I support House Resolution 1498 sponsored by Congressman Sensenbrenner.
I also support asking Congress to suspend the NHTSA grant funding program DTNH22-10-R-00386.
I support the intent embodied in the attached national call to action issued by the USD and COIR, and will do my part to further that intent.
With all respect due my good friends at USD and COIR, I will act, and will ask others to help, but, for my part, I do have an important modification.
Strike the following section.
The statistics prove that motorcycle safety and awareness , in conjunction with riders
training programs across the country have a far greater impact in reducing
injuries and fatalities. The funding the government has set aside would be
much better spent in causation studies, such as the one being conducted
right now in Oklahoma.
With that section struck, I shall gladly assist!
My reason for striking the section is as follows. Paul, you can pass this along to any of the officers in USD or COIR with my utmost respects, and hope that they understand where my head is at regarding my opposition to that paragraph. I admit it might seem like overkill to take issue with the paragraph, but it invites more government intrusion, and I don't like it.
I SPEAK ONLY FOR MYSELF, AND MY REASONING IS AS FOLLOWS:
Pardon me, but this is bullshit taken directly from a motorcycle safety organizations agenda, and is better left out. I don't want to hop on the safety wagon. It is totally unnecessary to include the above wording since it is likely to have a long-term effect of promoting additional regulation against motorcyclists. We don't need any more stinking mandates!!
Do most bikers really feel so strongly motivated that they really want more government intrusion and regulation targeted at motorcyclists? I think not!
When motorcyclists spread an alarm to Congress or state government that motorcycling is unsafe, and ask the government to get involved in making motorcycling safer, they unwittingly invite additional regulation against motorcyclists. Spending money on a study which will determine motorcycling can be dangerous is not money well spent. We already know motorcycling can be dangerous. Look at what the effect of the Hurt Study....the NHTSA still uses that 37% statistic to claim that 37% more riders would still be alive if they had worn helmets. They've used that statistic to force helmets onto people heads for 30 years. Who really expects the University of Tulsa will end up in having the NHTSA say helmets are 63% ineffective? Government statisticians will disseminate their propaganda as they always have. Asking for money for safety courses to teach naturally clumsy urban risk magnets that they, too, can be safe motorcyclists, is an ultra-liberal safety-nanny hand-holding approach that any biker who is not afraid of skinning their knees should not endorse. The problem is that the liberal philosophies tend to become statist mandates.Mandatory safety classes which might benefit some motorcycle safety groups and motorcycle safety instruction profiteers are not good for the freedom of motorcycling, and send the wrong message. Voluntary safety courses are fine. Teach your friends that when they fail to put their foot down in time, they are likely to fall, and the same is true for our rights..
Example: Someone gets on a motorcycle and gets killed. Next thing you know, a friggin motorcycle safety organization masquerading as a biker rights organization asks the state to force all motorcyclists to attend expensive classes. WTF! I suppose if you are a motorcycle safety intructor, you might love this, as it is better marketing through mandatory legislation. That's how the helmet makers made their money. They couldn't sell their shit on it's own merits, so they got legislators to force it on us.
Example: For years, a motorcycle safety organization wants a new safety study, so that some statisticians that get into officer positions in the safety organization might get some grant money. They got o rallies and hold out plastic jugs asking for donations to the government so that it will do a study, but nobody wants to contribute, because a study to say that motorcycling is dangerous is not worthwhile.
We already know that. So, they approach state government with a proposal to force all motorcyclists to pay higher registration fees, and part of the fees will go to a safety study. Now, those who didn't want to donate to a worthless study will be robbed at gunpoint by government. No more having to ask for donations, it is a done deal. Now that VP of the local safety organization might get to work on a government funded research project.
Screw that!!!
I would much rather see the government address such issues as improved highway construction. The proper role of government is to improve highway safety, by improving the safety of the highways they construct. The proper role of government is to do such things as to construct highways which don't turn into sinkholes, and to fix bridges, fix the highways that suddenly have a long strip of asphalt three inches higher than the neighboring lane. The proper role of government is to get rid of those cables that have amputated a head or limb of motorcyclist rather than be a safety barrier. The proper role of government is to get rid of all the obstacles at intersections which impede a motorists vision. The proper role of government is to end the habit of psycho cops to get on our rear wheel to see if they can get us when we speed up, and possibly also get us for running from the psycho cops who are going to ram out tail ends.
