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Hello, My Motorcycling Friends--
I hope all of you had a very Happy
Thanksgiving, and that you enjoyed safe travel throughout the Holiday
Weekend. I'm forwarding along my last Tiger Tales article for 2007, and
I hope my commentary keeps you better informed as the year closes out.
I also want to include mention of the passing on of a key Freedom
Fighter in Tennessee-- Mike "Twanger" Hays, who was called that because
of his longtime experience in the music business. Mike, who was the
Legislative Director for Tennessee's Motorcyclist Rights Organization,
was not only a dedicated Motorcyclist, but also a U.S. Navy Veteran, and
a multi-talented, hard-working guy who was a good friend to the many who
loved him. He will be sorely missed--Ride Free Forever, Twanger! That
said, I want to wish all of you much happiness this Holiday Season,
stress-free shopping, and early best wishes for a Merry Christmas and a
Happy New Year. Thanks a bunch for your continued support, and for
tolerating my long-windedness--Read a little bit at a time if ya feel
overwhelmed! LOL
In Liberty,
Tiger Mike
Michael Lewis Hays
TIGER TALES - DECEMBER,
2007\
Hello to all my
Riding Family! I hope this finds all of you enjoying this festive time
of year, and that you celebrated a Happy Thanksgiving with family and
friends. Hopefully, nobody is feeling post-Holiday guilt about
overeating, and that all your football teams won! As I write this,
we're also celebrating Oklahoma's official Centennial, honoring
our becoming a State in late November, 1907. We're actually one of the
few states where Americans were enjoying the thrill of Motorcycling
when we organized--two years before the first Harley V-Twin was produced
in 1909! I'm glad ABATE has been successfully defending Free
Motorcycling in our state, both on the Chapter and State Level, for
almost a third of that time. You can count on our doing the same as we
enter the next Hundred Years! We'll have opportunity to start 2008 off
with a flourish by convening the ABATE General Membership Meeting
Saturday, January 12, at the Quartz Mountain Resort in Lone Wolf north
of Altus. Our Great Plains of Altus Chapter is hosting the event again,
after doing a terrific job this year. I think it's awesome that one of
our smaller Chapters has done so much to advance the cause of our
Organization--don't forget the old saying: It's not the size of the Dog
in the Fight, but the size of the Fight in the Dog! Remember that
delicious brisket in the Hospitality Room--we're going to enjoy that
again! The meeting will feature our first 2008 State Board Meeting in
the morning, followed by a Keynote Speaker, seminars and workshops, and
an Open Format Town-Hall meeting where individual ABATE Members can air
their views and share ideas. We'll also have a party Saturday Night,
with DJ entertainment and lots of Door Prizes. This meeting is much
more festive when we have a good turnout of the Membership, so download
an event flyer from our State Website, and please make plans to attend!
As we all know,
keeping America's bounty vibrant is supported by the Freedoms guaranteed
by our Armed Forces. I've said before that we have two types of folks
show up at our ABATE Bike Parades in May and November--Veterans and
those who love Veterans, and this year was no exception. Over six
hundred took time out to honor our men and women in uniform on a sunny
Sunday, November 11, to participate in ABATE's annual Veterans' Day Bike
Parade to the State Capitol. Our own little "Oklahoma Rolling Thunder"
was successful, and the Daily Oklahoman actually provided Front-Page
coverage of the event. Many thanks to all our Riding Community for
attending, to Mike "Kemosabe" Penix, our outgoing ABATE State
Sgt.-at-Arms, for heading up this year's run and seeing to the
logistics, to the outriders and spiritual groups for helping to keep the
event safe, and to the American Legion Riders Post #1340 and Charley's
Last Stand for hosting the cookout afterward. Our Parades usually
attract a number of new participants, so be sure to tell your friends
about what a tremendous opportunity this is to pay tribute to our
Military! I'll look forward to seeing you on Memorial Day next May.
I'm sorry I was unable to attend this year, but I was at the NCOM Board
Meeting and Regional Conference for the Southern States, in Prattville,
Alabama. Fortunately, I was able to celebrate Veterans' Day with a
number of special folks who've served their Country, including our
brother Rob Perkins, former Rogers County Chapter Rep who lives out
there now. It was great to catch up with Rob, who misses being part of
ABATE's activities out here. At the NCOM Board Meeting, we were busily
tying up logistics for next year's Convention in Houston, TX. This
event, hosted by the Texas ABATE Confederation, TMRA-II, and the Texas
Confederations Of Clubs, is shaping up to be one of the biggest and best
ever, so make plans to be part of it--Pre-Register early! We'll have an
event flyer to print from our ABATE State Website, or you can download
one right now at:
www.aimncom.com Also, NCOM members are gearing up to visit
Washington DC this month to lobby against the NTSB's push to pass
Mandatory Universal Helmet Laws in the states. Additionally, NCOM is
working with House members to introduce Federal-level Civil Rights
legislation against Anti-Biker Discrimination. This could be a
groundbreaking development, so stand by for news!
