People all along the East Coast are increasingly being subjected to a low level of lawless intimidation with massive traffic intimidation by a subculture of outlaw bikers. This is a separate subculture that revels in their ability to escape police and to break traffic laws with impunity. You will not find many, if any, Harleys, street bikes or touring bikes among them. I did not see any riders with recognizable "colors" that are emblematic of motorcycle clubs that have significant reach. Most are unlicensed dirt bikes and atvs. The riders have learned to break the law with impunity, especially in large, semi-organized groups.
The bikes give them the ability to go places where police cars or even conventional police motorcycles cannot go, and police organizations have been under pressure not to chase the law breakers for fear of causing accidents. In many areas the police have given up on enforcing the law, and have broadcast their intentions to the public.
This serves to empower and reinforce the attitudes of the outlaws.
The most famous recent example of the lawlessness associated with these events was the video from New York in 2013. At least five off duty police officers were present when the bikers beat a motorist who dared to defy there lawlessness, and attempted to flee.
In Miami, another example was organized with a new twist . From cbslocal.com:
“Man… guns down, bikes up!” a biker said.Many in these lawless biker events have criminal histories. The events are organized near large urban centers, but attract individuals from significant distances. Linking Martin Luther King day and an anti-Second Amendment theme is a new combination.
The ride, which seems to have a social media following of #BikesUpGunsDown and #MLKRideOut, is reportedly meant to bring peace to areas with gun violence.
Yet it’s hard to understand how endangering commuters and breaking about every traffic law known to man delivers a message of nonviolence.
My experience with the motorcycle culture is that members tend to be pro-Second Amendment. This sub-culture differs by being more urban, more lawless, and depends on the anonymity that is produced by helmets and unlicensed dirt bikes. When the local police publicly say that they will not chase the bikers, except when identifiable felonies are committed, chaos on the streets follows.
Early reports showed only two significant accidents involving the bikers. One biker will be released from the hospital with minor injuries after flying 50 feet from the collision. The biker in the other incident is in critical condition.
Bikers do not fare well in collisions with cars.
The bikers in the Miami event inconvenienced thousands of commuters, and endangered hundreds. It seems unlikely that they convinced many to support more infringements on the Second Amendment.
©2016 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
Link to Gun Watch
I wish I had black privilege. When I ride an unlicensed dirt bike on the road, I get ticketed.
ReplyDelete