It would seem that the truth might in fact be scarier than conspiracy theorists dream
Can you say "homeland Security?". We would say kiss your rights goodbye. But then we said that quite awhile back.Add to Technorati Favorites
MISSION COMPLETE: US ARMY MSG CARSON P. PATE, WWII & VIETNAM VETERAN, SERVED 1940-78.
From:Harry (Bantam) Trawick
SW Ga. PGR RCIC
harrytrawick@gmail.com
(Georgia riders wishing information about SW Ga. PGR can e-mail the above)
US Army MSG Carson P. Pate received a well deserved Flag line and escort by the Patriot Guard Riders of Georgia and Florida this weekend in Thomasville, Ga.
This Hero of both WWII and Vietnam was remembered by family and friends as a true Patriot.
AT EASE SOLDIER, YOUR DUTY AND SERVICE IS WELL DONE, BUT NEVER FORGOTTEN!
Thank you, everyone that stood for this Hero, for making this a successful mission, well received and greatly appreciated by his family. Papa Joe, thank you for bringing the flags.
Visitation: Friday 04/30/10-- Flag line manned by 9 Patriot Guard Riders. Riders came from 50+ miles away for this mission, despite the rain! Special Thank you to Papa Joe for his support vehicle and flags.
Services: Saturday 05/01/10-- Escort and flag line manned by 24 Patriot Guard Riders from all over the area. US Army MSG Carson Prine Pate was laid to rest with Full Military Honors.
For some pics click here. Check back more pics coming
(Ed: Note: Once again we were awed by the number of Georgia LEO that participated in this escort.
Even more awe inspiring is the number of persons who pulled off the side of the road and stopped out of respect. SO we would add our thanks to the citizens of Thomasvivlle, Ga.)Add to Technorati Favorites
Our apologies to Darrin "Scribe" Brooks, State Legislative trustee ABATE of Florida
Last night we posted the following:Open letter to Darrin "Scribe" Brooks, State Legislative Trustee, ABATE of Florida, Inc. In response to his legislative update on the "stiffer penalties bill."
Mr. Brooks responded this morning with the following:
He is correct, the post should have been directed towards: Dave “Lockdown” Rich,
State PR/Communications Trustee,
ABATE of Florida, Inc.
PO Box 990584, Naples, FL 34116
(386) 490-4821 Fax: (386) 490-4482
statepr@abateflorida.com www.abateflorida.com
Our apologies to Mr. Brooks. We make no excuse, we were in a rush and got sloppy, violating our own admonishments re: checking the facts! When we a shown to be wrong we have in the past and will continue to cop to it and own up to it.
Thank you Mr. Brooks for giving us the opportunity to set the record straight.Add to Technorati Favorites
Mr. Brooks responded this morning with the following:
rc,Thanks for allowing me the chance to clear up some of the accusations leveled against me.1) "For the last number of months we have been consistently amused and especially amazed at the creativity that has gone into your press releases."I do not write press releases, I am the State Legislative Trustee. I do send out legislative updates as they happen to the Chapters and I do write a newsletter called "Legislative Voice". Is that what you are referring to as being amusing and creative?2) "Most especially the ones that had absolutely no truth to them such as the one you wrote about the incident at the Daytona Bike Week Freedom Rally."I did not write anything about the "incident" at the freedom rally or anything remotely pertaining to the "incident".3) "The fact that you got most every detail wrong was overshadowed by the absurdity of claiming that any one organization can own the rights to the term “freedom rally.”Again, I did not write anything regarding the "incident". I have also never written anything about who owns any terms.Thanks for letting me post.Darrin "Scribe" Brooks,State Legislative Trustee,ABATE of Florida, Inc.
He is correct, the post should have been directed towards: Dave “Lockdown” Rich,
State PR/Communications Trustee,
ABATE of Florida, Inc.
PO Box 990584, Naples, FL 34116
(386) 490-4821 Fax: (386) 490-4482
statepr@abateflorida.com www.abateflorida.com
Our apologies to Mr. Brooks. We make no excuse, we were in a rush and got sloppy, violating our own admonishments re: checking the facts! When we a shown to be wrong we have in the past and will continue to cop to it and own up to it.
