Search

 

1996: The Year America’s Health and Constitution Were Sold to the Wireless Industry

The Fight for Truth, Accountability, and Protection for the Next Generation


In 1996, the United States made a choice that would reshape its trajectory, not for the better. Under the guise of progress and technological innovation, the Telecommunications Act of 1996 was signed into law. Hidden within its many provisions, Section 704 served as a death knell to public health safeguards, silencing communities, undermining constitutional rights, and granting near-absolute power to the wireless industry. At the same time, thermal-only RF radiation guidelines were cemented into federal policy—standards as scientifically illegitimate as the gag order imposed by Section 704.

The combination of these two events has left Americans with a legacy of unchecked radiation exposure, outdated safety standards, and constitutional violations. The cost? A generation increasingly plagued by rising neurological disorders, chronic illnesses, and developmental challenges—and a public left powerless to protect itself.

For John Coates, founder of RF-SAFE, the stakes are personal. In 1998, he began a new life’s work after losing his firstborn daughter to a birth defect that mirrored results seen in EMF exposure studies. Today, his seven-year-old daughter sits at a desk only 465 feet from a cell tower, a distance far below the BioInitiative Report’s recommendation of 500 meters. As he fights to protect his child and expose the failures of 1996, he asks a question we all must face: How much longer will we allow illegitimate laws and fake safety standards to endanger the future of our children?


A Silent Coup in 1996

The Telecommunications Act and Section 704

In February 1996, the Telecommunications Act was signed into law, billed as a groundbreaking step into the digital age. But buried within its pages was Section 704, a clause that stripped local governments of the ability to regulate wireless infrastructure based on health or environmental concerns.

Section 704’s Impact:

  • Health Concerns Silenced: Even if credible scientific evidence shows harm, local councils cannot deny a permit for a cell tower based on those concerns.
  • First Amendment Violation: Citizens are effectively gagged, unable to petition their government on health grounds.
  • Tenth Amendment Overreach: The federal government seized control over zoning decisions traditionally managed at the state or local level.

This single paragraph ensured that no matter how much evidence emerged about the dangers of RF radiation, communities would be legally powerless to act. The wireless industry was granted carte blanche to expand its infrastructure without regard for public safety.

Thermal-Only Guidelines: A Fake Standard

That same year, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) established RF safety guidelines based solely on thermal effects. These guidelines assumed that if RF radiation doesn’t heat tissue, it must be safe. This assumption ignored decades of research showing non-thermal biological effects, including DNA damage, oxidative stress, and neurological disruption.

The Flaws in Thermal-Only Standards:

  • Outdated Research: The guidelines were based on 1980s-era studies that focused exclusively on short-term heating effects in animals.
  • Real-World Exposure Ignored: Devices are tested at unrealistic distances (e.g., 5–15 mm away from the body), failing to account for how people actually use them.
  • Non-Thermal Effects Dismissed: Studies showing oxidative stress, DNA strand breaks, and hormonal disruption were ignored entirely.

By enshrining these fake guidelines, the FCC gave the wireless industry a shield to deflect accountability while leaving the public exposed to potentially harmful levels of radiation.


The Science They Chose to Ignore

Early Warnings and Unheeded Evidence

Arthur Guy’s 1984 Air Force Report

Arthur Guy’s research, funded by the U.S. Air Force, showed that sub-thermal microwave radiation could cause neurological changes, DNA damage, and cellular stress responses. Despite its implications, his findings were ignored when the FCC set its thermal-only standard.

Robert O. Becker’s Alarms

Dr. Robert Becker, author of The Body Electric, demonstrated that electromagnetic fields (EMFs) could disrupt the body’s natural healing processes and immune function. His work emphasized that life itself is bioelectric, making it inherently vulnerable to external EMFs—even at levels far below heating thresholds.

