Big Brother Attacks Motorcycles

[Pike Bishop]

Originally Posted by Steve G.

Big Brother is attacking stupid idiots that ride with beenies and loud piped freak show choppers. I see nothing wrong with that. I say anything to get "those types" out of motorcycling, the better off we will be.

"In Germany they came first for the Communists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist. Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me, but by that time there was no one left to speak up."
– Martin Niemoeller, German theologian, 1946

"Men born to freedom are naturally alert to repel invasion of their liberty by evil-minded rulers. The greatest dangers to liberty lurk in insidious encroachment by men of zeal, well-meaning but without understanding."
– Louis Brandeis, U.S. Supreme Court justice, 1928

"Many a one proffers his side and can hardly hear the ax in the forest, far less that it is coming nearer to him.''
– Franz Kafka, German author

[Pike Bishop]

Originally Posted by Seth S

Whatever...a check point is a check point. They do them on the interstates around here from time to time.

[Advntr]

Dear lemmings or is that sheeple???:

"They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety." Benjamin Franklin

Wake up, it's not a conspiracy or conspiracy theory...
that line is so old and shows only IGNORANCE.
It's reality. The truth hurts.

Just because you don't like the message does not give you the right to kill the messenger.
Loud pipes and posers suck but it does not give the gov't the right to single out motorcyclists.

[rdwalker]

What are YOU doing about it?

Well, there are so many here that vent about the unfairness, about the erosion of civil liberties, etc., etc... Very nice, but our posts here do not have ANY MEANING in real life, beside making the writers feel good about themselves.

Posting here is cheap... Talk is cheap. We have to put our time and our money where our mouths are.

I wonder how many of the participants in this thread do anything actively, to make their voices heard in defense of the enthusiast community? At the very least, if not personally involved, how many of us are members of the NMA (Nat'l Motorists Association), the AMA or the ACLU, providing them with funds to do that work on our behalf?

As I said in other post: this is DEMOCRACY. If we do not promote our interests, the others will win. Just think: the NMA (then CRTL) was instrumental in overturning the national speed limit. The ACLU succeded in restricting the random road blocks in northeastern NJ. On the other hand, posting in ADVrider... hmmm... these are just rants.


Unhappy? If you don't speak up, you will be even more so!

You will be surprised: your representatives do listen to you - at least somewhat. Recently, urged by the NMA, I have been sending letters (forget email, that's just spam) to my local state legislators, protesting the introduction of red-light cameras. Cameras, obviously, won - but I received notes back (a few of them even not form-letters) acknowledging my concerns. If there were more of us doing more than just complaining to ourselves, things could change.

Food for thought.
Robert. (Dues-paying member of NMA, AMA, ACLU and other subversive organizations).

[bjames77]

+1

Originally Posted by Pike Bishop

I agree! We should also allow police to do warrantless, blanket "no-knock" searches of our cars, our homes, our tax returns, our mail, our telephone calls, our emails, our blood, etc., etc., etc., at random and without probable cause whenever they feel the whim to "crack down on crime."

After all, they'd catch a lot more lawbreakers that way! And if you've done nothing wrong, you have nothing to fear...right?

The U.S. Constitution's Bill of Rights is a huge impediment to the War on Crime, the War on Drugs, the War on Terror, and the War on Motorcycle Helmet Law Scofflaws.

We ought to do away with the Bill of Rights immediately...

[AzB]

Originally Posted by Steve G.

Big Brother is attacking stupid idiots that ride with beenies and loud piped freak show choppers. I see nothing wrong with that. I say anything to get "those types" out of motorcycling, the better off we will be.
Steve

Classy.

Let me rephrase what you said into what the folks at the roadblock were saying:

"We're attacking stupid idiots that ride those dangerous motorcycles. I see nothing wrong with that. I say anything to get "those types" off the road, the better off we will be."

Do you see how this works?

Az

[BucketHead]

Originally Posted by AzB

Classy.

Let me rephrase what you said into what the folks at the roadblock were saying:

"We're attacking stupid idiots that ride those dangerous motorcycles. I see nothing wrong with that. I say anything to get "those types" off the road, the better off we will be."

