TIGER TALES - NOVEMBER, 2006

 

    Greetings to all my Riding Family!  I hope this finds all of you enjoying the cooler weather, and breaking out the leathers to wear more often.  Remember, with leather you have an additional Margin of Safety in that you're sacrificing the cow's hide to save your own!  However, I'll keep my fingers crossed that none of us has to experience this first-hand, especially with the increase in irresponsible driving that seems to come with the arrival of the Holiday Season.  As we approach Thanksgiving, I once again think on how grateful I am to be living in a Free Nation where one can express opinions and views in an environment of Liberty.  Hopefully, this fact will motivate all of you to get out and vote in these important state
 and Federal elections taking place on Nov. 7.  Research the issues carefully, and vote your conscience.  Remember, our ability to elect our Public Servants to office is one of the aspects of living in a democracy which makes enjoying life in our country so desirable, and our living in Freedom comes with a price.  We're able to Live and Ride Free thanks to
the service and sacrifices of our Armed Forces, and Oklahoma's motorcyclists will once again have opportunity to pay tribute to America's Veterans by taking part in ABATE's annual Veterans' Day Run to the State Capitol on Saturday, November 11.  We'll be assembling at the Skyline Restaurant parking lot on S.E. 15th St., 1/4 mi. east of I-35, and the Bike Parade will leave promptly at 10:30AM.  After taking part in the Veterans' Day ceremonies, we'll head on out to Charley's Last Stand, where the American Legion Riders Post #1340 will once again host a lunch of build 'em yourself chili dogs--yummy!  This year's event will also provide opportunity to help out one of our own.  Ralph Branham, a Vietnam Vet who works at Bryan H-D, was badly injured on his bike by an inattentive motorist who blew through a red light while yakking on a cell phone, and he will be out of work for a year.  Charley's is going to host a Walk-Around Poker Run to help raise funds on Ralph's behalf, and I sincerely hope we'll enjoy a large turnout, both to do this and honor all America's Veterans!

   On September 21-24, I was able to attend the Motorcycle Riders Foundation's annual Meeting Of The Minds, which was held in Indianapolis, IN.  It was hosted by ABATE of Indiana, and over 400 folks from all over the United States, Canada and Europe attended.  The Sooner State was represented by Charlie and Bernie Williams, David Gallant, and myself.  This year's convention featured a wide array of valuable seminars covering all aspects of motorcycling freedom-related legislative, judicial, and safety issues. I was able to network with a large number of Freedom Fighters from various states, and I came away with a bunch of useful information that I hope to apply as we formulate legislative strategy for the 2007 Session.  As I've mentioned previously, this year ABATE of Oklahoma enjoyed one of the most successful legislative efforts in its history, and our accomplishments were
 recognized by both the MRF and the American Motorcyclist Association with ABATE of Oklahoma receiving the 2006 State Legislative Award from both organizations.  I was glad to have been present to accept these prestigious accolades this year on behalf of our Organization, especially on the heels of ABATE of Oklahoma receiving the MRF Federal Legislative Award last year.  I want to deeply thank not only all of our ABATE Membership, but all of our Sooner State Motorcycling Community who worked so hard to get Jaggers' Law passed this year, since that legislation was a major reason for ABATE receiving this recognition on a national scale.  We never were able to schedule a formal signing ceremony since Governor Henry had so many prior commitments, but the law is on the books, and is in effect--beware,  negligent, irresponsible motorists who hurt and kill others!  The Keynote
 Address at the Awards Banquet was given by Michael "Balls" Farabaugh from ABATE of Indiana, who's been a Motorcycling Rights Activist from the earliest days.  Our own Charlie Williams was recognized for his contributions to Motorcycling Freedom (he's been active in Oklahoma since the Age of Disco!), and I had to stand and applaud at his name being mentioned.  All of is in ABATE should be grateful for the efforts of Charlie and Bernie Williams--they're two quiet streams that run deep!  Although I've been an MRF Member since 1991, this was my first meeting Of The Minds I was able to attend, and I brought home a Motorcycle Helmet as a souvenir.  It's not one I plan to wear much, though--it has over forty autographs of the Indianapolis Colts football team on it!  Next year's event will be held in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and I think it would be worthwhile for more of us Oklahomans to attend.  While on the road, I was made aware that special-interest groups will again seek to advance in 2007 an Oklahoma ATV bill of the same type as the one we defeated this year thanks in part to the Freedom Rally we held March 15.  I'm not sure exactly how next year's bill will be authored, but I expect similar wording regarding prohibition of children under 12 from riding any off-road vehicles to include ATVs, dirt bikes, minibikes and scooters, and a Mandatory Off-road Helmet Law for riders under 18.  This proposal to restrict who can use ATVs on Private Property and establish a Mandatory Helmet Law will prove a direct threat to all of us, especially if the title's taken off it and it goes to Conference Committee for a re-write, so be ready for action!  I'll provide more information as I get it, but list an important date on your calendar for now.  The 2007 ABATE Legislative Breakfast will take place Thursday, March 1, 7:30AM to 10:30AM at the State Capitol Fourth Floor Rotunda.  For those who've never attended, whether you're an ABATE Member or not, this event provides an excellent occasion to get to know your legislators and discuss important issues with them.  I hope to see hundreds of our Riding Community turning out to join us--then we can show the State Legislature what Biker Power is all about!

