Stereotyping bikers

[BabyRider]

Sorry for all the asterisks that will appear in this post, but it's from one of my biker forums and I wanted to share it here:

TCOB, guys.


We would like to send our sympathies to all who have lost their lives, espically those lost in the past few weeks, living the life we all hold true to.
The media has hyped up so much, it's sickening. It's amazing how theories and stories get put out by so called "Investigative Reporters" when most make no sense or are clearly fabricated.
Then the cops put out lies or half truths to build cases that so the public gets outraged at innocent people, while the real terrorists are breaking down doors of innocent people, molesting kids, selling drugs out of the eveidence rooms, and committing every crime known to man.
It always seems that a biker gets arrested, and he's guilty no matter what, even if he was in another country. If a cop gets arrested, they are innocent, or the job is stressful and made them beat or kill their family or rape their 5 year old.
Example: A biker is pulled with an "associate" who has a joint in his pocket. He's arrested and sent directly to jail where he cannot play with his kids and cannot support his family. He is immediately found guilty by the media for trafficing drugs, and cops a plea so he doesn't have to spend 10 years behind bars, and ends up doing 1 year with 5 years probation.
A cop is arrested for stealing drugs from the evidence room, shooting his/her spouse, molesting kids, raping inmates or taking sexual favors to drop a ticket. He's put on paid leave so he can go home and play with his wife and kids until an "internal investigation" is performed, then gets a slap on the wrist because "he was a good cop".
Everyone knows the following story... A cop infiltrates your club, spends a year trying to get someone in the club to commit a crime. One weak member makes a phone call to "hook a brother up" and the next thing you know, the front doors get kicked in, kids get scared to death, old people get shot and the clubhouse gets raided. Hundreds of LEGAL guns (labeled weapons by the cops and media) money (mostly from honest paychecks or sidework) small amounts of drugs (usually a few roaches at the most) and colors are on the front page of the local and national newspapers, with some big-headed ATF mother ****er standing there with his pie hole open. The "Scared Sheeples" see these big bad bikers threatening their safety, being led away by the "Town Hero's". Time and time again, no one cares when the smoke clears and they are all released because the charges are bullshit. That's never front page news, if it's news at all.
It's time ALL bikers join together and start to fight the injustice together. I know it'll probably never happen, but until it does, our rights, and our freedoms will be stripped away from us, one by one.
It's the likes of snitches, the Patriot Act, anti gang laws, RICO and other bullshit laws that will be the downfall for our lifestyle and our freedom.
We all may hate each other and fight each other, but we're all still brothers, and if you **** with one of us, you **** with all of us. If we stand together, we'll survive to fight another day. But as long as we're fighting each other, we'll all fall together.
The only way to fight it is to band together, have "Freedom Runs" in huge groups, protest in public and send letters to your legislators. Try to educate the public about the good side of what you're doing. I know the "**** everyone" attitude all too well, I got it too, but one day we'll all be locked up in our homes, having to show our papers to travel in the streets saying "How the **** did this happen?" When it does, we can all look back and say it was the "**** everyone" attitude, and everyone will then be truly ****ed.

[abbey]

A clear case of judging a book by its cover BR.

Bikers in the US seem to be easy targets for the press and police,
very sad.

[Peg]

There's stereotyping going on all the time. Goth kids, kids who wear hoodies, etc. must all be bad kids. I am one who sees bikers in a way different light. Around here, I don't know about other places, if someone is in need, has medical bills, etc., bikers are the first ones to have fundraisers such as poker runs, etc. The stereotyping is sad. I once saw the funeral director lock the doors of a funeral home when ABATE pulled up. Little did this man know the thousands of dollars this group raised to help with his medical bills, the joy they brought to this child in the hospital, and their total kindness. I really learned a lesson that day; I hope the funeral director did too.

[DesignerGal]

This is sad. First it was the blacks, and now the bikers. This is why I will teach my children not to hate. It's disgusting how people can get away with this crap. My friend was just called a "n!gger lover" because she is white and favors a certain ethnic background" when it comes to dating. Its all hate, all the devil, and its disgusting.

Sorry, BR, I know this frustrates the hell outta ya!

