The Bewildered, Heard

 

“The opposition is indispensable. A good statesman, like any other sensible human being, always learns more from his opposition than from his fervent supporters.”
                                                                                                    

~Walter Lippmann

 

   Don’t kickstart the Panhead or the Norton for a trip to the bookstore just yet.  I’m only using that Lippmann quote to legitimize the title of this month’s column.  Lippmann was, afterall, the grand-daddy of all flip floppers, who poo-pooed the American masses in a most notable quotable by calling us the “bewildered herd.”  He equated  us to cattle, incapable of making decisions for ourselves and unable to determine our own destinies.  Though he rose to prominence as a journalist and statesman, Walter Lippmann was also a progressive. That’s a fluffy secret code word for saying he was a socialist.  Radio talk show host Larry Elder describes this class of citizenry as the “victicrat”, a self perceived victim of a grave social injustice who’d much rather flail their arms and blame someone else for the sinking ship instead of getting off their ass to use that 72 ounce Big Gulp cup to begin bailing.  Socialism rears it’s ugly head when personal responsibility is tossed overboard and we entrust an authoritarian figure to do the paddling for us. Right up the creek.

 

   So, what’s any of this have to do with Bikers?  In our instance, a few legislators in Sacramento , who don’t ride, are making rules for people who do.  Does that make sense to you?  When a legislator claims to protect personal freedoms such as reproductive rights or sexual persuasion, which are both perceived as a “choice”,  how are my essential liberties, as a Biker, any different?  Is it because I look like a bad-ass that I’m left to fend for myself?  Hey, I’m being oppressed here as well. What’s worse, I’ve got facts and figures to back up my assertions, but the CHP and the NHTSA possess WMD’s. Weapons of MATH Destruction. They cook the numbers into a confusingly distorted stew and use their fancy credentials as experts to keep me “safe” when their real intention is to keep you and me from riding, period.  A form of abstinence brought about by imposing an unneeded accessory which only hinders my riding experience.  It works because it keeps me from riding more.  Nobody wants to wear a spark plug cover in the bedroom either, but they haven’t gotten around to writing that law yet, have they? 

 

   So, what compels all these alphabet soup do gooders to strip me of my individual pursuit of happiness?  In a word, money. Every rider who succumbs to their forced abstinence, and stays home on the weekend, is one less insurance company payout when Gramma Blue Hair runs over one of us.  Perhaps I’m not pissing and moaning about it loud enough and maybe all of us need to work a little harder to get the squeaky wheel heard. What Lippman says in that quote is that I can learn far more from my foes than I could ever learn from all my rowdy friends.  Another commonly accepted maxim is, “Keep your friends close and your enemies even closer.”   The politicians who have opposed us for so long, have in essence, educated us on how to beat them by sucking us into the political arena.   

     Bikers are the most diverse group of peoples on the spinning blue dot. Being as how I already share a common philosophy with most riders, I rarely delve into personal politics. However,  I got involved with the ABATEPAC Voter Guide process this year for the first time, and was truly impressed to see not only how diverse the group was, but also, how fair it was in endorsing candidates.  This is a strength we need to capitalize upon as an organization.  I learned that day, that even though we may not share the same core beliefs, we do share a common bond in our love of two wheels. We were all there workin’ the job for you, and just as we all ride different bikes, our membership represents the entire rainbow of the political spectrum.  Democrats. Republicans. Libertarians. Even a few Greenies and an Agnostic or two. Though we may disagree on who should be president, we all knew we were there to make selections based solely on a candidate’s stand on issues relevant to the sport of motorcycling.  We didn’t make decisions based on abortion, swift boats or the war on “Terr.” We didn’t put ourselves between Iraq and a hard place, our job was to endorse candidates who would look out for the rights of Bikers. Nothing more. And if you didn’t like the candidate we selected, nobody was going to follow you into the voting booth and force you to take our advice.  ABATEPAC produced an incredible Voter Guide, and everyone involved should be highly commended, right down to the volunteer that dropped it off at your local shop.

 

   Then, we were attacked.  World renowned motorcycle author, Clement Salvadori slammed our time honored foray into "national politics" in a letter to the editor which appeared in the November issue of the Thunder Press. Page 137.  Our old timers tell me he’s been around forever and should know how it works, we only endorse candidates that see things our way.  Some speculate that he most likely rode with Che Guevara and helped raise money for the “Marxists for Motorcycles” organization. (good one, H.R.)  In his defense, Mr. Salvadori did eventually chime in and say that ABATE does good work, and I really hafta thank B.J. for sticking up for us as well. She wholeheartedly recommended that everyone join ABATE.  Now, I've heard similar stories from around the state regarding our decision to endorse a candidate for president, but here's the deal; WE ALWAYS HAVE! It isn't some radical new notion based on emotion.  Printed clearly inside the front cover, in a great big box, it says, "ABATEPAC's candidate endorsements are based solely on motorcycle/motorcyclist related issues."   B.J. got it right, this is all opinion, it isn't life and death in this country. There's no need to get your panties in a bunch.

 

   If you don’t like our politics, it's simple, don’t lane split.  If you don’t like our politics, don’t tinker with your carburetor or your pipes and don’t re-chip your fuel injection. If you don’t like our politics, don’t ride in the HOV (carpool) lane.  Don’t ride with apes. Skip over motorcycle awareness month.  Scrap the California Motorcyclist Training Program and let the tax and spenders keep the two bucks out of every registration that goes into that program.  Don’t help to promote rider training and wear full body armor everywhere you go.  Throw in a reflective orange airbag vest for good measure. If you don’t like our politics, how about banning motorcycles all together, because when it all comes down in a few years and they try to take us off the roadways for good, we’ll still be here, fighting the good fight for people who harbor only criticism and offer no tangible solutions. More misguided victicrats who’d like to buy the world a Coke and ride in perfect harmony with guys like Kofi Annan, that wear blue helmets.   

 

   If you didn’t like a candidate we endorsed, don’t blame the Voter Guide committee, blame yourself.  You had every chance to lobby your favorite candidate, and chose not to.  You were invited to sit on the committee, the meeting location wasn’t some big secret. We sure could have used your talents. See, this is where our diversity kicks into gear.  If somebody from your political persuasion isn’t on our side, you are our best hope of getting that person to listen.   When we respect one another as riders, lay aside the petty personal attacks and realize that we’re on the same side, focused on one common goal, we’ll make great strides.  Our diversity becomes our greatest strength.

 

   The fuzzy feel good ending to all this is that the electorate agreed with a great percentage of our endorsements, and we did really well in getting Biker Friendlies in the legislature for 2005.  I’m very excited about our chances of getting some common sense legislation passed for riders in California .  Lippmann also wrote, “Democracy is a weapon in the hands of those who have the courage and the skill to wield it; in all others it is a rusty piece of junk.”  Folks, we’ve come this far. Yes, we’re tired and frustrated, we’ve been kicked around and we sure could use a little help, but we trudge onward because we know it’s up to us now. We’re planning a rally at the Capitol on April 18th.  I’m askin’ you to do everything within your means to bring yourself and three friends to what could be the largest rally they’ve ever seen.  Tell your boss you’re going to be sick on that day, so you can be there. Ah-nuld? Are you reading this? Together, Bikers united, we shall rise up and see to it that the bewildered become heard once again in Sacramento .  

 

   Happy holidays to you and yours!