THE AIM/NCOM MOTORCYCLE E-NEWS SERVICE is brought to you by Aid to Injured Motorcyclists (A.I.M.) and the National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM), and is sponsored by the Law Offices of Richard M. Lester. For more information, call us at 1-(800) ON-A-BIKE or visit us on our website at
Compiled & Edited by Bill Bish,
National Coalition of Motorcyclists
NOT SO PATRIOTIC PATRIOT ACT: a few grand moments in the Senate, the final version of the Patriot Act signed by President Bush on March 9th imposes no meaningful restraints on the vast power Congress granted the government to spy on its own citizens in the fear-ridden wake of the 9/11 attacks, reported the Baltimore Sun on March 13, 2006.
Senators demanding greater privacy protections gained traction late last year when it was revealed that the Bush administration has been secretly wiretapping Americans for years without any sort of court approval. In the end, though, nearly all settled for minor concessions that leave the worst features of the Patriot Act intact.
Lawmakers are betting that if forced to make a choice, Americans will favor security over liberty, haunted as they are by a post-9/11 fearfulness recently on display in the frenzy over the prospect of an Arab-owned company running some U.S. port operations.
Among the most important changes:
Recipients of court-approved subpoenas for information in terrorist investigations will have the right to challenge the requirement that they not tell anyone about the subpoena. In addition, recipients of such subpoenas will no longer be forced to provide the FBI with the name of their lawyer. Also, the civil liberties package clarifies that most general-purpose libraries are not subject to demands made in so-called National Security Letters for information about suspected terrorists.
But not even the secret seizure of library, medical and business records without probable cause was adequately addressed. So the job isn’t done. And it won’t be unless outraged citizens demand it.
offered new legislation that would demand evidence of a link to a foreign power before library, business and medical records could be obtained; eliminate a one-year period before gag orders on requests for such records could be challenged in court; and require that the target of a “sneak and peek” search warrant be notified within seven days of its execution.
Now that the expiring provisions of the Patriot Act have been restored, though, pressure for further action is off. Senator Specter’s bill is likely to languish unless umbrage at the needless intrusion into the lives of innocent Americans makes itself heard.
Some of the Patriot Acts most important provisions will face another reauthorization in four years. Among them are Sections 206 and 215, which allow roving wiretaps and permit secret warrants for books, records, and other items from businesses, hospitals, and some libraries.
BIKERS ROLL TO SOLDIERS? FUNERALS Wearing vests covered in military patches, a band of motorcyclists rolls around the country from one soldier’s funeral to another, cheering respectfully to overshadow jeers from church protesters. They call themselves the Patriot Guard Riders, (www.patriotguard.org) and they are more than 5,000 strong, forming to counter anti-gay protests held by the Rev. Fred Phelps at military funerals.
“The most important thing we can do is let families know that the nation cares,” said Don Woodrick, the group’s Kentucky captain. “When a total stranger gets on a motorcycle in the middle of winter and drives 300 miles to hold a flag, that makes a powerful statement.”
At least 14 states are considering laws aimed at the funeral protesters, who at a recent memorial service at Fort Campbell wrapped themselves in upside-down American flags. They danced and sang impromptu songs peppered with vulgarities that condemned homosexuals and soldiers.
Westboro Baptist Church is made up mostly of Fred Phelps’ extended family members who, during the 1990s, were known mostly for picketing the funerals of AIDS victims, and they have long been tracked as a hate group by the Montgomery, Ala.-based Southern Poverty Law Center’s Intelligence Project.
The project’s deputy director, Heidi Beirich, said other groups have tried to counter Phelps’ message, but none has been as organized as the Patriot Guard. “I’m not sure anybody has gone to this length to stand in solidarity,” she said. “It’s nice that these veterans and their supporters are trying to do something. I can’t imagine anything worse, your loved one is killed in Iraq and you’ve got to deal with Fred Phelps.”
MASSACHUSETTS PRO-MOTORCYCLE BILL CLEARS SENATE The Massachusetts State Senate has passed Senate Bill 2368, which contains numerous provisions beneficial to motorcyclists:
Increasing civil and criminal penalties to motorists who cause accidents when they violate the ‘right of way’ of all other road users (including motorcyclists), and shifting the financial burden (excess medical costs and lost wages) from injured victims to the at-fault operators;
Allows owners of motorcycles to ‘opt-out’ of the existing motorcycle insurance system and go to a competitive market, opening the doors for more insurers to write coverages in Massachusetts;
Allows experienced motorcyclists (6 years or more) or those to take the Rider Education Course, and have private health insurance or $50,000 in optional medical payments coverage, ‘choice’ of helmet wear;
A $125 assessment to those who violate the law, with the assessment going to the State’s Head Injury Trust Fund Program;
Changes in the existing motorcycle exhaust laws to limit the noise of motorcycle pipes.
