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Towards the end of 1998 and the start of 1999 many people were buying and selling scanners on the famous on-line auction eBay(tm). People were very open with the fact that these scanners were either modifiable for cell phone reception or were already capable of cell phone reception. In the beginning eBay(tm) allowed these sales to take place (probably cause they didn't know anything about scanners). I myself had bought a few scanners from sellers on eBay(tm), some cellphone modifiable and other not (cell phone listening is boring to me, so I didn't care). I even sold one scanner on eBay(tm). First I must say, MOST scanners being sold on eBay(tm) go for extremely high prices, especally if they are cell phone capable. Get this: at a pawnshop I bought a PRO-34 (200 channel) scanner in Like-New condition. I paid $50.00 for it! I put it on eBay(tm) with photo and advertised it as "very easy to modify". I sold it for $250.00 for an outdated scanner! Now the gold mine has come to an end. eBay(tm) as wised up (I'm sure they had help!) First, I can say that eBay(tm) didn't wise up on their own, they had to have help. Here's why. eBay(tm) only suspends an auction, deletes an auction, or ends an auction early when SOMEONE ELSE brings the auction in question to the attention of eBay(tm). At anyone time eBay(tm) has nearly 2,000,000 different auction running, they do not have the manpower to check each one on their own. I've been selling on eBay(tm) since November (other products than scanners!) and this was a fact told to me by eBay(tm). Now the question is this "Who is the SOMEONE ELSE?" Could it be a dumb-ass do-gooder? Could it be a member of government (ie - dumb-ass do-gooder with an attitude)? Or could it be a member of the Cell Phone industry (dumb-ass using money to take away American's freedoms) Now I will admit I'm not 100% clear on the cellular phone/scanner law, but lets take a look at what eBay(tm) has said. There have been people trying to auction scanners which are modifiable, but never advertised this fact. These same people also said the scanner was in original condition out-of-the-box (meaning it doesn't break any laws). However these auctions still were removed from eBay(tm). These people wrote letters to eBay(tm) saying "This scanner does not break any law, had never been modified and is just it was when I bought it from Radio Shack". Here's what eBay(tm) would say "Yes, we know, however we can't control what the buyer of your scanner will do with it after he buys it". That statement really pisses me off! If eBay(tm) removes scanners based on this, then each and every auction sould be removed! There isn't one single item on eBay(tm) that couldn't be used in some way to break local, state, or federial laws!!! Example, I could pry off the metal floppy disk cover on a 3.5" floppy and use it to slit someone's throat thereby committing murder with the latest piece of software bought from an eBay(tm) auction. I could buy a book or magazine from an eBay(tm) auction, use the paper to help in starting a fire which leads to a house fire, killing all inside, thereby committing murder and arson. And last but not least! I could buy a computer from an eBay(tm) auction and commit an endless list of crimes, here's some examples;
Now, we can not blame eBay(tm) for this. No, sorry I bet you thought I was going to say "boycot eBay(tm)". I know many on the newsgroups have said this. But I can't see where eBay(tm) can be blamed for this. People, we have no-one but ourselves to blame for this. We have let government do this to us. We have let government slowy take away all our freedoms, rights, and next will be the suspension of the United States Constitution. Some of you are simply reading this saying "what a crack-pot" or "he's just crying the sky is falling" or you'll just have a million other excuses not to wake up and see what is happening to the country which was once the Land of the Free, Home of the Brave. Well People, now it is neither. Take a look at all the new and unnecessary laws which have been added in the last few years, but yet if the original laws were inforced we wouldn't need new laws which too would go uninforced. Great example is this...many years ago there was a law created which made it illegal for anyone to divulge anything you heard on a scanner dealing with phones, public safety, and several other radio services. It was a simple law, short, sweet, and black & white. The fines and possible jail time were very heavy for breaking this law. Ok, if that law would have actually been enforced when it was first put on the books, do you think we would have needed more laws to outlaw scanners capable of receiving cell phones??? Next we'll be outlawing scanners capable of cordless phones, and with the introduction of trunking systems and the push for such over priced systems the public safety freqs will soon be off limits as well.... More food for thought in regards to "feel good laws". Take GUN control, we've added instant checks, we've added the 3-day cooling off/waiting period, we've added the Brady Bill. Not one of these, or all three of these gun control laws which are already ineffect stopped the Colorado School shooting now did it!!!! So what makes anyone think that another law or 20 new laws will???? Ok, now just for the people who want to put "smart locks" on guns here's my thoughts on this. A smart lock is a device gov't wants manufactures to install on all guns, it will look at the finger print of whoever is about to shot the gun, if that person's finger print does not match the finger print of the owner, the gun will not fire. Sounds good doesn't it..... Well think about this..... You are being held at gun point by a criminal with a "smart lock" gun. There is a struggle, the criminal drops the gun and you grab it. You now hold the criminal at gun point til the athorities arrive right? W.R.O.N.G!!! Since the criminal owns the gun, it will only fire if his finger is on the trigger! He knows this, now he comes at you with no fear knowing you can't shot him! He's now pissed at you for taking his gun, he grabs the gun from your hands (remember, he knows the gun will not fire with you holding the trigger!) and shots you! Yeap, now you still think smart locks are a good thing?!? People-we already have tons of laws on the book which will increase the jail-time of a criminal when a gun is used. I believe some states will had an extra 10 years to the sentence just because a gun was involved in the crime. We don't enforce the laws we already have, if we would, maybe there would be less crime..... All these new laws do is make a few people feel good. "Hay, at least my Johnny didn't die for nothing, we got another law as a result of his death". Well guess what, Johnnys law isn't going to do shit if it isn't enforced! And Johnny's law wouldn't be needed if Billy's law was enforced, after all Johnny wouldn't have died! Since I'm really on my soapbox today lets take a look at your taxes, when I add my FED, State, Local, tax on gas, sales tax, taxes on tires, hotel taxes, and all the taxes I pay which I don't even know I'm paying, OVER 50% of my income goes to taxes! Correct me if I'm wrong, but the Boston Tea Party was a result of taxes which were a far lessor percentage than what they are today! But I guess today people don't care.... Does anyone else feel as if the United States Constitution has been sold to the highest bidder? Feel free to Email me your views. 
Posted by George Fetter 5/6/99
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