The Freedoms we
celebrate in the American Biker Community also help motivate us to focus
attention on those less fortunate this time of year, and every weekend
is marked by Toy Runs and other fun occasions where motorcyclists and
trikers can both have fun and provide food, toys and clothing for those
who might not have a Merry Christmas. To that end, I'd like to mention
a couple of ABATE-related events coming up. Sunday, December 2 will
mark the Naysayers M/C annual Toy Parade, hosted in Midwest City for
going on 30 years by one of our ABATE Sustaining Members. They raise a
bunch of toys for the Red Andrews Christmas Dinner, which has been
feeding impoverished Oklahomans for over 60 years! We'll also be
hosting two ABATE Toy Runs on the same day, Sunday, December 9. If
you're staying around Oklahoma City, ABATE's Central OK District will
host its annual Toy Run to benefit Feed The Children. If you can make
it to Tulsa, ABATE's Tulsa Chapter has been putting on the Tulsa Toy Run
almost 30 years, and it's scheduled for Dec. 9 as well. It's the
largest single gathering of motorcycles in the state, with around 13,000
bikes and trikes attending to raise a mountain of toys for the Marine
Corps Reserve's Toys For Tots program. Many thanks to all our ABATE
Chapters, such as Lawton and Rogers County, who have hosted successful
Toy Run events already to benefit their respective areas and enhance the
positive image of Motorcycling. There'll be similar events happening
every weekend between now and the end of the year, so c'mon out and do
some good! Oh, while I've been discussing Military-related topics, a
joyous occasion was celebrated in El Reno as Chris, son of Rena, one of
our Sunset Chapter members, returned safely from a tour in Iraq. Roxie,
owner of the Oasis Tavern, one of our Sustaining Members, arranged a
party for him. Chris is in his early 20s, and has been an avid
motorcyclist for a long time--Welcome Home, Chris, and stay safe!
My joy at this
Holiday Season was tempered by quite a shock when informed of the
November 9 tragedy in Tulsa. For those not aware, FIVE innocents were
killed by a Hit-and-Run Drunk Driver, including Ronnie and Deanna
Coatney, members of the Steel Horse Riders, one of our OK Confederation
Of Clubs member groups. One of their number dropped her bike in a
gravel parking lot, and a group of folks clustered around to render
assistance. While helping, a woman in a pickup truck plowed through the
group without slowing down, and drove off without stopping. She turned
herself in later in the day, stating she thought she sideswiped a car!
This is another outrageous incident underscoring the need to apply
Jaggers' Law increasing penalties for these irresponsible motorists who
are hurting and killing us! In response to a request from the Downed
Bikers Association, ABATE intends to research how we can get more teeth
put into Jaggers' Law as well, by possibly applying increased fines,
Driver's License Suspensions and jail time. We're also supporting
legislation targeting those hurting and killing others while driving and
using Hand-held Cell Phones. The Motorcycling Community isn't looking
for special treatment--we seek Equal Treatment under the Law! It's not
right that our loved ones get killed while the perpetrators get to live
their lives as if nothing ever happened. ABATE is also going to
increase focus on Share The Road/Motorcycle Awareness Programs for 2008,
with a multi-media approach designed to keep reminding the Motoring
Public to Look Out For Bikers. Per our Board Meeting discussions, ABATE
also intends to support the same type of Red-Light Legislation we
pursued last year; legislation to revise the Motorcycle Safety Statute
(Title 47) verbiage so motorcyclists don't get ticketed for running with
spotlights; and Right to Repair Legislation to allow independent shops
and individuals access to tools, diagnostics and procedures to repair
motor vehicles. ABATE will inform you as to bill numbers as soon as
Holly receives the information. We're going to begin our
Legislative Campaign Tuesday, February 19, 2008, at our annual ABATE
Legislative Breakfast, 7:30AM until 10:30AM at the State Capitol Fourth
Floor Rotunda, so please list this important event on your calendar!
Activists networked
on a number of good ideas regarding the above issues and more at this
year's Mid-South MILE Motorcyclist Rights Seminars in Ft. Smith,
Arkansas the end of October. The event, involving the State
Organizations of Arkansas, Missouri, Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas,
featured several educational and informative presentations covering the
entire scope of improving Motorcycling Quality if Life. I served on a
panel addressing MRO Membership-related issues. The attendees enjoyed
another festive banquet and auction on Saturday night, and once again,
our ABATE Lakes Area Chapter did a fantastic job constructing the ABATE
State Basket, filled with Made-in-Oklahoma products. It was set up to
look like a Biker campsite, and you had to see it to believe it. We
didn't win the People's Choice Award this year, but it still was one of
the best! Many thanks to the Lakes Area "Three Amigas" again for their
hard work in setting it up at the MILE, and for Lakes Area and other
Chapter support in making our annual contribution a success.
