Tuesday, July 20, 2010

RALLY RESCINDS DISCRIMINATORY, NO COLORS POLICY

OFF THE WIRE,
RALLY RESCINDS DISCRIMINATORY
NO-COLORS POLICY
Following a “Call to Action”
issued by the U.S. Defenders, a politically active arm of the Confederation
of Clubs, a major motorcycle rally in the red hills of Oklahoma has
rescinded a “No Colors” policy that would have prohibited entry to anyone
wearing a patch, including HOG, ABATE and any club.
The Hawg Lakes Motorcycle
Rally published a no colors policy on their fliers, ads and website that
quickly stirred an uproar across the country, due largely to an e-mail “Call
to Action” conducted by the U.S. Defenders and the Oklahoma Confederation of
Clubs.
Brook "Xman" Bullock, State
Secretary of ABATE of Oklahoma and Oklahoma Defender Rep, sent out a
nationwide call to action to "Please take your money and support to BIKER
FRIENDLY rallies and events, not 2010 Hawg Lakes. Pass the Word." According
to the e-mail; “2R" (ABATE of Oklahoma State Coordinator) personally talked
on the phone with Hawg Lakes and “the guy in charge said he was absolutely
unwilling to change his policy. ABATE, HOG, BACA, and not any Club, no
colors of any kind will be allowed.”
Mark "Bus" Buskirk, Oklahoma
Commander, U.S. Defenders wrote "Hawg Lakes Rally on July 29th will not
allow you to wear your club colors on their property. So we the motorcycling
community need to not go. They are stomping on our rights of freedom of
speech."
Within days, the Call to
Action was called off when Tiger Mike Revere, ABATE of Oklahoma Liaison to
the OK Confederation of Clubs and member of the National Coalition of
Motorcyclists board of directors, reported that; “The Hawg Lakes event has
RESCINDED its No-Colors Ban from rival “bikie gangs” to religious and Family clubs –
is raising funds in anticipation of a legal challenge to the ban. Mark
"Ferret" Maroney, UMC chairman and member of the Vietnam Veterans MC, said;
"These laws are unjust, they're unnecessary and they go against the rule of
law...where people are being discriminated against by the clothes they wear
and their lifestyle."
Similar legislation in South
Australia has been ruled illegal, but is subject to a High Court appeal.
MACHO MUNICIPALITIES
Think you're a manly man?
Maybe...but do you live in the manliest city? From the research experts
behind the popular “Best Places to Live” studies, the Combos "America's
Manliest Cities" study ranks 50 major metropolitan areas, using manly
criteria like the number of home improvement stores, steak houses, pickup
trucks and motorcycles per capita.
Charlotte took the top spot
this year, beating out Nashville as last year's winner. Portland, Oregon
ranked last in this year's study.
AMERICA'S MANLIEST CITIES: 1.
Charlotte, NC; 2. Columbus, OH; 3. Kansas City, MO; 4. Nashville, TN; 5.
Baltimore, MD; 6. Milwaukee, WI; 7. Chicago, IL; 8. Indianapolis, IN; 9.
Washington, D.C.; 10. Philadelphia, PA.
QUOTABLE QUOTE: “The world is
a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those
who look on and do nothing.”
Albert Einstein (1879-1955)
Scientist, humanist
*