"TIME FOR – COOL CHANGE"
My name is Sputnik. Took my first Motorcycle ride well over 50 years ago on a 45 Harley. Just a Dumb-ass Biker From the wrong side of the track.
Got hit with a mortar shell four days after my 16th birthday Didn’t care what the law said just leave me alone and we’ll get along. Push me and I push back harder. In 1992 I realized I had sold my grandkids, who I love dearly, into slavery to a totalitarian government because my only political involvement was voting and then going on my merry way. Discussed this with my wife Gwen and she gave me the go ahead to try and correct my mistake.
Founded the Texas Motorcycle Rights Association on July 4, 1992 and set out to prove that the average citizen had more political clout than the paid Lobbyist if they had the heart to work at it. Published a small booklet called "Revolution The Real Solution." This booklet explained that the two Major Parties run our state and country no matter who gets elected. Using this booklet I jumped on my Bike and began traveling across Texas explaining to Bikers how to take ove the Political Parties as Delegates. Thank God I found enough Bikers ready to give it a try and the idea became a success.
The next Publication was titled "Five Steps to Freedom" "One Step at A Time." This booklet explained more in depth how to get into every facet of government from the day you register to vote until you actually run for office. Our numbers had increased and again we kicked off workshops and the Bikers of Texas pushed the idea to fruition. The idea began to catch on across the country and I was asked to conduct workshops across the country. The final (for now) booklet is "Run For Office And Win (with very little money) Again Texas bikers have taken up the gauntlet as we continue to elect bikers to Legislative Office as well as local offices during every election.
Now understand that during all this traveling I was working down on the coast by Galveston at night and going to the State Capitol each week day.
A total of 421 miles round trip, which my Low Rider couldn’t handle for long. I bought my first Honda Shadow 1100 and continued to ride 10-12,000 miles per month. Then I began going out of state on weekends. I am now working on my third Shadow with the first two having just over 1,000,000 verifiable miles on them jointly. I read every Bill introduced during our legislative sessions and the ones I have time to read on a federal level.
I finally came down with a little health problem that forbade me keeping both jobs so I quit the night time job. That gave me more time to listen to local and national news while working on the computer virtually round the clock. It gave me more time to watch (listen to) C-Span and C-Span 2 as I answered Emails and worked out the next days schedule. When you are involved in a war with your own government, elected and appointed officials, there is no time off. It is simply a steady grind. Listening to NHTSA, NTSB, AMA, G. Bush, Hillary Clinton and John McCain finally becomes sickening. Constantly hearing the lies of Kennedy, Specter, Governor Rick Perry, State Senator Carona, State Rep. Mike Krusee and others and hear each Party blame the other for everything wrong finally brings you to the point that reaches a steady burn.
Watching the courts make law from the bench and having a President who calls the Constitution a "Goddamned Piece of Paper" becomes more than you can stomach especially when you supported him the first time. Having a large group of Motorcycle Riders in Houston who wear a manufacturers patch on their back doing a memorial run for a dog that was shot by a neighbor while a few thousand Bikers are in the State Capitol speaking up for citizens rights is deplorable.
Yesterday I watched The US Senate discuss an Amendment to the Defense Programs Bill that would have required a reasonable withdrawal of troops from Iraq. Eight Senators gave impassionate speeches on the Amendment and then a vote was called for. The Clerk began calling the Roll in rapid fire staccato which showed that many had already decided on their vote prior to the hearing. Then it became apparent that nearly all had already decided as the camera panned and there was no one in the room. The final vote was 28 Aye – 70 Nay, including John Warner who has been hammering to bring the troops home. Just a pack of lies from him the same as we have been getting from most all of them. This was the final straw for me.
What does the title of a song have to do with all this? I shrimped for 22 years and spending weeks at a time in the Gulf was as soothing as riding alone on my bike at night. This became my favorite song and immediately following the aforementioned vote when I felt myself about to explode this tune jumped into my head. I have been laid down three times when Doctors said I couldn’t live 24 hours. Been pronounced dead once but my foot jerked as they were placing me in the morgue. Lost all the ribs out of my right side and crushed off my right hand.
When doctors diagnosed my lung problem they told me to get my business matters in order as I had less than six months to live. After doing that I sat down and had a personal conversation with God as usual. It went like this, "God, if you are ready I am ready. But we have started something here that works. I would appreciate if you could consider our members and allow me to continue until someone else can take over the association and keep it going. If not then I am ready when you are. Though I now take eleven pills, six inhalers, use a nebulizer, eat mostly fruits & vegetables and am supposed to stay on Oxygen 24/7 I am still here. That was over six years ago so apparently God listened again. I have a lot to be thankful for since then. Besides the TMRA 2 Warriors we are blessed with the Texas Confederation of ABATE and nine Regional Confederations of Clubs. I can’t say all Texas motorcycle owners are involved but the Bikers of Texas are Warriors. I doubt that any other State can put over 5000 Bikers in their capitol talking about biker’s rights at the same time.