Incidentally, since the location rotates among the member states, next
year's MILE event will take place in Oklahoma toward the end of
October. We haven't secured a venue yet, but we should come up with one
fairly quickly. ABATE of Oklahoma will again need to put its best foot
forward, as we did in Oklahoma City in 2003 and in Tulsa in 1998. Stay
tuned for developments, and you can check for further information on the
MILE Website at:
www.midsouthmile.org
As you should know,
along with firming up our 2008 Legislative Agenda, ABATE just held State
Officer Elections, and I'll be serving as your State Coordinator for
another two years. Completion of this term will make it TEN years for
me as ABATE of Oklahoma State Coordinator (where has the time gone!),
and I've been proud to serve in that capacity. I can't say that this
will be my last term, but my health hasn't been the best lately, and
while I plan to improve that over the next few months, I serve at the
pleasure of the ABATE Membership, and I intend to keep on fighting for
Biker Liberty as long as I have the capacity. I accept my limitations,
and there's no way one person can carry ABATE alone--I'd never make the
mistake of thinking that! Our Organization is very fortunate to have a
number of special people involved in defending our Liberties and making
ABATE of Oklahoma one of the more effective Rights groups in the
Nation. To that end, I want to deeply thank all our officers and
appointees who've done such a terrific job throughout this year. Mike
Penix, our outgoing State Sgt-at-Arms, has been elected a Sunset Chapter
Rep, so he'll be staying on the State Board. ABATE really appreciates
Mike "Wishbone" Lander stepping up to serve as State Secretary when we
really needed assistance--you played a vital, important role, Mike!
Carlametta Lara continues to wear multiple hats efficiently as State
Treasurer, Newsletter Editor and Membership Chair, although I'm sure she
wouldn't turn down volunteers for assisting her. ABATE can always use
motivated members who'd like to pitch in and fight the good fight, so
join us if you value your Freedom! Most Chapters have held their annual
elections, and we've seen some smiling new faces appear for our Board
Meetings already--I very much look forward to working together with you
next year. We also appreciate and recognize the efforts of Holly
Swinford, our Political Director, who's gearing up for the 2008
Legislative Session, and has done more to guarantee Free Riding in our
state than anyone will ever know; Paul Brinker, our State Safety
Officer, who keeps all of us abreast of issues critical to reducing
motorcycling deaths and injuries; Charlie and Bernie Williams for
representing ABATE well across the country to Organizations like the MRF
and Mid-South MILE--Charlie does a terrific job as our Communications
Director; Roxie Van Gundy, who volunteered to take over ABATE
Merchandise sales and has been coming up with new products; and Chris
Coombs, who works hard as a Motorcycle Education Coach, assists Paul as
a Safety Officer and maintains our State Website. Kudos to all of you,
and I'll be forever indebted to you for your dedication and friendship,
as the "Brotherhood" in ABATE relates to our being a Family. There are
serious threats out there, threats which could eradicate Free
Motorcycling as we know it, and we need to stand united to defeat
them--so Lead, Follow, or Get Out Of The Way is my motto!! So, I
challenge the new ABATE officers and Board Members to support our
Organization with the same energy and dedication as those who have gone
before, and I'm confident that you will! I'm also deeply appreciative
for the trust and confidence our ABATE Members place in me, and for the
support and respect of our Motorcycling Community in general. If you
value your Rights, actively support ABATE and fight for them!
Tiger's Tip O' The
Month: After a warm October, Fall has definitely arrived with a
vengeance in the Sooner State, and is accelerating as we approach
Winter. With that, we're experiencing increased winds, some rain, and
leaves all over the roadways. The combination of crosswinds and wet
roads covered with wet leaves could be dangerous, so ride with increased
awareness of your surroundings, especially at intersections! Well,
that'll do it for another year, which I'll say good-bye to with mixed
emotions. However, the future always should hold promise and hope for
all of us, so let's accentuate the positive, and plan for good things to
happen down the Road we travel together. Please don't hesitate to
contact me if you have any questions--you know where to find me, and I'm
willing to discuss Riding Freedom with anyone at any time. Take care,
everyone--best wishes for a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous New
Year, and continue to Ride Free and Safely! Let's work together to make
Oklahoma Motorcycling Great with ABATE in 2008!!
Keep It On The Black Strip Between The
Trees,
Tiger Mike
"May the Road rise to meet You;
May the Wind be always at your Back;
May the Sun shine warm upon your Face;
and, May the Lord hold you in the Palm
of His Hand." --Old Irish Blessing
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