   ABATE's State Party and Swap Meet took place September 29-October 1, and went very well, in my opinion.  Several hundred folks showed up at Camp McFadden by the shore of beautiful Kaw Lake in Osage County to kick back, relax, and rock to the energized sounds of two bands on Friday and four bands on Saturday.  We enjoyed an Observation Poker Run Saturday Morning, and fun activities throughout the weekend.  There were a sizeable number of vendors present, and everybody was blessed with beautiful weather the entire time.  One of the bands that showed up was a heavy metal group which attracted a sizeable number of younger people, and I'm very glad to see others attend besides just us old greybeards (even though that particular band didn't appeal to everyone)!  The Three Sands Chapter, based in Ponca City, did most of the logistical planning, and put in a ton of hard work, which paid off despite several large-scale competing events.  You can't pick a weekend without at least three or four events being scheduled anyway, but I wish every one of our ABATE Chapters would send at least a couple of members to both be represented at the State Party and have a good time.  Those Chapters not in attendance, you missed a terrific time, and we missed you!  Tulsa Chapter hosted the Bike Show, Muskogee Chapter sponsored the Tattoo Contest, and NW #69 Chapter supervised the Bike Games (safety tip: judges of the Keg Push competition need to stand at the side, not in front of the bikes and kegs!).  One of our NW #69 members was injured, but thankfully she wasn't hurt too severely, and returned to the Party with her Chapter.  Hopefully she'll end up with a cool road name as result of her experience (like "Keg Roll"!).  The event concluded Sunday morning with a Blessing Of The Bikes hosted by the spiritual riding groups in attendance.  Many thanks to everyone of ABATE's members who pitched in to make this year's event a success.  All in all, the State Party was a really fun time this year, designed to raise funds to finance our upcoming legislative campaign.  Eternal Vigilance continues to be the Price of Liberty, and we'll have to be proactive in safeguarding our rights.  Groups like the NHTSA and American Automobile Association continue to campaign for Mandatory Helmet Laws as a magic solution for reducing motorcyclist deaths and injuries, ignoring Rider Education programs and not holding four-wheeled motorists accountable for their irresponsible actions.  We can't allow ourselves to be steamrollered by these groups, and ABATE will continue to stand guard against any possible threats.

