Calif. Editorial: Sheriff wrong to use incident for biker rally agenda

OFF THE WIRE
Source: freelancenews.com
By The Free Lance Editorial Board
It is perfectly understandable that Sheriff Curtis Hill is more than a little upset over the reported armed confrontation by suspected members of the Vagos Motorcycle Club involving a group of innocent family and friends, but correlating that incident with the prospects of a revived motorcycle rally does not pass the logic test.

The reported incident Sept. 4 outside Bolado Park did not take place at the motorcycle rally - it followed the Professional Bull Riders event. Is the sheriff suggesting we cancel professional bull riding? After that, what happens if the Vagos or Hells Angels show up at the annual San Benito County Horse Show & Rodeo, or the Street Festival? Will we have to cancel those, too?

Legend has it that following the original, over-blown "Hollister riot" incident in 1947, the American Motorcyclist Association was asked to comment on it. Its response was that 99 percent of motorcyclists were law-abiding citizens. The last 1 percent of them were considered outlaws, and that is how motorcycle gangs became known as "One Percenters." There are approximately 800,000 motorcycles registered in the state of California, according to estimates from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, but it is doubtful that even one-percent - 8,000 - belong to gangs.

Upper estimates from the National Gang Intelligence Center are that the Bandidos Motorcycle Club, one of the two largest in the United States, has about approximately 900 U.S members. The Hells Angels Motorcycle Club is estimated to have 950 U.S. members. The Mongols Motorcycle Club is mostly in California with 850 members. The Outlaws Motorcycle Club has more than 700 members in the U.S. The Vagos Motorcycle Club has about 300 members primarily in California. And the Sons of Silence Motorcycle Club is listed as one of the largest in the United States, with 275 members.

Make no mistake, all motorcycle gangs are violent and dangerous, but the total membership of those six groups throughout the entire nation is at less than 4,000. That's less than one half of 1 percent of the number of motorcycles registered only in California. One cannot condemn the innocent 99.5 percent of motorcycle riders for the actions of a small minority. But our sheriff did just that.

A much larger problem, and more dangerous and closer to home, is the fight to curtail violent street gangs. According to the U.S. attorney general, more than 20,000 gangs with around one million members exist in the United States and the membership of the violent street gangs, sometimes reaching 50,000, dwarfs the membership of outlaw motorcycle gangs.

Two week ago, Hollister resident and the accused top regional Nuestra Familia gang leader, Philip "Sparky" Sparks, was arrested during a statewide sweep. Authorities reported he was the highest-ranking leader on the Central Coast living outside of the California prison system.

The point is that we have a lot of homegrown gangs and related crime right here every day. The idea that a three-day motorcycle rally will somehow make it much worse is not supported by either facts or logic.