Opinion

By Tim Anderson

There have always been people around the world who have taken it upon themselves to regulate the lifestyles and behavior of others. We in the motorcycle community see more of this than do some other segments of society. And while there are certainly other groups more targeted and oppressed, bikers have recently come under more and more scrutiny and regulation at the hands of our own elected officials.

It's illegal for the government to listen in on Americans' phone conversations or track their phone or online activities without a warrant. That statement should be beyond dispute. But it isn't. Beginning in September 2001, President Bush ordered the National Security Agency, among other government agencies, to spy on Americans' communications.

By any reasonably interpreted legal standards in place then or now, he was breaking the law.

‘Tis the time of year when many Americans are being rubbed the wrong way even more vigorously by our government…it’s tax time. This is when we hear even more about wasteful government spending, how tax cheats are killing the rest of us, and how corporate tax breaks aren’t really cheating. The term “billion” is often used to quantify the amount of money involved. Billion is a tough number to comprehend, perhaps that’s why it’s so often used…it tends to bounce right off our thick skulls because grasping the concept is not easily done.

By Michael Kerr
MRF Vice President
26 February 2008

The Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) is taking action in light of what appears to be an alarming trend with high-level government agency and cabinet-level appointees of President George W. Bush.

President Bush campaigned for the presidency on a platform of "compassionate conservatism." During his campaign he often spoke of his desire to reign in big government and his commitment to personal freedoms.

His message resonated with many in the motorcycling community and with the leadership of the MRF at that time.

By Tim Anderson

They aren’t talking, but they’re writing tickets.

Denver Police have been writing tickets to motorcyclists they “suspect” have exhaust systems that violate the city’s new purported noise ordinance.

Curiously, neither the cops, nor any city officials, will comment on any aspect of the ordinance or its enforcement. No one from the city, or the cops, will engage motorcycle activists in any kind of dialogue, constructive or otherwise, concerning the issue.

By Tim Anderson

The City of Denver--more accurately a few members of the Denver City Council--have taken it upon themselves to use a personal agenda to declare war on metro area motorcyclists. They allowed themselves to be conned into supporting an ordinance fraught with constitutional, factual, and legal peril that unquestionably targets and discriminates persons choosing to ride motorcycles.

By Tim Anderson

They just won’t leave us alone.

It seems that governmental bodies across the region have set motorcyclists in their sights, and have every intention of making us conform to the way they want us to be.

A few recent examples are Colorado’s brand new kiddie helmet law, difficulties between bikers and police on a variety of issues in Cheyenne and Gillette Wyoming, reports of motorcyclist harassment and even outright discrimination in New Mexico, and fighting over the control of several different motorcycle events.