Borecky: Who Wants to Pledge Allegiance to a Cell Tower?

T-Mobile wants to erect a 50-foot cell tower, which will double as a flagpole and replace the old, rusty flagpole currently stationed in front of the North Merrick Library.  

At last week's North Merrick Community Association meeting, T-Mobile representative Tom Erwin explained how all the mechanics of the cellular antenna will be housed inside this 50-foot flagpole.  It will have a 22-inch diameter and a range of approximately three-quarters of a mile.

I love my country and I consider our flag to be sacred.  It is a symbol of our freedom.  Men and women have put their lives on the line to protect it.  We wave it with pride in both wartime and peacetime.  It is more than just a piece of material and should be treated with respect.

"The flag represents a living country and is itself considered a living thing."  (US Code, Title 36, Chapter 10, § 176. ( j )).

The people of our communities have been battling large telecommunication companies for years to no avail.  The companies are protected from being sued by the Telecommunications Act of 1996, which clearly states that we cannot claim health risks as a reason for denying a provider access to sell its services to the public.

However, that law was based on studies conducted more than 14 years ago.  New research is finding that there may be a correlation between radio frequency emissions and certain illnesses.  Countries around the globe are banning cell towers from being erected close to schools and homes.

We've fought many battles over the years to protect our families and communities from the abuse of corporate greed. In our current fight with MetroPCS to remove and/or relocate the cellular antennas attached to telephone poles in front of our homes and schools, we are learning the hard way that the rights of the large corporations are protected, while the rights of individual homeowners are not.

Many homeowners may not only see their property values go down, but worry if their families are safe from these potentially harmful cell towers.  One might say that a free market needs to run free–but does its right to make a profit trump our right to protect our family and homestead?

It brings to mind the three Americans raising the flag at Iwo Jima; the firemen raising the flag at Ground Zero; and the astronauts planting the flag on the moon. Likewise, T-Mobile is staking its claim to our children's library.  

It's as if it is saying:  "We won.  We have the law on our side and there's nothing you can do about it." Hanging the flag on a cell tower symbolizes a victory of big business over the people.  It's sadly becoming more and more the American way.

It takes a lot of hutspah to take advantage of our sense of patriotism by using our most beloved symbol to sell its product.  When has the corporation's right to make a buck become more important than the individual's right to raise a family in a safe and healthy environment?  

We should not have to worry whether these cell towers are killing us and our children; stealing the value of our homes;  and taking away our freedom to enjoy the sanctity of our own homes and our children's libraries and schools.

And in answer to all those who will ask this question, I reply, "Yes, I use a cell phone."  But there are better locations than flagpoles at our libraries.   I would not want my children standing there, pledging allegiance to a cell tower.  It's just plain un-American.