OFF THE WIRE
From: Phil Perin
Subject: Re: [Elist] 4th Of July Helmet Protest Ride - July 4th, 2010
local 6 E listDate: Monday, July 5, 2010, 2:15 PM
Dear Abate brothers and sisters,
I would like to write with some words of gratitude as well as concern.
First I would like to thank all those in Abate who tirelessly work on our behalf to protect our freedoms. With out those people I truly feel the freedoms of the motorcycling community would be far more lost. However, these people cannot do it alone we need to step up and fight with them for in numbers there is strength.
I had the privilege of attending the annual Helmet law protest run yesterday. I was proud of taking part in the event. Many showed up and rode lidless to show our opposition to the law.
I would like to send a thank you to Steve ( Red ) Barron for starting the run a few years back and for the work he has done to fight this as well as to the others who have worked to keep it going.
I feel the run is a great way to show unity in this fight however, it seems that the city of SD, after citing over 30 riders the first year and lost ( pretty much) in court has decided that they will give us a "free pass" on July 4th to ride as we wish.
This seems all fine and dandy however a "protest"is about civil disobedience and not getting cited is not winning court cases and making a point of the unconstitutionality of this law.
I know several members who used to ( perhaps still do) ride lidless, purposely to be cited, actually demanding the officer cite them to have their day in court. The original organizer of this run, Red Barron being one of them would do this on a regular basis to the point where no SD officer would even pull him over much less cite him for a helmet violation.
That means that they give Red, a guy who demanded his rights a pass and still went after the rest of us.
While we rode lidless on Sunday with a pass from SDPD and the city of SD, helmet tickets were being written all over California. We need to do this on a regular basis, as a group or individually to make it so that we all get a pass or the law is repealed.
Several months ago prompted by Red Barron three of us rode, helmet less to the Abate meeting at Kate Sessions park. We did encounter a police officer that declined to cite us but was willing to hear why we were riding that way and even accepted Abate literature. This was a small showing. Now, what if every Abate member were to do this on a regular basis would that not have an impact on the law and how it is to be enforced or even go a long way to repealing it? Apparently, this officer saw some issues with writing three helmet tickets that day.
Folks, I am as guilty of not doing more since I don't think one lidless ride to PB makes me a crusader. But, as Red and NY Myke pointed out at the run individuals can't do it alone. A little work by many is far more effective than a lot of work by few.
The run ended at San Diego Harley Davidson. I had not heard NY Myke speak in quite a while, and by his own admission he has been "away" from it all for a while. Though I appreciate some of what he has brought to the motorcycling community and I even get inspired by some of his amusing and entertaining rants I was disappointed to hear that once again his taking the opportunity to perhaps alienate those who politically are not of his mindset that were there to support the protest run.
Myke went on about how our country is turning "socialist" and away from "capitalism" and how we are going to hell and bla bla bla ...... Do I agree?? .... maybe, maybe not. I doesn't matter if I do or don't, the point is that this was NOT the venue for this kind of politics. We were there to fight the helmet law not to hear NY Myke's take of dooms day or his personal political beliefs.
He went on to say that Abate needs to get back to it's roots ( I assume he means republican ). I have made no secret about my disagreement with Myke using Abate as a forum for promoting his agenda. Why? Because though I completely respect Myke's right to have his views ......we are Abate, a non partisan motorcycle rights group NOT a republican group or a democrat group or even a Harley group. WE are _*motorcyclists *_from all walks of life. When people like Myke use our group this way it only alienates those who would perhaps be willing to participate but don't because of it, plain and simple and...... we need ALL the help we can get.
Congressman Bob Filner was there, THE ONLY politician who cared to show up. At one point Myke went off on how he politically disagreed with Mr. Filner's politics. Folks, Mr Filner was a guest of ours, agree with his politics or not. He, against, I am sure pressure from his camp backs us and has in the past. This I felt was no way to treat a influential guest.
Frankly, I am quite sure Mr. Filner was aware that Myke does not see the world in the same way and I am sure does not care as many others don't.
The event now is held at SDHD so I guess Myke can say what he wants at his home and I respect that. Maybe it's time to rethink where we ride to. I made a point of thanking Mr. Filner for showing up and supporting us as I hope others may have as well.
Phil Perin
