Executive Director’s report

by Dave “Chubby” Charlebois

To me, It’s all about freedom

Every month when I sit down to write this article, I end up scratching my head for a while thinking about what to say. Now, it’s not that there’s nothing to write about. Quite the contrary, I could probably fill half this newsletter with things I think we should all be thinking about. These days I read a larger variety of news than I ever have and I still feel like I’m missing something. I never seem to have enough information on things that are important to me and way too much information on things I really could care less about. And, everything seems to move along faster and faster… am I getting old? Or, is that just the pace of our world? I’m proud that our organization participates, and in many cases, leads the way in motorcycle safety and education, but most people know that I have always felt that the most important thing we do is our legislative action. We ended this legislative session in Wisconsin getting some great things done, but also leaving a lot on the table. Although the legislature will not start a new session until January, we are all going to have a lot of work to do before then. I’m looking forward to getting back on the road if it would ever quit snowing but I also know that we have a lot of work ahead of us. To me, and hopefully to you, it’s all about freedom.

I hope everyone got enough awareness materials to distribute during May, by now the cagers should be well aware that we are out there. I’d like to hear how regions did promoting motorcycle awareness so if I’m not going to read about it in your region reports, please drop me a line and let me know how it went by you.

In this month’s newsletter, candidates for District Directors are announced and you should all be paying attention this summer to who is going to best represent you. Who you elect decides where ABATE will go from here. Every candidate wrote down their goals for ABATE in a brief paragraph, but you should take the opportunity to ask them how they plan on reaching these goals if you see them at events. Share your views and express your concerns. That’s what democracy is about. And, to me, that’s what ABATE is about. A united voice for bikers is just that, your voice. Your Board of Directors should be able to tell you exactly what direction ABATE is going. If you haven’t been happy about the direction we’ve been going, maybe it’s time for you to run when board member at large positions are announced. Every year programs are introduced for approval from ABATE, and money is spent attending conferences and seminars to protect the rights of motorcyclists in Wisconsin. Just where the money gets spent and whose programs we decide to stand behind are up to the Board of Directors. They make or break this organization in many ways. So, while you’re riding around this summer enjoying the wind. Take a moment to decide what direction you think we’re headed and which direction you think we should be going. And let your next District Director know.

I haven’t been around long enough to remember the helmet rallies of ’77, or the yearly battles we had to endure until the late ‘80s trying to keep the lids off our heads. I do know many of the early organizers of ABATE of Wisconsin Inc, and I’ve read and heard many accounts of what motorcycling was like before we were around. I still applaud the many accomplishments of those that came before me. Many things have changed since ABATE began, and we’ve all had to work hard to keep up with the pace of an ever changing society. I think we can all be proud of where we are today, I’m sure the founders of this organization never would have believed we would be around 44 years later. If we were just fighting to keep the lids off, things might be different today. But the fact that laws are constantly being introduced taking away our rights to make our own decisions in the name of safety, the environment, and everlasting peace and quiet, shows that there will always be a need for us to remain vigilant well into the future. As much as ABATE of Wisconsin Inc needs to grow, we also need to remember what we have always been fighting for, FREEDOM.

It seems that the word “freedom” gets used quite a bit these days, and I can’t say I agree with the way everyone uses their definition of “freedom”. But, as a biker, I can respect everyone’s right to use their freedoms as they choose. I didn’t have the honor of serving my country in the armed forces as many of our members have, but it doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate what many have died for and so many others have worked so hard to achieve. Many people give up more and more of their freedoms every year, some willingly, some kicking and screaming. I tend to be the latter. Some of the things that we have given up in the last decade even though we are responsible adults make me wonder where or when it will end. I have to wear a seatbelt even though I’d rather take my chances being thrown from my car than be trapped in flaming wreckage when I crash, if I ever do. I’d like to be able to smoke in a bar after work, where no healthy person should dare to be anyway. But, someone else makes that decision for me. I can’t make noise going down the road with load pipes, but my neighbor can wake me up at 7am Sunday morning with his lawnmower. I can’t add anything but chrome to my motorcycle, so how’s that going to improve my ability to express my “freedoms”? I can’t get proper insurance coverage without paying a fourth of my wages to an insurance company because I would like to partake in a legal activity that they deem “dangerous”. I can’t take my bike or cage to anywhere but the dealer that sells them to work on the often updated electronic systems because if they gave up the information on how to work on them they might not be able to make a large enough gross profit for the year. I can’t expect privacy with my personal information if I buy a vehicle made after1995? If I choose to hang around with “questionable” people that wear black leather and have patches on their backs I should expect to be stopped and harassed, or at the very least videotaped and recorded? And finally, I should believe that motorcyclists will continue to have access to all of our roads once connected and autonomous vehicles are on them? Our freedoms are there for us, we just have to get louder about demanding that we keep them.

So, as you take to the road this summer to attend some of the many biker events full of noise, fun, and brotherhood; keep in mind that this fall you will be voting for not only a new Board of Directors, but for a direction for ABATE of Wisconsin Inc to head. We have come a long way in the last 44 years and the decisions you make will determine how far we will go. Be involved; remember it’s your freedoms that we are fighting for. Until next month… Ride Free.