Thank you Mr. Brooks for giving us the opportunity to set the record straight.Add to Technorati Favorites
Open Letter to the general Membership of ABATE of Florida
We and others have spent a number of years posting here and on other sites, (most notably Bruce and rc's Biker Forum, which before that was Bruce and Ray's Biker Forum and before that was Bruce's Biker Forum).
A lot of time and energy has been spent by some of the most respected "bikers rights" advocates I have ever had the pleasure to meet and/or correspond with, researching and posting "facts" regarding the current president/lobbyist of ABATE of Florida and how his leadership of ABATE of Florida was not only hurting ABATE of Florida, but hurting the Bikers rights movement period.
A number of the names are known and respected nationwide and I hesitate trying to mention them all in one post for fear of leaving one out. I can tell you that some of these individuals are published in major "Biker" magazines, Leaders of other Rights organizations and individuals with long histories of activism. Many who have fought years in the trenches with no expectation of anything in return.
While still an ABATE of Florida member this site was started sometime after a State meeting held in Okahumpa, Florida. During that meeting three Chapter Presidents were shut down for reasons that can be seen in the preceding post.
It was that meeting that demonstrated, to this former member anyway, that something wasn't right and I began looking. It was then that I stumbled across "Bruce's Biker Forum" (link above) and found others asking the same questions. Many others in fact. And a lot of what we were finding was that there was/is an awful lot of information out there that we were not getting.
At that time Bruce was working hard to keep the forum, "Motorcycle" specific. I started this site not in competition with Bruce, but as somewhat of an adjunct as I wanted to expand the exploration of rights beyond motorcycles and not violate the spirit of the forum. Some of the best research regarding motorcycle political and safety issues can be found on that site.
Although still an ABATE member (Chapter President) I did not affiliate this site with my home chapter or ABATE as a whole, as the more I was learning and experiencing, the more I knew that my days in ABATE were numbered. If not by Doc's hand, then by my own. Finally I made the decision to divorce myself from ABATE of Florida as I knew I would be going against it.
There were others who tried to stick it out hoping as I did that maybe, just maybe, ABATE could like the Phoenix, rise from the ashes and become that which it was meant to be, A BROTHERHOOD AGAINST TOTALITARIAN ENACTMENTS! If ever such an organization was needed, it is now, today!
Many of those people are know longer there. Many chapters are no longer there. Some do not even want to hear the name ABATE anymore. Some were burned so badly and left with such a poor taste, they left the rights movement altogether. Some might say they gave up. I would say to the loss of those for whom they fought the hardest. It's easy not to give up when you haven't been doing anything to begin with.
Today ABATE of Florida's state legislative trustee sent out a message announcing that once again, the
"stiffer penalties bill" has been defeated. Despite the fact that we take issue with ABATE of FLorida calling it "their" bill, we find no pleasure in it's defeat irregardless of whose name it may be associated with. Because the end result is, More Motorists will get away with KILLING more BIKERS.
To say the current situation is a sad reflection on all the motorcyclists of Florida is an understatement.
Florida Motorcyclists ride to take care of everybody except their own. They cry at the funerals of their brothers and sisters, yet do little to stop the "murders," except kiss the asses of the legislators that insure the slaughter will continue.
This slaughter will continue until motorcyclists, ABATE or not, hold themselves accountable for their own actions or lack thereof.
Unfortunately the majority makes no pretense at not giving a damn. ABATE members do and therefor must be held to higher standard.
You, ABATE, have elections coming up. This where the axiom, "principles before personalities" is of utmost importance. It is where each and every individual needs to look within and ask themselves, have they been acting in, not only ABATE of Florida's best interest, but in the best interest of all Florida motorcyclists? Our are you just along for the "Free Ride"? Another social club like HOG?
Do you continue to support the old guard or those who have supported the old guard through a period of failure and loss of respect? Or do you look to someone among you who maybe has a clearer vision of what ABATE was, what it is now, and where it needs to go?
Do you allow the culture of self serving intimidation, lies, and deceit continue you decimate the organization you claim to love? Or will you grow some balls and support change?
Probably unknown to many members of the general membership, there are a lot of people around the country watching. Many of them don't much care how a legislator feels. They are more concerned with how the loved ones of "murdered" motorcyclists feel.
For those new members (older ones too) of ABATE of Florida who really want to make an "educated" decision, you can find what your looking for on this site or on the forum if you take the time to search.