The bill goes next to the House of Representatives for action.
“A lot of effort from a lot of motorcyclists the past several years lead to today’s success,” said Kevin Griffin of Plymouth, Chairman of the Massachusetts Motorcycle Association (MMA). “We also challenge riders who want to lower their motorcycle insurance premiums, not be victimized twice in motorcycle crashes with excessive medical bills and lost wages, and the opportunity to choose wearing a helmet or not with some restrictions, to enlist their riding friends to join the MMA or buy raffle tickets, and plan to STORM the STATE HOUSE with us Thursday, May 18th. Membership, tickets and STORM products can be purchased on-line or downloadable forms are available at www.MassMotorcycle.com.”
TENNESSEE BILL WOULD BAN KIDS ON MOTORCYCLES Senate Bill 3032 has been filed for introduction in the Tennessee legislature on February 16, 2006, to prohibit children under nine years of age from riding as a passenger on a motorcycle:
Filed for intro on 02/16/2006
SENATE BILL 3032
By Harper
AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 55, Chapter 8, Part 1, relative to riding on motorcycles.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 55-8-164, is amended by adding the following new subsections thereto:
(e) No operator shall carry as a passenger on a motorcycle any person who is less than the age of nine (9) years.
(f) A violation of this section is a Class C misdemeanor.
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2006, the public welfare requiring it.
BIKERS VS. DISNEY The Hells Angels Motorcycle Corp is suing Walt Disney for trademark infringement.
A suit filed in the US District Court in California claims Buena Vista Motion Pictures, a division of Disney, and a film production company are illegally using the Angels’ trademark — a helmeted, horned and feathered skull — in the film Wild Hogs.
The movie, in which John Travolta and Tim Allen are scheduled to star, is described as a comedy about “middle-aged wannabe bikers looking for adventure out on the open road, where they soon encounter a chapter of the Hells Angels”.
The group says that characters in Wild Hogs are identified as members of the club and wear its skull logo. They assert that Disney did not give them a copy of the film’s screenplay which has yet to start production.
“The words Hells Angels and the Deaths Head Logo are property of Hells Angels Motorcycle Corporation, Inc. (HAMC) and protected by one or more Trademarks, Service marks, and Collective Membership Marks owned by HAMC. All unauthorized use is strictly forbidden, including reproduction in any manner,” asserts the club.
WEIRD NEWS: Safety Test Burns Club To The Ground A strip club owner burned his club to the ground while trying to prove it was fire-proof to health and safety inspectors. The owner of the Cabaret Club in Kienberg, Switzerland, started the blaze to show how fire-proof it was when he was visited by safety inspectors. They had questioned whether his decorations were in accordance with fire safety rules, and he used his lighter to set fire to the paper ornaments in a bid to prove there was nothing to worry about. But the fire quickly took off and spread throughout the club and the neighboring restaurant – burning both establishments to the ground. According to local police no one was hurt in the fire, but the damage amounts to more than $500,000.
NCOM CONVENTION The 21st annual NCOM Convention will be held Mother?s Day weekend, May 11-13, 2006, at the Executive Inn, located at 978 Phillips Lane in Louisville, Kentucky. Reserve your room now for the special NCOM rate by calling (502) 367-6161.
Hosted by the Kentucky Motorcycle Association/KBA and the Kentucky Confederation of Clubs, this annual gathering draws over a thousand motorcyclists rights leaders from across the country to discuss topics of concern to all riders. Meetings, seminars and group discussions focus on safety issues, legal rights, legislative efforts and litigation techniques to benefit our right to ride.
Registration fees for the Convention are $75 including the Silver Spoke Awards Banquet on Saturday night, or $40 for the Convention only. All motorcyclists welcome. To pre-register, call the National Coalition of Motorcyclists at (800) 525-5355 or visit www.ON-A-BIKE.com.
The National Coalition of Motorcyclists is requesting that MRO’s, motorcycle clubs, and riding associations submit the names of those members and supporters who have died since May 2005, so that we may honor their memories during the traditional ?Ringing of the Bell? tribute to fallen riders during the opening ceremonies. Dedications can be e-mailed to NCOMBish@aol.com.
