Where Are We?
Got the opportunity to work a fundraiser for a local of the area. The run itself was grand. Great people, great sites and great weather. The only thing that would have made it better is if everyone where to join in with the event.
The problem is racial, political or social? Honestly I don’t have all the answers. I do have many questions though. Will I get the answers, don’t know. What I want is for each and everyone to justify their answers with their own hearts.
If a member goes down, from a MRO, everybody wants on the float. Why not, it’s a good cause, they are law-abiding citizens. If it is someone wearing a patch, lets jump from the float; it’s going to sink. These people represent the anti social part of society. But really is confusing is if that MRO person wears a patch. He’s on both sides of the fence. Now you don’t understand that person, hey lets drop them into the anti socialist party because you can not be both.
Ok, that’s solved. A long hair, tattooed person wearing a patch is a person we don’t want. The local, clean cut, non-tattooed political, doctor lawyer, business owner that we need and use their services, hey, now he’s ok. He rides a motorcycle, even though we have never seen him riding, only his pictures on the wall of his bike. Great, we will use his services.
Here’s the wrench. That same clean cut Joe just left his establishment. While leaving, he grabs his leathers and puts them on. Only one problem, it is a 1% club on his vest. He is a club member wearing a patch. Do we toss him to the side with the anti socials? He is a business owner paying all his taxes and wages to, say, 30 employees. We used his services yesterday but now we find out he is a member of lets say the Outlaws, now you don’t even want to know him. Let us forget that he is a member of the state safety committee or a MRO like ABATE or MAC.
Is this not a double standard? The guy with the patch rode when we said that only outlaws and criminals rode motorcycles. Now we ride ourselves. Are we outlaws? Are we now the anti socials? They kept riding 30 years ago so that we can ride today. They took the abuse back then and now with new standards and equalities in today’s society.
We still play the judge and jury to someone who wants to ride as a group.
The clubs started out of WWII with the military soldiers who waited someone they could relate to and rely on. We do that today with our MRO’s and social riding clubs, example, the Southern Cruisers or CMA (Christian Motorcyclist Association). Our military so bad you want to call them the unlawful anti social?
How can you judge a book by the cover if you can’t take the time to understand the book? I grew up caught between the patch and the law enforcement. I have been on both sides. Judge the book after you have read it. Some of these members belong to organizations willing to help the needy. Help them out without judging them on what you think you see. We all bleed the same. We are all out there for one interest, the enjoyment of the machine. The breeze between the knees.
Read the book then judge the book while judging your book as well.
Ride Safe,
Ride free.
