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ABATE of SC continues to grow and improve

Please consider becoming more involved in ABATE

ABATE of SC continues to grow and improve

State of the ABATE midway though the 2005-2006 Legislative Session

ABATE of SC continues to grow and improve. Please consider becoming more involved by running for an office in ABATE at the chapter, area, or state level. Nominations are open for state officers and the elections will be help during September. I will again be seeking the position of State Coordinator of ABATE of SC.

Make plans to attend our state party and celebrate 25 years of freedom from a repressive helmet law in South Carolina. Hard work by people just like you regained that freedom 25 years ago and hard work has continued to defend it ever since.

The US Senate voted down an attempt by Senator Lautenberg to reinstate the Federal Helmet Law Mandate. You can all be proud that both of our senators voted on the side of liberty. I would like to extend my thanks to each of you who called and emailed your US senators.

On the state level we need to really get behind S772 and repeal the handlebar law in South Carolina; it will not be easy to pass S772 but it is possible. Please contact your senator and ask him to co-sponsor and support S772. This bill will go a long ways towards helping end discrimination against bikers if it is passed into law. It is up to the membership of ABATE of SC to make this bill a law. Write and call your senators and representatives at home this summer asking them to take action and support S772.

The state legislative session has finally recessed until January but our work continues. It appears Representative Wilkins wishes to leave us the present of more authoritarian socialism before he leaves for Canada; first he tried to give us S40 and red light cameras and failing that he decided to push S1 and try to give us a primary seat belt law. I hope our friends in the Upstate will fill his old seat with a friend of liberty. I hope Wilkins finds a permanent home in the Great White Socialist North.

I suggest we need to get more involved in campaigns and political parties. The recorded vote on the second reading of S1 in the House shows both parties have lost sight of individual liberties and individual responsibilities. We have enough members to take over both major parties in most counties of South Carolina. If we get more involved we can remove planks from the party platforms we dislike and possibly add some of our own planks. Would you like to see a plank in both parties recognizing the right of individuals to enjoy liberty? A better plank might be one clearly stating that liberty always precedence to safety concerns or a plank stating the government has no right to mandate personal safety devises to the citizens of South Carolina.

This legislative session has blessed us with two lists; the first list contains legislators who are friends of liberty and the second list contains legislators who are opponents of liberty. Both lists are printed in the senate and house journals; see how your elected officials voted in the 02/02/05 Senate Journal and the 05/18/05 House Journal. I would suggest we use these lists to decide which campaigns to work for and against next election cycle unless individual legislators redeem themselves.

The following is the Legislative Honor Roll based upon S1 voting records; these legislators deserve your thanks:

Senate Honor Roll: Alexander, Bryant, Campsen, Grooms, Hawkins, Knotts, McConnell, Mescher, Peeler, Pinckney, Scott, and Verdin.

House Honor Roll: Altman, Bailey, Barfield, Cato, Chellis, Clemmons, Coates, Cooper, Dantzler, Davenport, Duncan, Edge, Haley, Hamilton, Hardwick, Hinson, Kirsh, Leach, Limehouse, Loftis, Mahaffey, Merrill, Perry, M. A. Pitts, Rice, Simrill, G. R. Smith, Thompson, Toole, Tripp, Umphlett, Vaughn, Viers, White, Witherspoon, and Young.

I have spoken with Dennis our legislative coordinator and we both agree that legislative meetings should continue throughout the summer; the legislative session has been hard and it is time for our legislative warriors to regroup and rearm. I look forward to seeing you at the state party and our next state meeting on July 23rd.

FastFred Ruddock
ABATE of SC State Coordinator

Fast Fred Ruddock with a Helmet Ticket in Polk County North Carolina

About Fast Fred

My life has been a dedicated blend of open road adventure and relentless advocacy for motorcyclists’ rights. I'm "Fast Fred" Ruddock, and my journey on two wheels began as a teenager. Over the years, I’ve owned 13 Harleys and several other motorcycles, machines that were far more than just transportation. They represented a freedom that I have fought to protect. Recognizing the power of information, I earned a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, skills I immediately put to use for the movement.

My commitment to advocacy led me to a complete immersion in ABATE of South Carolina (ABATE of SC). I quickly moved through the ranks, starting by developing the ABATE of SC website in 2001 and serving as the Berkeley/Dorchester Chapter Coordinator. This progressed to serving as Lowcountry Area Coordinator, where I successfully shifted our local focus decisively toward rights and rapidly increased membership. From 2003 to 2007, I served as the State Coordinator, where I helped coordinate several key legislative victories, including the passage of the Purple Heart license tag bill and the successful repeal of unnecessary handlebar height restrictions. My primary strategic goal was always to achieve widespread political influence by organizing a chapter in every county of South Carolina.

On the national front, I extended my influence by serving as the State Representative on the board of the Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) for several years during the 2000s. This role ensured that the concerns of South Carolina riders were directly represented in critical federal legislative discussions. Crucially, I also worked to shape public opinion: I wrote articles related to motorcycle rights for various magazines and had a small column in Easyriders magazine for several years, using media to educate riders nationwide on the issues impacting their freedom.

My activism was not only about lobbying but also direct action and constitutional challenges. I participated in the Myrtle Beach civil disobedience against local helmet laws, contributing to the legal groundwork for the eventual overturning of that restrictive law through a landmark SC Supreme Court case. I also challenged helmet laws personally, fighting three tickets in court as an act of civil disobedience in several states. I lobbied in multiple state capitols with me friends across the country. My dedication continued after my ABATE leadership, as I served as the Director of Bikers Of Less Tolerance (BOLT) of South Carolina.

Today, while I also enjoy working as a river guide and sharing my travel adventures, my legacy remains rooted in the fight for motorcycle freedom. I have spent decades on the front lines, utilizing both political strategy, legal challenges, and national media to protect the rights of every person on two wheels.

My Other Adventures

I'm a professional whitewater guide and kayak instructor. I grew up rafting, sailing, and surfing, and I spend my North American summers guiding on world-class whitewater. I have spent much of my adult life riding motorcycles and paddling kayaks.

Raft with me: Check out Fast Fred Rafts for details.

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