Get Your Voice Heard

Hey everyone. Hard to believe July is gone and it’s August already. And along with August comes the ever popular Sturgis Rally. It should be interesting to see the turn out at the Rally this year. Before you know it October will be on top of us. More important to me is to see you out there riding and enjoying those motorcycles. Never forget a new adventure on that bike. Regardless of the manufacturer, it’s only a tank of gas away.

With everything going on out in the world today, it’s not difficult to get lost in the stress of the moment. We read headlines or social media and immediately become reactionary to what we read or see. This is by design. It’s really not that hard to get mass amounts of people to react the way you want them to. Before flying off the deep end and getting that blood pressure up, remember this important fact. Every photo has multiple angles. The trick is to find the picture with the truth exposed. Every one of us has been the victim of a bad angle. You’re at a party and not drinking, but somehow there is a photo of you looking like you’re wasted to the world, all because you got caught in the middle of blinking, or eyes shut or yawning. Drama sells ads. Newspapers and social media love advertisers. The angrier they can make you, the more sensational they can make the situation.

Remember the wise rider always looks both ways even when he or she has the green light. Let that knowledge apply to today’s headlines as well. Look all directions before jumping to a conclusion. Pay attention to what laws are being proposed behind your back during this drama as well. Once you lose a freedom you don’t get it back.

Don’t get me wrong, some of the things going on in our cities are so un-American it makes me sick. But what equally bothers me are reports of unmarked law enforcement grabbing people off the streets and taking them for a ride. Sure my first reaction was, good, get them SOB’s. But there’s that flip side. It only takes the abduction of one innocent American by these groups and it’s not cool anymore. Some might say well there is bound to be one or two but if it’s for the greater good then so be it. If that’s the case, are you going to be the one or two to volunteer to go for the ride?

There are parallels to the movements that are occurring today that coincide with living the biker lifestyle. One of the big complaints is the profiling of certain races by police and other law enforcement agencies. Well how bout that. Bikers have been profiled for years as well and it never really sunk home to those that ride. Remember the mentality that the cops won’t bother you unless you’re breaking the law? Tisk Tisk Tisk. Silly rabbit get out of your hole. Put that club patch on your back and welcome to a whole new life experience. Talk with your friends that you ride with and see how many have been interviewed on the side of a roadway somewhere or worse.

Here is the gist of it. You can apply everything that’s going on to multiple demographics. What needs to happen is level heads without personal agendas need to help rectify the situations. If they have a personal agenda, kick their ass to the curb. They aren’t needed. Do we need to get rid of police officers? Absolutely not. You couldn’t pay me enough to do that job. Can there be steps taken to weed out the bad apples or ill-tempered. Absolutely.

In my opinion a majority of these issues start from the top with just plain old bad policy. This is something that can be fixed. Remember that you are part of the problem but a part of the solution as well.

How is it my fault you ask? Simple. Vote, Read, Research. Knowledge is power. Use that power and change the world in a way that gives our children that power as well. Ignorance is rampant right now. Never has it been more evident that our education system has failed. Never has it been more evident that we have failed as a society to take our country’s destiny by the root and put her back on track the way Americans used to. So I put this to you on your next ride. While you’re going down that back road with your Brothers and Sisters, would you like to travel as you wish how you wish, or would you like to be stopped at an armed checkpoint and asked for your pass to travel? Freedom isn’t free. Register to vote and get your voice heard.

Nefarious James