I love passionate people. I don’t even have to agree with them (most of the time) but my FAVORITE passionate people are the ones who are passionate about freedom. Maybe that is what attracted me to motorcycling or maybe it was the other way around. I know I feel passion for the ride and I feel passion about keeping motorcycling free of excessive restrictions. I want to enjoy my ride by accessorizing it as I see fit. I want to wear apparel of my choosing and I want to know that if the general public violates my right of way they will be punished and my insurance will cover my injuries.
Sometimes I think we are living in better times today than we were 20 years ago, and other times I think that as we grow as a motorcycling community, we have slipped into complacency leading us to a place we really don’t want to go. What made our ride a wonderful free experience didn't happened by chance. Our freedom to enjoy our ride is constantly threatened.
Many bikers are unaware of the vast network of men and women who are fighting for our freedom. These champions sacrifice their own personal wealth, time with their families, and yes, even precious time they could be riding because they have committed themselves to protecting the rights of every motorcyclist to ride free.
I started riding in 1985. I remember being taken to an ABATE meeting in a smoky downstairs of a bar where the members talked about some legislative issues I didn’t understand. Then they went on to talk about a blood drive they produced for the American Red Cross. The thought of some greasy hard-playing bikers lines up outside a Red Cross trailer stuck in my head. I wondered if the people receiving the blood knew where it came from…..
Something else stuck in my mind for years. It's so unfair that many bikers don’t even know about rights issues and who is fighting to protect them. I was told by my peers if I was going to ride I needed to belong to ABATE, an organization protecting my rights. I joined 23 years ago. I don’t understand why every biker hasn’t heard this same message. It feels like those who don’t join are taking advantage of those who joined and work for our freedoms.
I hear excuses and ignorant statements many times like: “I don’t have time to go to more meetings” or “They are the people who are against helmets.” Someone needs to tell everyone that those statements are bullshit! No one is forced to attend meetings, you can still join, and Rights Groups are not against helmets, just the law. Wear one if you like.
Membership money is used to support legislative efforts and often training programs. Of course we could use your help, if you wanted to get involved, but if not, we still need membership regardless!!! We watch for discrimination and injustice. Rights groups fight unfair noise limits, motorcycle bans, parking restrictions. They fight for your right to use HOV lanes, fight for fairness in intersections, cell phone use laws, and right-of-way issues. They also work with state government on motorcycle awareness programs. The list goes on.
This is a program of we, We the Motorcyclists. I encourage ALL motorcyclists to do their part. In the words of the MRF President, Kirk “Hardtail” Willard: “Along with Freedom comes responsibility”. Are you a responsible biker? Do you have passion? Do the right thing. Join a Motorcycle Rights organization today.