Do you see how this works?

Az

In a perfect world, this kind of moral compromise would not be needed, but unfortunately in the real world we can't just all do whatever we want.

Consider for a minute what you would say if the people being stopped were in cars. Would you want the cops to stop cagers without licenses? Without insurance? With gross safety violations? Would you feel safer riding if "those types" of cagers were off of the road?

A quick read through just about any page in faceplant has people pissed about unsafe cagers, and the little being done to stop them. This is not that different. It's just a little closer to home.

[AzB]

Originally Posted by BucketHead

In a perfect world, this kind of moral compromise would not be needed, but unfortunately in the real world we can't just all do whatever we want.

Consider for a minute what you would say if the people being stopped were in cars. Would you want the cops to stop cagers without licenses? Without insurance? With gross safety violations? Would you feel safer riding if "those types" of cagers were off of the road?

A quick read through just about any page in faceplant has people pissed about unsafe cagers, and the little being done to stop them. This is not that different. It's just a little closer to home.

Actually, I would have a lot less of a problem with this roadblock if they had stopped all vehicles instead of singling out motorcycles.

Az

[mick]

I believe that law enforcement is trying to help the motorcyclist gain respect from the cagers and vice versa. Doesn't seem like a Big Brother crack down at all. Just an awareness program that emphasizes safety and respect for everyone that uses our national roadways and park service.
Seems like a good idea.

[beemerphile]

deleted. Since I am unable to keep political comments out of discussion on excessive governmental intervention since it is wholly a political topic.

[BucketHead]

Originally Posted by AzB

Actually, I would have a lot less of a problem with this roadblock if they had stopped all vehicles instead of singling out motorcycles.

Az

That's a very good point. The responsibility lies with all of us to not submit blindly, but to ensure that our government acts fairly, and in all of our best interest. Rather than blaming the cops for stopping bikes, perhaps we all need to be more active in educating our lawmakers and LEOs about how unsafe drivers affect motorcyclists.

It's a sad irony, but I think that the hate-tha-man outlaw biker attitude is a big part of why there isn't better protection for bikers. We live in a governed society not the old west, and we actually need to work with the man to make this better.

[PacWestGS]

Originally Posted by ADVNTR

Dear lemmings or is that sheeple???:

"They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety." Benjamin Franklin

Wake up, it's not a conspiracy or conspiracy theory...
that line is so old and shows only IGNORANCE.
It's reality. The truth hurts.

Just because you don't like the message does not give you the right to kill the messenger.
Loud pipes and posers suck but it does not give the gov't the right to single out motorcyclists.

Let's rephrase this, it's outdated anyways for this discussion. Ben Franklin didn't ride a motorcycle.

"Those who can't live by the established rule of law to exercise their inherent freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and State and Local codes; deserve neither the freedoms nor right to trump the society to which those laws protect and allow certain freedoms to be exercised by all abiding citizens"

We don't live in a "Free" society if we did anarchy would rule and no one would be allowed to exercise anything but the right to protect oneself - maybe.

[DAKEZ]

Originally Posted by JBSmith

Your helmet doesn't need Snell approval to be legal in the U.S. It does require DOT approval. It's illegal to sell non-DOT helmets in the U.S.

No it isn't. Where do you find this law? There are "novelty helmets" sold all over the place... sometimes at dealerships. And the roll of DOT stickers sold for $0.50 right next to them.

They are a joke. The people who wear them are a joke and if they insist on wearing them in a State with helmet laws and get caught they should have their bike impounded... if for nothing else, just for the fact that they are too stupid to be allowed to ride.

Rant over.

[Steve G.]

Originally Posted by DAKEZ

No it isn't. Where do you find this law? There are "novelty helmets" sold all over the place... sometimes at dealerships. And the roll of DOT stickers sold for $0.50 right next to them.

They are a joke. The people who wear them are a joke and if they insist on wearing them in a State with helmet laws and get caught they should have their bike impounded... if for nothing else, just for the fact that they are too stupid to be allowed to ride.

Rant over.

+1 !!!!!!!

[upweekis]

edited : off topic