What Makes ABATE Fun?
by FastFred
Older members like Lance Kidd gave me a few ideas
for this month’s article. Lance wants to remind his brothers
and sisters that ABATE is about brotherhood and fun first. ABATE
was begun in 1971 by Easyrider magazine primarily to repeal
the helmet laws passed during the late 60s. Easyriders and others
realized a national ABATE would not work by the middle of the
80s. ABATE has changed in many states with some focusing more
on charity or other aspects rather than biker rights.
In Reveille for Radicals Saul Alinsky states:
“An organization founded on a limited program covering
a limited community will live a limited life.” Lance and
others suggest we increase the diversity of our program. In particular
he and others would like to see more events help downed brothers
or those burned out by fire. Chapters are encouraged to participate
and organize fun activities and help members in need. By increasing
our diversity of activities at the local level we can avoid
another pitfall pointed out by Alinsky: “The room within
the organization becomes more confined; officers become more
entrenched in their decisions, and the program itself becomes
routine and static. Would you support a statewide poker run?
If so contact your chapter, area, and state coordinator.
Recently there has been a lot of noise made about
how one should act and dress when visiting the house of our
legislators. It seems to some that decorum is more important
than the message or if the message is even heard. I say bullshit
because the statehouse belongs to the people of South Carolina
not the legislators. The legislators merely serve at the pleasure
of the people; hence they are only guests in our house. I suggest
we need new fun innovative ways to get our message out to the
legislators and the people. Remember sacred cows make the best
hamburgers.
Numbers of people are only one of the many factors
in an effective demonstration. The timing, choice of target
and tactics to be employed are equally important. There have
been demonstrations of 400,000 that are hardly remembered and
demonstrations of a few dozen that were remarkably effective.
Often the critical element involved is the theater. Those who
say a demonstration should be concerned with education rather
than theater don’t understand either and will never organize
a successful demonstration, or for that matter, a successful
revolution. (Abbie Hoffman: Steal this Book)
While you or your chapter plans events keep in
mind Alinsky’s advice from Rules for Radicals: “A
good tactic is one your people enjoy. They'll keep doing it
without urging and come back to do more. They'll even suggest
better ones.” You can make more impact to achieve political
or social goals like nudging Mayor McBride out of office with
some theater. The press eats up theater like the Ride Against
McBride. Remember the great fun we had getting tossed from the
Senate Gallery in 2004? Do you recall the full court press we
gave the opposing lobbyists on the balcony while waiting to
get back in? More importantly remember the awesome participation
we enjoyed and the victory we won that year? The answer my friend
is blowing in the wind… that answer is FUN.
Thomas Jefferson once said: “Enlighten
the people generally, and tyranny and oppression of body and
mind will vanish like spirits at the dawn of day.” If
more bikers became enlightened of what our legislators are doing
at the statehouse participation and membership would both grow.
We do our best with this newsletter to keep you up to date during
the legislative session but it is no substitute for the nearly
daily updates via the ezine. Join the ezine at abatesc.com/lists.htm
Have I done all that I can for biker rights and
ABATE of SC? Hell No but I am still trying. The real people
that deserve credit for our organizations many past successes
are you the people reading this article. Please send in your
favorite recipes for sacred cow burgers for the upcoming barbecue
session in our state capitol.
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