Nowadays everyone's attention span and time are limited. Be grateful if you get anyone's attention on our issue, even for a few seconds. Some wannabe activists come in like a lion, then disappear faster than sh*t through a short dog. Take whatever you get from any volunteer. Praise and thank them. Don't be disappointed when they drift away. They will. But some come back. Keep the light on for them. THE AMA STINKS. So does MRF, NCOM, ABATE, and any or all of the rest of the MROs. At the same time, all of these organizations are the best thing since sliced bread. We won't keep or retrieve our rights without them. It's normal to love them and hate them at the same time. Be sure your complaints about them go to the person who can do something about your problem. Never give up your membership -- it's much easier to fix things from the inside. Avoid griping in public -- our opponents love it when we do. Always handle our dirty laundry behind closed doors. Always.
Preserving Bikers Rights is an ongoing PROCESS. We are winning and losing battles during this process, but the war will never be over. Becoming active to keep your rights is a lot like cleaning your house: it's thankless and boring work, but necessary. Like dirt, the Safety Nazi crowd will just keep coming back. Forever.
Your activism will keep us winning more than losing. Our opponents count on wearing us down. They love it when one of us (not you, of course) gets discouraged and drops out. When you fully understand and accept the reality that Biker Rights is a never-ending struggle, you're automatically in the top 5 percent of all Bikers Rights defenders. Congratulations.
Bikers are susceptible to these emotions. Awaken sleeping Bikers Rights activists by tapping these powerful emotions. Fear and guilt will move mountains -- and fill the collection plate, and recruit new members. If Bikers won't become active for themselves, ask them to do it for their families. For their children. For their country. And -- this tactic works! -- ask them to do it for YOU.
E-mail to elected people is pretty much worthless -- unless the official already personally knows you. Internet polls are useless. Online polls make some folks think they are actually doing something. They are not. It's a false sense of accomplishment. It's like bringing a doctor to a dead man. Focus on the stuff that works. If you're going to hunt ducks, go where the ducks are.
In-person visits, phone calls, and
snail-mailed, handwritten letters to
elected folks help -- because
politicians know that if you take this
much trouble, you and your family and
friends will also vote.
Make yourself known to politicians for
issues other than Bikers rights. Don't
present yourself as a single-issue
person. Praise and help politicians on
THEIR pet projects. Then, when
Motorcycle issues come up, your opinion
will seem especially credible.
Otherwise, you will soon be stereotyped
and discounted as a single-issue voter.
Politicians have to explain why they
vote Yes or No on proposed laws.
Sometimes they really need your help in
composing explanations to their
constituents. If you want your elected
official to vote Yes, on a seemingly
unpopular Helmet Modification Bill, she
might be more willing to vote your way
if you give her a "back door" -- a good,
common sense explanation that she can
give to all of her constituents.
If we have the right people in power,
antibiker laws will not be passed.
Period. The laws are what matter. This
concept is so simple that many folks
can't see it, just like they can't "see"
the air they breathe. The anti-rights
crowd can hold all the news
conferences they want, but nothing will
happen unless they can pass more laws.
This fact tells you about the how, what,
where, when, why, and with whom you
should be spending your time, energy,
and money. Politicians pass laws.
Therefore, you must get involved in
politics to protect your rights.
There is just no way to get around this.
Sorry. I don't like politics either.
Bummer!
Avoid those shrill folks who sound
threatening or talk about doomsday. It's
a waste of your time. These noisy folks
remind me of a couple in a failing
marriage who only talk about a getting a
divorce instead of talking about their
real problems. If they don't solve their
problems, separation or divorce becomes
the inevitable outcome. Some people get
pumped up on silly fantasy scenarios. I
do not.
Paradoxically, bad information or
disinformation is a plague in the
so-called Information Age. When you
write or talk about Bikers Rights
issues, use only the facts, the truth,
and the provable. Verify any quotes that
you use. Back up your generalizations
with powerful and specific examples. Get
on the internet, and get your
like-minded friends online. Join several
of the hundreds of net communities that
will keep you informed instantly and
completely about our special issues.
Information is power!
It's far too easy to go bonkers
reacting to the latest media-driven
crisis. Don't let the media push your
buttons. The activist pros I know do not
overreact to crises. In fact, most of
the ultra-pros that I know do not react
at all to media hysteria. Bashing the
media about their bias is not
productive. Some Bikers use media bias
as an excuse to do nothing -- because
the situation seems so overwhelming and
hopeless. Truth is, if you are a busy
activist -- already steadily doing stuff
that matters -- you will find the media
reacting to YOU. Be friendly and polite
with them -- not hostile. Become a
reliable source of information for them.
And just keep on being ACTIVE.
It's been said that 80 percent of
success is showing up. Being there.
Showing up to vote. Showing up at an
Bikers Rights seminar. At your
Senator/Delegates office. At a city
council meeting. My father's favorite
motto: "Your actions speak so loud that
I can't hear a word you're saying." Your
"silent" activism can be a model for
others. What will your 3 ridding buddies
think when they find out you spent an
afternoon handing out brochures
door-to-door for a pro-biker politician?
In the time you spend trying to convert
one hard core SAFETY NAZI to our
side, you could have gone out and
motivated and organized 20 people who
already think like us.
The more involved you get with freedom,
issues, the more you will realize that
your single issue actually complements
and protects other human rights issues.
Personally, I am deeply offended by many
aspects of today's culture. When I focus
my activism on Bikers Rights, I can
often sense I am making a measurable
difference. All rights -- like all
humans -- are connected.
Sometimes we don't know what will work.
Sometimes the rule is that there are no
rules.Don't hesitate to try something
new and innovative -- get it out on the
table! Often your finest essay or
brilliant letter will not be
acknowledged, or you will just get a
form letter response. But that letter to
the editor that you dashed off in a few
minutes appears in tomorrow's newspaper!
Go figure. Better yet, try not to
figure. Trust yourself, trust your
instincts -- and just do something.
This little bit of advice was
paraphrased from a copyrighted piece
from Gun Rights Advocates.
