WE THE TWO-WHEELED PEOPLE

It seems as a society we have been torn apart as of late. I feel the current situation we live in can’t really be blamed on just one thing. It has been a chain of dominoes that have been falling for quite some time in America. With so much hate and dissention, the fractionizing of this country has finally reached a fever pitch.

I am no economist, preacher, politician, or hippie, but I recognize the summer of love is long gone. The negativity and hostility spewed over the airwaves and on the streets seem to be the only things that have been growing in our society for the past decade or so. And so here we are in the now.

Many folks need to understand that being able to disagree with each other and with our government is what makes this country the best in the world. But it is not a license to be hateful and aggressive to the point of violence against fellow Americans— or humans, for that matter. Sure, I grew up a punk-rock kid with a body full of tattoos and a middle finger held high toward authority, and that is still the core of my being. But what the hell are we showing our children and the rest of the world with our current actions?

Trust me, I am the first one to enter a war of words, but once my opinions are spilt and my point is made, I am done. Then whomever I’m speaking with and I can get back to riding, talking about motorcycles, or pounding a few cold ones.

While thinking about all of this, it became clear to me that we bikers for the most part understand true liberty much more than most people who live in the USA.

Yes, most of the masses gaze at our wild cycles and the way we look, and they think to themselves that we are below them. But we all know by personally meeting fellow riders on our motorcycle tarmac journeys that as a whole we bikers have the largest cross section of real redblooded Americans than anyone could ever imagine. The ranks of blue- and white-collar workers of all colors, creeds, and religions from all backgrounds and walks of life who ride the highways and byways of this great country is majorly astounding. This lifestyle we live truly is the ultimate melting pot. And the fact that we are all united by the commonality of loving to ride our custom American-made Vtwin-powered motorcycles trumps anything else. And that rises above all other things that define us as bikers. Ride proud knowing that we are all leading this country to better times by example. HB

By being on two wheels, we understand early on how to coexist with people and machines that aren’t like us and in all actuality generally dislike us. And I can also truthfully say if we riders didn’t live in a state of compromise on the road, we would all end up 6 feet under sooner than later.

These are our core values and why we are leading this country by example just by being ourselves while riding down the road. And you thought you were just on your bike singing to yourself while doing your own thing, huh?

JEFF G. HOLT EDITOR IN CHIEF JEFFREY.HOLT@BONNIERCORP.COM @JEFFGHOLT #JEFFGHOLT

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