Telling government that you demand safety programs and studies, and special privileges for motorcyclists, and asking the government to force motorcyclists to pay more money at registration time is absurd and ends up working against motorcyclist rights. For that reason, I dissent from the majority.
So, I support the call to action, but will not ask the people I contact to approach their Congressional representatives with all that safety nanny propaganda. I totally oppose any motorcyclists demand safety studies and safety courses and training. Yeah, they'll train everyone alright......to hand over your money and do as they say!
Jan
Subject: Fwd: Fw: (U.S. Defenders)... Call to Action! ALL STATES, EVERY USD
UNIT is needed to participate....CALL to ACTION!!!!!
From: SanDiego Defenders
*To:* All U.S. Defenders
*Subject:* Call to Action! ALL STATES, EVERY USD UNIT is needed to
participate...
*To all,*
Due to the recent actions by the US Secretary of Transportation, Ray LaHood
and his newly appointed Administrator Mr. David Strickland of NHTSA, we are
Calling to Action all members of our motorcycle community to participate in
this very important issue. This Call To Action is supported by every
Motorcycle Rights Organization ( MRF, AMA, TMRA2, TMRA, ABATE, MMA ) and
must be carried out and delivered by the US Defenders/C.O.I.R, and all
Confederations or Coalitions in every State!
Mandatory Roadblocks are being carried out in many states under the ruse of
a "Safety Check". These roadblocks or checkpoints for motorcycles ONLY are
being conducted illegally and are discriminatory to say the least. This is
one more piece of evidence of the constant profiling attempts targeting our
community at large. There are law suits that will be brought from MRO's and
different States very soon. We can all do our part with by participating.
There has been a resolution drafted by our friends from the north, Rep. Jim
Sensenbrenner (R-Wisconsin) H.R. 1498 supporting efforts to retain a ban on
NHTSA's ability to lobby State Legislators using our federal dollars through
the "Motorcycle Law Enforcement Demonstration" grant program. Suspend this
program now, (DTNH22-10-R-00386) for your reference.
We support each State's rights to determine their own helmet policies, NOT
David Strickland's position of wanting to, " put a helmet on every
motorcyclists head" to reduce accidents and fatalities. The statistics
prove that motorcycle safety and awareness , in conjunction with riders
training programs across the country have a far greater impact in reducing
injuries and fatalities. The funding the government has set aside would be
much better spent in causation studies, such as the one being conducted
right now in Oklahoma.
All motorcyclists need to participate by writing ,calling, emailing and
faxing Ray LaHood, David Strickland, and most importantly your elected
United States representatives! Ask your Legislators for their support of
H.R. 1498 Sensenbrenner on this issue, and do it today!
If you need a sample letter or help drafting one, contact your US Defenders
Commander immediately.
U.S. Secretary of Transportation NHTSA - *N*ational* H*ighway *T*raffic
*S*afety *A*dministration
Ray LaHood Administrator David
Strickland
1200 New Jersey Ave. SE
Jersey Ave. SE (West Building)
Washington, DC 20590 Washington DC, 20590
202.366.4000 202.366. 4000
http://www.dot.gov/
contact.html http://www.nhtsa.gov/Contact
*EMAIL*: http://ntl.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/ntl.cfg/php/enduser/ask.php
*AMA:* Resolution introduced to urge NHTSA to focus on crash prevention and
rider education and training
http://capwiz.com/amacycle/issues/alert/?alertid=15219101
*MRF:* Mandatory Motorcycle Roadside Stops
http://www.mrf.org/2010/news_release/10NR22.htm
Escondido Paul
National Lt.Commander
US Defenders
TMRA2 Chairman
512.276.0681
http://www.usdefenders.org/
http://www.tmra2.org/
*Thank You...!!!!*
*U.S.** Defenders* National Information Liaison Officer:
http://usdefenders.org/
*Disclaimer: *The News Media does NOT always tell the Whole Truth…
It tends to sensationalize the News to sell
Newspapers…
*In Fact, Many Times the News Media gets the Facts
Wrong!!!*
