< MI > Jackson / Battle Creek

A special election is coming up on Nov 3 for a state senate district, this one spanning southern Michigan from Battle Creek to Jackson. ABATE of Michigan is aware of this special election, and I'm hoping this is one that they can get involved in.

The reason I say this is based on an email conversation I had with one of the candidates:

SUBJECT: Motorcycle Helmet Law Question

Marty

What's your position on the universal helmet law for motorcylists?

Douglas _______

I ask this question to a lot of candidates. As is sometimes the case, I initially didn't get a response. But after a polite 2nd request to this particular candidate, he proudly showed his true colors:

SUBJECT: Re: Motorcycle Helmet Law Question

Dear Mr. _______:

I have consistently voted to keep the mandatory helmet law in Michigan. My position on the issue has been well known by the no-helmet supporters.

Marty Griffin

This is exactly the kind of candidate we need to defeat. Not only does he "consistently" vote against repeal, he obviously considers bikers to be politically powerless to stop him.

We need to change that perception.

The way, of course, is to become politically powerful. That's the only way we can take back our rights.

We can't "talk" our rights back. All the letters, faxes, and phone calls in the world can't stand up to political action. And that action needs to count. That's why we do campaign work.

I'm still waiting to hear back from the other candidate. It's my sincere hope that he supports repeal. But even if he doesn't initially, he may change his mind once he finds out that bikers will work for him as campaign volunteers.

But that's a big "if." Most bikers don't know they have this much power in their hands. If they did, they'd TAKE their rights back by getting involved as campaign volunteers.

UPDATE:

As it turns out, ABATE of Michigan was already up to speed on both candidates. And I got a response from the other candidate, who said his support for repeal would only come with a certain pre-condition:

SUBJECT: Re: Motorcycle Helmet Law Question

Mike would only support repeal of it if motorcyclists paid an extra premium on their insurance to pay for any head injuries brought about as a result of not wearing a helmet.

Steve Sachs
Campaign Manager, Nofs for Senate

So there ya go. One candidate says "hell no and go to hell," while the other says "yes but..."

Personally, I always prefer using the slippery slope to our advantage, rather than holding out for the perfect candidate. Anything that makes progress is an improvement, after all.

But ultimately the decision is up to Michigan bikers. And that's the way it should be.

- RIDE2REPEAL@gmail.com