   We had a very productive ABATE State Board Meeting in October, with eight of our ten active Chapters present.  The Lakes Area Chapter is working hard to finish up the basket they're preparing for the 2006 Mid-South M.I.L.E. Seminars in Springfield, MO, and folks have been coming up with all manner of Made-in-Oklahoma items with which to fill it.  I anticipate a very successful and informative event, which I'll report on in my next article.  We're finalizing our Legislative Agenda for 2007, so we can start contacting bill authors and co-sponsors to begin working on our behalf.  In a nutshell, ABATE aims next year to support legislation authorizing motorcyclists to proceed through an intersection after determining it safe to proceed if their bikes don't cause the light to turn green; legislation clarifying Title 47 verbiage addressing both auxiliary lighting and exhaust system noise; legislation prohibiting use of hand-held cell phones while driving; and legislation significantly reducing turnpike tolls for motorcycles in Oklahoma.  We'd like see the proposed cell phone restriction titled
"Jeffrey Smith's Law", in honor of our sorely-missed NW #69 Chapter Vice-President, who was rear-ended on his bike and killed in front of his own home by an inattentive driver.  As with David Jaggers' Law, this will put a human face on what otherwise would be a bunch of impersonal statistics, and reinforce that the victims are contributory members of society with families and friends that love and miss them very much.  As I mentioned earlier, we're going on record as supporting Freedom of Choice and responsible parenting in opposing whatever ATV-restrictive legislation is advanced.  We'll be able to finalize our legislative strategy at the 2007 ABATE of Oklahoma General Membership Meeting, scheduled for Saturday, January 13, 2007, at the Best Western Hotel in Altus, OK.  The Meeting will consist of the State Board Meeting in the morning (where all ABATE Members are invited), followed by the General Meeting in the afternoon, which will include a Keynote Speaker, political and safety seminars, and an open-format Town Meeting where individual members can air their views, opinions, suggestions and concerns.  There'll be a Hospitality Room Friday and Saturday, and a party in the ballroom Saturday night, so make plans to attend--I'll be looking for you!  A highlight of the October Board Meeting included a presentation by our Tulsa Chapter designed to increase ABATE's membership, where motorcycle dealerships would be invited to include for their customers a free ABATE membership with purchase of a new motorcycle, among other features.  Tulsa Chapter also devised a beautiful new ABATE tri-fold membership application which can be adapted for the State and other Chapter-specific logos.  This multi-faceted proposal could serve to give our Organization a badly-needed membership boost, and is well worth a look by the individual Chapters over the next month, especially since we'll be addressing this issue again at the November Board Meeting, our last for 2006.  I'm very grateful to the Tulsa Chapter for spending the time and effort to make a contribution to improve life for all of us in ABATE--thanks a bunch!

   Well, I guess it's time for me to head out into the sunset.  This month marks seven full years I've been privileged to serve as ABATE of Oklahoma State Coordinator, and the Thanksgiving Season provides me with the opportunity to express my gratitude to all of you ABATE Members for your support and confidence in allowing me to continue in a leadership role.  As a lot of you know, I haven't been in the best of health lately with back and hip problems, and I anticipate some medical challenges arising in the near future.  With all of us working together in a spirit of unity and cooperation as we focus on our common goals, I'm comfortable that we have more than enough talented people in our Organization to meet whatever challenges we may have to face together.  Remember, the forces that unite us are much stronger than the forces that could divide us!  Tiger's Tip O' The Month:  Chill November whips the leaves off the trees, and soaking Fall rains can combine to coat roads with a slippery layer of leaves that can play havoc with your traction, so be careful on the throttle when powering out of a corner or changing lanes, especially in wooded areas.  Also, remember to guard against the subtle effects of hypothermia which can sneak up on you.  Dress in layers, and take advantage of the wind-cutting characteristics of the aforementioned leather!  Also, check out some of the modern synthetics like Polar-Tec which not only keep you warm but also wick away moisture that can freeze you out.  I'll bring this article to a close with an invitation.  The Oklahoma Confederation Of Clubs Meeting will take place Sunday, November 5, starting at 1:00PM at American Legion Post 73, 5000 S.E. 24th St. in Del City, OK.  I'm pleased to announce that our guest speaker at the meeting will be "Sputnik" Strain, Chairman of the Texas Motorcycle Rights Association (TMRA-II), which is one of the premier organizations lobbying on behalf of Motorcycling Freedom in the Lone Star State.  Sputnik, who I'm proud to serve with on the National Coalition Of Motorcyclists Board of Directors, is very intelligent, articulate, politically astute and a dynamic public speaker.  He has authored an informative pamphlet entitled "Five Steps To Freedom" about how Bikers can become more politically effective and even get elected to Public Office.
 He's also a combat Veteran and an old-school Biker who's logged hundreds of thousands of miles all over the country defending Liberty.  Everyone is cordially invited to attend the meeting, and I look forward to us showing Sputnik some real Oklahoma Hospitality!  Take care, Ride Safely, Sober and Aware, and I'll see you on the Road--I'll take this time to thank my Riding  Family for your support, and for putting up with my ramblings!

 Keep It On The Black Strip Between The Trees,
 Tiger Mike