FDA Memos from 1993

Internal memos from the FDA acknowledged DNA damage, oxidative stress, and other non-thermal risks associated with RF radiation. Yet these warnings were sidelined in favor of thermal-only guidelines, cementing outdated assumptions into federal policy.

Post-1996 Evidence: Ignored and Suppressed

The National Toxicology Program (NTP) Study

In 2018, the NTP published a $30 million, 16-year study that found “clear evidence” of cancer in rats exposed to RF radiation at levels below FCC limits. Male rats developed malignant brain tumors (gliomas) and heart tumors (schwannomas), directly challenging the legitimacy of thermal-only guidelines.

The Ramazzini Institute Study

The Ramazzini Institute replicated the NTP’s findings, showing increased tumor risks from RF exposure at levels comparable to living near a cell tower. This study confirmed that chronic, low-level exposure can cause significant harm.

Oxidative Stress: The Smoking Gun

Studies repeatedly identify oxidative stress as a key mechanism of RF-induced harm, leading to:

  • DNA strand breaks.
  • Inflammation linked to cancer, Alzheimer’s, and diabetes.
  • Neurological disruption affecting memory, cognition, and mood.

Despite overwhelming evidence, the FCC has refused to update its safety standards, leaving the public to bear the consequences of outdated and illegitimate guidelines.


Constitutional Violations and Corporate Capture

Public Law 90-602: A Broken Mandate

Passed in 1968, Public Law 90-602 required the FDA to:

  • Conduct ongoing research into electronic radiation hazards.
  • Develop safety standards based on the latest science.
  • Inform the public about potential risks.

By halting critical research like the NTP study and deferring to the FCC’s fake guidelines, the FDA has violated its mandate under this law.

The Constitutional Crisis

First Amendment Violations

Section 704 effectively silences citizens by preventing them from raising health concerns in wireless infrastructure disputes. This undermines the right to petition the government for redress of grievances.

Tenth Amendment Overreach

By preempting state and local authority, Section 704 removes the power of communities to protect their own public health, violating the principles of federalism.


Fighting for Our Children’s Future

A Personal Story: 465 Feet from Danger

John Coates’s seven-year-old daughter sits in a classroom only 465 feet from a cell tower. The BioInitiative Report recommends a minimum safe distance of 500 meters (1,640 feet). This means she is exposed to RF radiation levels far beyond what independent scientists consider safe for children.

“This is not just numbers on a page,” Coates says. “This is my daughter’s life. And the law says I can’t even raise these concerns to protect her. That’s not just wrong—it’s unconstitutional.”

Solutions and Demands

To protect children like Coates’s daughter, we must:

  1. Repeal Section 704
    • Restore local governments’ ability to regulate wireless infrastructure based on health concerns.
  2. Enforce Public Law 90-602
    • Restart the NTP’s research program.
    • Mandate updated safety standards that account for non-thermal effects.
  3. Modernize FCC Guidelines
    • Replace thermal-only standards with evidence-based guidelines reflecting real-world exposure.
  4. Raise Public Awareness
    • Launch national campaigns to educate families about RF radiation risks and safer technology use.

Reclaiming Health, Freedom, and Accountability

The thermal-only guidelines and Section 704 are both illegitimate. They were born from outdated science, reinforced by corporate manipulation, and enshrined through unconstitutional legislation. Meanwhile, the evidence of harm from RF radiation continues to mount, demanding urgent action.

For the sake of our children and future generations, we must:

  • Repeal unconstitutional laws.
  • Hold federal agencies accountable.
  • Demand science-based safety standards.

Only by confronting the failures of 1996 can we ensure a safer, healthier future for all Americans. This is not just a policy issue—it’s a moral imperative.

It’s time to dismantle the RF hoax and reclaim our rights.

 

We Ship Worldwide

Tracking Provided On Dispatch

Easy 30 days returns

30 days money back guarantee

Replacement Warranty

Best replacement warranty in the business

100% Secure Checkout

AMX / MasterCard / Visa