Tiger Tails August 2004
Hello to all my ABATE Family
and Friends! There's not too much to report for August,
with the Legislative Session over and everybody
scattering to the Four Winds for the Summer Riding
Season. I hope all of you have a terrific time during
this hot month, and that you enjoy many miles of safe
and fun motorcycling during the 101 Critical Days of
Summer. I was amazed and gratified to read that there
were only FOUR traffic deaths in the entire state of
Oklahoma during the Independence Day holiday weekend,
compared to thirteen in 2003. Hopefully, folks were
heeding the call to be more observant and share the road
while on Oklahoma's highways and byways. July
21 provided a great opportunity to reinforce this by
taking your motorcycle to the job on America's 13th
annual National Ride To Work Day! To quote Andy
Goldfine, this year's event organizer, "Riding to work
shows the positive value of motorcycling for
transportation. For many people, riding is a socially
responsible form of personal mobility that saves energy,
hleps the environment and provides a broad range of
other benefits." What a tremendous opportunity it was
for Oklahoma's motorcyclists and trikers to reinforce to
the motoring community in our state that riding two-and
three wheels constitutes an important alternative form
of transportation. Those of us that ride are certainly
aware that motorcycles cause less wear and tear on our
roadways, and is more economical in this time of
escalating gasoline prices. This year's Fourth of July
death toll, unfortunately, did include one motorcyclist,
and there were several other two-wheeled deaths in the
month of July. Most of them were attributed to
excessive speed and some involved alcohol, so I think
it's a good idea to remember the fundamentals that keep
us surviving on Oklahoma's roadways, or let's take the
Experienced Rider Training Course if we can't remember!
I was heading south on I-35 to Norman on my birthday
(July 15), and saw several bikes pulling wheelies
northbound at Interstate speed. I couldn't help
thinking what a black eye the riding community would
receive if one of them lost control and caused a "train
wreck". Remember, True Freedom is accompanied by
Responsibility, so ride responsibly!
August is time for the
tribes to make the annual pilgrimage to South Dakota for
the Sturgis Bike Rally. I hope any of you that are
headed to South Dakota for what used to be the Black
Hills Classic before the big-business types hijacked it
from the Jackpine Gypsies M/C will have an enjoyable
trip. Please do your best to not get price-gouged by
some of the greedy that are looking to grab the Biker
Dollars that are plentiful at our largest-scale
motorcycling events. I wonder if "Killer Bill" Janklow
is going to hang out up there, now that he's served his
time! Here's some news regarding the ex-Congressman
that'll make you grind your teeth in frustration: While
Janklow is appealing his conviction, claiming his
impaired driving was indeed the result of his diabetes,
despite EMT testimony to the contrary, a Federal
Magistrate ruled in July that, as a Member of Congress,
Janklow was "on duty" when he blew through that stop
sign and killed biker Randy Scott. That means any money
awarded to the Scott Family as a result of the Wrongful
Death lawsuit they've filed against Janklow will be paid
by--you guessed it--the U.S. Taxpayer! I think that's
one issue I'm going to vent to my representatives on
Capitol Hill about, just to let 'em know that I'm still
keeping an eye out for governmental screwups over the
Summer. Oh yeah--remember to take your helmet with you
if traveling through Nebraska or Missouri to enjoy
Sturgis or head north out of our state. Attempts to
promote Freedom of Choice regarding helmet wear in those
states went down to defeat again this year, due to
last-minute political double dealing.
While still a bit
disappointed about our inability to pass "Jaggers' Law"
the first time out, I was encouraged to see that, in
mid-July, North Carolina passed and had signed into law
Failure To Yield Legislation that would add a $500
penalty and a 90 day Drivers License suspension for
negligent motorists that hurt or kill Bikers. Heartfelt
Congratulations, North Carolina Freedom Fighters! ABATE
of Oklahoma has the text of that law, and hopefully it
can help us write a new bill with an increased chance of
passage as we prepare for the 2005 Legislative Session.
Speaking of which, ABATE has the State Capitol Fourth
Floor Rotunda reserved for our annual Legislative
Breakfast on Thursday, February 17, 2005 from 7:30AM to
10:30AM. Be sure to put it on your Calendar of Events.
We're going to take Failure To Yield Legislation to a
higher level, in keeping with the AMA's "Justice For
All" campaign. This program aims to increase penalties
for negligent, inattentive motorists that injure or kill
ANYONE, including motorcyclists! You can read more
about it by logging onto the AMA Website at
www.ama-cycle.org YOUR Motorcyclists Rights
Organization aims to continue to address issues
improving Quality of Life for our Riding Community
throughout 2004 and the next year, so feel free to
contact me and let me know what needs to be focused
upon. I personally think it would be a great idea to
get a Veterans License Plate authorized for Oklahoma, as
has been done in a number of states. Contact me if you
agree.
