Express Lane

One of the great things about using the RIDE2REPEAL.COM approach: You can do something today (and practically every day) to get one step closer to repeal. And nobody can stop you.

I don't mean some vague kumbaya event that does nothing ... except maybe make you feel good for the moment. Sure, helmet law protests and bikers rights rallies are fun. But unless they lead to meaningful action, they don't change minds or votes. Instead, I am talking about how you can make progress, step-by-step, in getting your rights back. And I mean right now, if you want to.

This is because there is a special election going on somewhere in the country. As of this writing, there are 2 in California, 3 in Georgia, 1 each in Louisiana and Mississippi, 3 more in Missouri, 1 in Tennessee, and 2 in Virginia. That's a grand total of 13, and that's not counting races with only one candidate.

Here at home, I'm lucky enough to have a state senate race within driving distance. Just this past weekend I knocked on about 60 doors for the biker-friendly candidate. And all during the week, for about a half-hour after work, I've delivered campaign yard signs to homes in the district.

Now that home delivery is done, I'm putting signs out on the median. Forget that it's freezing cold outside, with snow still piled up along the road. I'm out there ... making a difference.

But there's easy "inside work" that you can do from home. All you need is a phone, and about an hour spent calling voters. Contact one of the biker-friendly candidates and get a list of phone numbers. Then let your fingers do the walking, and read a short script asking voters to support our candidate on election day. You can do this from anywhere on the planet.

Suppose you aren't lucky enough to be working outside in January, with no nearby special election going on. And you can't stand the thought of talking to strangers on the phone. You can still make a difference.

Almost all states will hold regular elections in 2010, with many seats in the state legislature up for grabs. Without knowing where the candidates stand, how can we work for biker-friendly candidates?

It takes a little homework. Checking the voting record on previous repeal bills to see where the incumbents go on record ... either supporting or opposing our freedom. Finding out who's "term limited" out of office next election, or facing a primary challenger. And then there's asking the challengers where they stand on universal helmet laws.

So you don't necessarily have to wait for any special day to make progress on getting your rights back. Every day is special. Better still, you'll know you are taking matters into your own hands. So there's no need to sit on the sidelines, watching your rights go by. You can ride in the express lane whenever you like. It's your decision.

- RIDE2REPEAL@gmail.com