So why as a hobby are we doing our punishment-by-proxy of those who with we share the most interests?
As they say YMMV (You Mileage May Vary) in terms of whether shunning is appropriate in a hobby.
73
Steve
K9ZW