Our Organization continues
to roll along as we
approach Autumn. We've come to some agreement on issues
and events that lie ahead, but challenges exist that
must be met and mastered. At our July State Board
Meeting, Roxie, Sunset Chapter ABATE's Representative
announced that the Sunset Chapter is going to construct
the ABATE of Oklahoma basket that'll be auctioned off at
this year's Mid-South Motorcyclists Improving
Legislative Effectiveness (M.I.L.E.) Seminars, to be
held in Wichita, Kansas October 15-17. It's going to be
a valuable educational experience and social event
that's well worth attending. You can get more
information on this year's M.I.L.E. by checking out
www.midsouthmile.org Sunset Chapter has also
expressed a willingness to host the ABATE of Oklahoma
State General Membership Meeting, which will take place
on January 8, 2005. I can't express enough gratitude on
behalf of the State Organization for stepping up to
support these two important occasions. Many thanks,
Sunset Chapter! Unfortunately, we're not going to host
ABATE's annual State Party and Swap Meet this year, as
we usually do in September, since there just weren't
enough folks that were going to be around to help
organize the event. Instead, in the interest of unity
and cooperation, ABATE of Oklahoma desires to support
Tulsa Chapter's Silver Anniversary Celebration,
scheduled for September 24-26. It looks like our Tulsa
Brothers and Sisters are planning to observe their
Twenty-Fifth in fine style, and I encourage everyone
that can to come on out and share their joy after a
quarter-century of fighting for Motorcycling Freedom!
This November will mark my FIFTH Anniversary as your
State Coordinator, and while I'm getting a bit creakier
and moving a bit more slowly, it's still rewarding for
me to work together with my ABATE Family to improve our
motorcycling Quality of Life. We're seeing lots more
motorcycles and trikes registered and traveling on our
roads, and lots more motorcycling-related events and
activities are being scheduled throughout the year, by
all types of organizations and facilities. Some areas
that were previously identified as Biker-Unfriendly are
even reaching out to have riders patronize their
establishments, providing incentives such as reserved
free bike parking, and food and beverage specials for
motorcyclists. Personally, I'm willing to keep an open
mind regarding folks' ability to change their attitude,
but I hope their motivation is from more than just a
desire to make money. I'd be interested in seeing if
some of those folks and organizations would be willing
to truly support Biker Freedom by taking out Individual
or Sustaining Memberships in ABATE of Oklahoma--THE
Organization in the Sooner State dedicated to
politically defending Biker Freedom! The Oklahoma
Confederation of Clubs has renewed their Silver-level
Sustaining Membership, and I hope every organization
listed on the back cover of this newsletter will once
again pledge their committment to defending Motorcycling
Liberty. We're slowly increasing our number of
Individual Memberships, but it's critically important
that all of us in ABATE make an effort to continue to
recruit Oklahomans proud of their Freedom, as well as
corporate sponsors that realize how vital it is to
financially support their state's Motorcyclists Rights
Organization. Remember, if ABATE doesn't do it, it
won't get done!
Well, I guess that'll do
it for now. There are still a couple of states
where Freedom of Choice legislation still has a chance
before their Legislative Sessions expire, like Maryland
and North Carolina, but Louisiana has taken a giant step
backward, and you'll have to once again wear a
helmet there starting August 15. I plan to contact
their Department of Tourism and voice my displeasure,
and I sure hope the Bayou State's rights activists will
make an attempt as soon as possible to overcome this
grave injustice! Tiger's Tip O' The Month: Your
machine will only perform as well as you do, so stay
hydrated while in the heat! Dehydration can be as
damaging in Summer as hypothermia in Winter, so drink
lots of water while out riding in the sun. There's no
substitute--beer and caffeinated beverages just dry you
out, and sugary liquids add fuel to the fire by
generating internal heat from empty calories and making
you even more thirsty. Enjoy the Dog Days (Arf, Arf!)
and I'll see you on the road. Be sure to vote in the
State Primaries as they come up, get registered for the
November Elections if you're not yet, and repeat after
me: I REFUSE TO ALLOW MY PUBLIC SERVANT TO RUN MY
LIFE!! Ride Safely, be sure to have lots of fun
throughout the Summer Season, and I'll see you in
September!
Keep It On The Black Strip
Between The Trees,
Tiger Mike
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