So now what can you do? Many just call it burn out and go home. They are losers. My favorite quote from a Founding Father is "I know not what path others might choose, but as for me "Give me Liberty or Give me Death."
Liberty or Death is tattooed on the left side of my head. My forehead has a tattoo that reads FREE and Legislative Warrior is tattooed on my right Forearm. The coiled Rattlesnake with "Don’t Tread On Me" will adorn the right side of my head soon. I have a Mohawk haircut and wear five earrings in my left ear. I have worked with the Democrat Party for the past 15 years.
You will note this article is laced throughout with the word I. That is because I am about to express a personal opinion. This is my own personal opinion and I take full responsibility for it’s content. Neither Political Party is worth a dam today. Those in leadership positions of both Parties are liars, schemers and thieves. Our elected and appointed officials have turned our individual states over to the control of major Corporations and Foreign Governments for their own personal gain.
I still believe Bikers are the last hope of America to remain a Free country but I can no longer bring myself to work within either Party. I also believe that Dr. Ron Paul is the last Hope America has for a President who will honor and defend our Constitution. Therefore I will vote for DR. Ron Paul in the Republican Primary Election and for no one else down ticket thus severing all ties with either Political Party and working for the individual candidate in those races in which I choose to take part.
I have decided to attempt to write a book about Political activity in which the association has been involved since its inception. Only when absolutely necessary will you find the word I in this undertaking. I am a dumb ass Biker from the wrong side of the track who was fortunate enough to come up with a plan and be blessed by God who sent the real Heroes with the fortitude to turn a Dream into Reality
America Bless God
Sputnik
TMRA 2 UPDATE
We returned from the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia representing Texas at the Southern Cross Conference for 2007. Last year at the SCC in Old Sawmill Town we laid out specific goals to be accomplished by each state during the upcoming year. When the results were posted at this year’s Conference only Texas had met those goals.
While I am terribly proud of those riders who put in the effort and money to keep Texas Riders at the forefront of the fight for Liberty, I could see no reason to travel that many miles to point it out to others. The concept was good but nearly all who attended the Conference agreed that other states were not yet prepared to meet such stringent goals at this time. Regrettably we voted to disband the SCC until sometime in the future.
Gwen & I were hosted by my little Brother Penny and her husband Bernie up on their own little part of the mountains (56 acres). The weather was perfect and I was able to breathe like brand new. Penny rode me all around her mountain in their Honda Trail Wagon and the rest of the time I rode it all over the Blue Ridge Mountains when we weren’t busy.
National Traffic Safety Bureau’s scary statistics intended to prompt Legislatures to require motorcycle helmets.
Note this is NOT any type of federal helmet law. Some very slanted stats were put together by the NTSB with recommendations that all states reinstate a mandatory adult helmet law. When confronted with facts like "There has been a very large increase in the number of motorcycles on the road today", their response was "All the more reason to have a helmet law, there are more riders out there to get killed." Normal unelected officials double talk.
Legislators in several states have said it won’t happen in their state.
Others are already making noises like they will introduce a Bill next session including Florida, Pennsylvania and others.
Texas Riders can be certain that Senator Carona will jump on this opportunity with both feet but we have plenty of riders to keep it from happening if we will all join in the effort to stop it.
TMRA 2 will be on it as soon as it is introduced We will pass the word immediately to all concerned.
With the new Task Force members to be trained in each Regional COC and the ever present support from Texas Abate Confederation we will have the man power to make sure nothing comes of such a Bill. We showed Carona this session we could stop him in his tracks. In fact we will pre-file our own helmet law amendment Bill in October and begin talking to them about it to show we are still united.
Dana will be in charge of teaching the COC members the basics of working campaigns and dealing with legislators. If the Jimmie Vaughan Concert is a success then we will be able to travel the state doing workshops on the finer points of how to win elections and successfully move our Bills into becoming law. We will be selling chances on the 2001 Suzuki Volusia 800 during the Concert. It is customized with a beautiful custom paint job and will be on display at the concert. The bike has only 2800 actual miles and will make someone a great ride. (I sure hope it is me.) ha ha ha
Terri’s computer went down hard. The motherboard and hard drive both crashed. We were unable to salvage the Member List from the hard drive and it must be completely rebuilt from the applications stored in the filing cabinets. This will be a major chore and can only be worked on for short periods at a time until after the Jimmy Vaughn Concert this Saturday. Bear with us and we will get everything back on track as soon as possible.
The Howl-O-Weeen Rally at Groesbeck will be held on the first weekend of November at the Lost Prairie Cycles Ranch. The drawing for the Suzuki Volusia will be held on Saturday night at this Rally. There will be a $1000 gift given to the largest Club in Colors during the Awards Ceremony.
The official count will be taken at the registration gate for those members paying for their registration wearing their OWN PERSONAL CLUB COLORS.
Ride Free – Ride Sober
Sputnik
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