Those who do not look will not see.
Those who are afraid to consider another's thoughts are weak in their own! rcAdd to Technorati Favorites
A lot of time and energy has been spent by some of the most respected "bikers rights" advocates I have ever had the pleasure to meet and/or correspond with, researching and posting "facts" regarding the current president/lobbyist of ABATE of Florida and how his leadership of ABATE of Florida was not only hurting ABATE of Florida, but hurting the Bikers rights movement period.
A number of the names are known and respected nationwide and I hesitate trying to mention them all in one post for fear of leaving one out. I can tell you that some of these individuals are published in major "Biker" magazines, Leaders of other Rights organizations and individuals with long histories of activism. Many who have fought years in the trenches with no expectation of anything in return.
While still an ABATE of Florida member this site was started sometime after a State meeting held in Okahumpa, Florida. During that meeting three Chapter Presidents were shut down for reasons that can be seen in the preceding post.
It was that meeting that demonstrated, to this former member anyway, that something wasn't right and I began looking. It was then that I stumbled across "Bruce's Biker Forum" (link above) and found others asking the same questions. Many others in fact. And a lot of what we were finding was that there was/is an awful lot of information out there that we were not getting.
At that time Bruce was working hard to keep the forum, "Motorcycle" specific. I started this site not in competition with Bruce, but as somewhat of an adjunct as I wanted to expand the exploration of rights beyond motorcycles and not violate the spirit of the forum. Some of the best research regarding motorcycle political and safety issues can be found on that site.
Although still an ABATE member (Chapter President) I did not affiliate this site with my home chapter or ABATE as a whole, as the more I was learning and experiencing, the more I knew that my days in ABATE were numbered. If not by Doc's hand, then by my own. Finally I made the decision to divorce myself from ABATE of Florida as I knew I would be going against it.
There were others who tried to stick it out hoping as I did that maybe, just maybe, ABATE could like the Phoenix, rise from the ashes and become that which it was meant to be, A BROTHERHOOD AGAINST TOTALITARIAN ENACTMENTS! If ever such an organization was needed, it is now, today!
Many of those people are know longer there. Many chapters are no longer there. Some do not even want to hear the name ABATE anymore. Some were burned so badly and left with such a poor taste, they left the rights movement altogether. Some might say they gave up. I would say to the loss of those for whom they fought the hardest. It's easy not to give up when you haven't been doing anything to begin with.
Today ABATE of Florida's state legislative trustee sent out a message announcing that once again, the
"stiffer penalties bill" has been defeated. Despite the fact that we take issue with ABATE of FLorida calling it "their" bill, we find no pleasure in it's defeat irregardless of whose name it may be associated with. Because the end result is, More Motorists will get away with KILLING more BIKERS.
To say the current situation is a sad reflection on all the motorcyclists of Florida is an understatement.
Florida Motorcyclists ride to take care of everybody except their own. They cry at the funerals of their brothers and sisters, yet do little to stop the "murders," except kiss the asses of the legislators that insure the slaughter will continue.
This slaughter will continue until motorcyclists, ABATE or not, hold themselves accountable for their own actions or lack thereof.
Unfortunately the majority makes no pretense at not giving a damn. ABATE members do and therefor must be held to higher standard.
You, ABATE, have elections coming up. This where the axiom, "principles before personalities" is of utmost importance. It is where each and every individual needs to look within and ask themselves, have they been acting in, not only ABATE of Florida's best interest, but in the best interest of all Florida motorcyclists? Our are you just along for the "Free Ride"? Another social club like HOG?
Do you continue to support the old guard or those who have supported the old guard through a period of failure and loss of respect? Or do you look to someone among you who maybe has a clearer vision of what ABATE was, what it is now, and where it needs to go?
Do you allow the culture of self serving intimidation, lies, and deceit continue you decimate the organization you claim to love? Or will you grow some balls and support change?
Probably unknown to many members of the general membership, there are a lot of people around the country watching. Many of them don't much care how a legislator feels. They are more concerned with how the loved ones of "murdered" motorcyclists feel.
For those new members (older ones too) of ABATE of Florida who really want to make an "educated" decision, you can find what your looking for on this site or on the forum if you take the time to search.
Those who do not look will not see.
Those who are afraid to consider another's thoughts are weak in their own! rcAdd to Technorati Favorites
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