|
|
|
P.O. Box 160223 Nashville, Tn 37216-0223 615 262-1119 - Office
|
October, 2003 If you made it to the Freedom Fighter Day, you heard an earful. For those of you who didn’t make it, first, shame on you. You missed a real opportunity to meet and talk with some of the biggest and most successful freedom fighters from across this nation. What a gathering! Second, you missed a great opportunity to focus on what we are here for – YOUR RIGHTS. That’s right, you heard me, your rights. No, our job is not to put a better face on motorcycling. It’s not to see how many charitable events we can have. It’s not to get our pictures in the paper handing someone a check. It’s not to support hospitals who spend thousands of dollars on lobbyists to work against us in the legislature. There are a lot of motorcycle organizations out there. They include clubs, social, riding, charitable, fraternal and political organizations. We all know of many, many biker groups. I personally belong to quite a few. Can someone name another political organization in this state other than CMT/ABATE? (I’m not forgetting the increased focus of the COC here in Tennessee. We are working together more and more and will continue in order to create even more political might.) I can name all kinds of social, riding, charitable and fraternal biker groups. What have they done for bikers rights? Nothing. I talk to them all the time. These groups generally fall into two categories. Either they don’t know what is going on concerning their rights or they don’t care. So many times I’ve been talking to a fellow motorcyclist and tell them that I’m involved with CMT/ABATE and I can watch their eyes glaze over as their apathy takes over. Or I’ll ask them where they stand on the EPA’s new regulations and I get this ‘deer in the headlight’ look and a response like, “What?” I don’t have a problem with the bikers out there who don’t know about the threats to our preferred and legal mode of transportation. That just means we have to do a better job of communicating and informing them. I have a major problem with the ones who know about it and still don’t do anything. The author, Bill Vaughan once said, “A citizen of America will cross the ocean to fight for democracy, but won't cross the street to vote in a national election.” I’ll steal that quote and change it around to say, “The typical biker today wouldn’t think twice about helping a child in need with time and money but they won’t life a finger to protect their right to do so.” Ironically, if we lose, in the long run aren’t the children hurt as well? Who will host the toy runs and charity rides if the EPA and HIPAA prevent you from rolling the bike out of the garage? As for charity – I’m all for it. I think bikers helping the less fortunate is a wonderful thing. Large corporate hospitals with endowment programs, paid lobbyists, doctors who have time to testify at committee hearings, and who contribute loads of money to candidates are NOT the less fortunate. Personally, I go back to another old saying, “Charity begins at home.” As long as I’m in this position, and remember elections for Corporate Director are coming up, I’ll take that to mean two things. First, we must look to the viability and growth of our own organization or else we insure our own failure. Money going to a large charity feels good but if it goes to protect your rights instead, it does good. Second, we take care of our own. To me that means we always take care of CMT/ABATE members and their families when we can. After that we look at helping other bikers, individuals in the community and finally deserving organizations. But, this cannot be placed before our stated mission which is to “preserve freedom and safety for all Tennesseans who enjoy motorcycling”. So, at the Freedom Fighter Day, what did you hear? I heard the stalwart cry of patriots. I heard a pin point accurate description of the threats against us. I heard a plan to confront and defeat those in our way. I heard that WE are the only ones who are going to do this. So, we better start taking care of ourselves first. The physician and missionary, Walter H. Judd once said, "People often say that, in a democracy, decisions are made by a majority of the people. Of course, that is not true. Decisions are made by a majority of those who make themselves heard and who vote -- a very different thing." Most people don’t care if they’re heard and many don’t want to be heard. Let’s not be those people. Until later, always do your Wiring Harness Preventive Maintenance, Steve |
Send general questions and comments about CMT/ABATE to
.
|