Nowadays everyone's attention span and time are limited. Be grateful if you get anyone's attention on our issue, even for a few seconds. Some wannabe activists come in like a lion, then disappear faster than sh*t through a short dog. Take whatever you get from any volunteer. Praise and thank them. Don't be disappointed when they drift away. They will. But some come back. Keep the light on for them. THE AMA STINKS. So does MRF, NCOM, ABATE, and any or all of the rest of the MROs. At the same time, all of these organizations are the best thing since sliced bread. We won't keep or retrieve our rights without them. It's normal to love them and hate them at the same time. Be sure your complaints about them go to the person who can do something about your problem. Never give up your membership -- it's much easier to fix things from the inside. Avoid griping in public -- our opponents love it when we do. Always handle our dirty laundry behind closed doors. Always.
Preserving Bikers Rights is an ongoing PROCESS. We are winning and losing battles during this process, but the war will never be over. Becoming active to keep your rights is a lot like cleaning your house: it's thankless and boring work, but necessary. Like dirt, the Safety Nazi crowd will just keep coming back. Forever.
Your activism will keep us winning more than losing. Our opponents count on wearing us down. They love it when one of us (not you, of course) gets discouraged and drops out. When you fully understand and accept the reality that Biker Rights is a never-ending struggle, you're automatically in the top 5 percent of all Bikers Rights defenders. Congratulations.
Bikers are susceptible to these emotions. Awaken sleeping Bikers Rights activists by tapping these powerful emotions. Fear and guilt will move mountains -- and fill the collection plate, and recruit new members. If Bikers won't become active for themselves, ask them to do it for their families. For their children. For their country. And -- this tactic works! -- ask them to do it for YOU.
E-mail to elected people is pretty much worthless -- unless the official already personally knows you. Internet polls are useless. Online polls make some folks think they are actually doing something. They are not. It's a false sense of accomplishment. It's like bringing a doctor to a dead man. Focus on the stuff that works. If you're going to hunt ducks, go where the ducks are.
In-person visits, phone calls, and snail-mailed, handwritten letters to
elected folks help -- because politicians know that if you take this much
trouble, you and your family and friends will also vote.
Make yourself known to politicians for issues other than Bikers rights. Don't
present yourself as a single-issue person. Praise and help politicians on THEIR
pet projects. Then, when Motorcycle issues come up, your opinion will seem
especially credible. Otherwise, you will soon be stereotyped and discounted as a
single-issue voter.
Politicians have to explain why they vote Yes or No on proposed laws.
Sometimes they really need your help in composing explanations to their
constituents. If you want your elected official to vote Yes, on a seemingly
unpopular Helmet Modification Bill, she might be more willing to vote your way
if you give her a "back door" -- a good, common sense explanation that
she can give to all of her constituents.
If we have the right people in power, antibiker laws will not be passed.
Period. The laws are what matter. This concept is so simple that many folks
can't see it, just like they can't "see" the air they breathe. The
anti-rights crowd can hold all the news conferences they want, but nothing will
happen unless they can pass more laws. This fact tells you about the how, what,
where, when, why, and with whom you should be spending your time, energy, and
money. Politicians pass laws. Therefore, you must get involved in politics to
protect your rights. There is just no way to get around this. Sorry. I don't
like politics either. Bummer!
Avoid those shrill folks who sound threatening or talk about doomsday. It's a
waste of your time. These noisy folks remind me of a couple in a failing
marriage who only talk about a getting a divorce instead of talking about their
real problems. If they don't solve their problems, separation or divorce becomes
the inevitable outcome. Some people get pumped up on silly fantasy scenarios. I
do not.
Paradoxically, bad information or disinformation is a plague in the so-called
Information Age. When you write or talk about Bikers Rights issues, use only the
facts, the truth, and the provable. Verify any quotes that you use. Back up your
generalizations with powerful and specific examples. Get on the internet, and
get your like-minded friends online. Join several of the hundreds of net
communities that will keep you informed instantly and completely about our
special issues. Information is power!
It's far too easy to go bonkers reacting to the latest media-driven crisis.
Don't let the media push your buttons. The activist pros I know do not overreact
to crises. In fact, most of the ultra-pros that I know do not react at all to
media hysteria. Bashing the media about their bias is not productive. Some
Bikers use media bias as an excuse to do nothing -- because the situation seems
so overwhelming and hopeless. Truth is, if you are a busy activist -- already
steadily doing stuff that matters -- you will find the media reacting to YOU. Be
friendly and polite with them -- not hostile. Become a reliable source of
information for them. And just keep on being ACTIVE.
It's been said that 80 percent of success is showing up. Being there. Showing
up to vote. Showing up at an Bikers Rights seminar. At your Senator/Delegates
office. At a city council meeting. My father's favorite motto: "Your
actions speak so loud that I can't hear a word you're saying." Your
"silent" activism can be a model for others. What will your 3 ridding
buddies think when they find out you spent an afternoon handing out brochures
door-to-door for a pro-biker politician?
The more involved you get with freedom, issues, the more you will realize
that your single issue actually complements and protects other human rights
issues. Personally, I am deeply offended by many aspects of today's culture.
When I focus my activism on Bikers Rights, I can often sense I am making a
measurable difference. All rights -- like all humans -- are connected.
Sometimes we don't know what will work. Sometimes the rule is that there are
no rules.Don't hesitate to try something new and innovative -- get it out on the
table! Often your finest essay or brilliant letter will not be acknowledged, or
you will just get a form letter response. But that letter to the editor that you
dashed off in a few minutes appears in tomorrow's newspaper! Go figure. Better
yet, try not to figure. Trust yourself, trust your instincts -- and just do
something.
This little bit of advice was paraphrased from a copyrighted piece from Gun
Rights Advocates.