| Subject: |
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Re: One of us is off the mark... |
| Name: |
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Mike Alvey |
| Date Posted: |
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Apr 9, 07 - 1:10 PM |
| Email: |
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tobefree@swbell.net |
| Message: |
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This rider needs to throw something in this as well. A shift in focus happened to the rights movement that began about three years ago, or so. I even wrote a piece for a biker rag over in PA that a friend of mine puts out. The subject matter was this very thread. My position, at the time, was that once an individual became involved in the biker rights movement his education in things political would have a natural affect on his wider interests in other causes. I even opined that the measure of whether a rights organization was effective would be to observe how many other issues the participants were involved in. I still hold that position to an extent but now my feelings are somewhat modified.
A very important caveat to the above thinking has to be that the other interests engaged by riders must not be mixed with the forces in our basic movement. That is to say I still believe the same measure of effectiveness is valid, but the education in politics must present a chapter on the separation of issues. When politically educated riders get that fire-in-the-belly to do something about some extraneous issue, it’s pretty natural for them to appeal to the physical force they have already been working with, their fellow biker activists. This same conversation has repeatedly been a topic for SMRO’s across the country. This rider believes that those leaders who have repeatedly marked the dividing line and stood firm in the conviction that biker activists must maintain a certain purity of topic range, have been correct.
The subject issue, illegal immigrants hitting bikers, is really a much broader issue than some are seeing. The interest in grouping together and doing something about it is the measure that people have learned what it is they can actually do. That is, they have learned the mechanics of the political process. The most effective next step should be to find a properly focused activist group with which to join forces as an interested individual. It will always be pretty easy to make the argument that almost anything is a biker issue but the reality is that that is only true because we are all also something else: a citizen. It will also always be most comfortable for us each to come to our brothers and sisters for the help we seek. The hard part of our political education is to realize that we each have the strength and knowledge to lead other groups as well.
I don’t believe that illegal immigration is a biker rights issue, per say. I strongly believe that is a citizen issue that we all must be raising our voices over. Those raised voices are better used and more effective when raised in the frame of a concerned citizen. If you’ve been working with your legislative offices, local state or federal, you will recognize the truth of this point.
To all citizens I would say this: Stay in the fight for freedom and liberty. No matter where it leads you and be always prepared to be the leader if there is none.
Texas Mike |
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