Im going to a genocide rally on Sunday, so if you ever need me to be at your rally, call me! Im what they would call "really preppy" I guess. I have blonde hair, collard shirts, khaki pants and sweater sets. Wouldnt it send a good message if I rode around on the back of the bike with the biggest, baddest, most tatooed, longest haired biker of them all?

[BabyRider]

Originally Posted by abbey

A clear case of judging a book by its cover BR.

Bikers in the US seem to be easy targets for the press and police,
very sad.

What's really odd? The people that are referred to in the first couple sentences are a club in Cananda.
Our old "sister" club in Belgium has gotten the same type of treatment.

I sure do appreciate people like Peg who have an understanding of what clubs are about. Not all clubs of course, but the larger majority.

Thanks guys...yes it can be frustrating.

[Nomad]

I think some of that perception might be changing, slowly but changing, as word gets out that most bikers today arent thugs. They come from all walks of life. Bikers today could be your pharmacist, the manager at your grocery store, a well respected lawyer or judge. They may or may not belong to a club, but many do. The commonality is the love of riding. They meet in Daytona or at Sturgis and have a good time.
The ones who stereotype are ignorant, lacking knowledge and are probably prone to thinking all Muslims could be terrorists, or all blacks have a predisposition to breaking into houses. Its all ridiculous.

Fair comment Nomad. The point is that just because someone rides a motorcycle or is a member of a motorcycle club that doesn't mean that they're a criminal.

I know some bikers are criminals. I know some lawyers are criminals. I know some cops are criminals. I know some bricklayers are criminals.

I also know not all bikers are criminals. Not all lawyers are criminals. Not all cops are criminals. Not all bricklayers are criminals.

Stating the obvious? Yes. Sometimes it's necessary.

[BabyRider]

Originally Posted by Nomad

I think some of that perception might be changing, slowly but changing, as word gets out that most bikers today arent thugs. They come from all walks of life. Bikers today could be your pharmacist, the manager at your grocery store, a well respected lawyer or judge. They may or may not belong to a club, but many do. The commonality is the love of riding. They meet in Daytona or at Sturgis and have a good time.
The ones who stereotype are ignorant, lacking knowledge and are probably prone to thinking all Muslims could be terrorists, or all blacks have a predisposition to breaking into houses. Its all ridiculous.

I hope you're right about things changing, Nomad. It would certainly make life easier in my neck of the woods. Just today, Bullet and I rode our bikes to the mall, all leathered up, (it's a tad chilly) him flying his colors, and as we walked through the mall you could watch the people look at us, eyes widen and move to the farthest side of the walkway they could get to. Like they're going to catch some disease or we're going to jump them and put a knife to their throat. You can smell the fear on them. Wow....I ride a motorcycle, I must be a bad-ass. Ridiculous doesn't begin to say it.

[DesignerGal]

Originally Posted by BabyRider

I hope you're right about things changing, Nomad. It would certainly make life easier in my neck of the woods. Just today, Bullet and I rode our bikes to the mall, all leathered up, (it's a tad chilly) him flying his colors, and as we walked through the mall you could watch the people look at us, eyes widen and move to the farthest side of the walkway they could get to. Like they're going to catch some disease or we're going to jump them and put a knife to their throat. You can smell the fear on them. Wow....I ride a motorcycle, I must be a bad-ass. Ridiculous doesn't begin to say it.

Maybe they are moving out of your way because you guys are so freaking hot and awesome and look like movie stars?

I thought I might make you feel better with that. DId it even work a little bit?

[BabyRider]

Originally Posted by DesignerGal

Maybe they are moving out of your way because you guys are so freaking hot and awesome and look like movie stars?

I thought I might make you feel better with that. DId it even work a little bit?

Well, it did give me a good laugh! Because when I'm riding, my hair is all wrapped in a long leather wrap, I'm wearing a skull cap, and bulky leather that makes me look fat. I don't wear makeup when I ride, either, the eye-tearing washes it all down my face. So no, we sure as hell don't look like movie stars, and if the blatant fear on their faces wasn't there...well...it's just not cool to be feared because of what you look like.