NTSB Distraction

Everyone's in a tizzy over the latest bureaucratic attack on our right to decide. In case you haven't heard, a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) representative has testified against repealing any part of the motorcycle helmet law in Nebraska.

The NTSB briefing is pretty thorough, and they get automatic points for credibility. This is the accident investigation crew that is well known for figuring out the cause of major airline crashes. They also do train wrecks, and even pipeline disasters, as part of their mission.

Now they've stepped into motorcycle safety, which rightly concerns a whole lot of freedom-loving motorycyclists. It's one thing to save lives and property when it makes the world a better place. But it's quite another to start going after people who aren't harming anyone else.

In the court of public opinion, NTSB rules the roost. And since bikers rights activists tend to react strongly to any attack on their freedom, their response is fast and furious. Unfortunately, the deck is stacked against the bikers on this one. Even worse, bikers are not staying focused on what they can do to fight back AND win.

The more energy bikers put into winning races for biker-friendly state legislators, the sooner they will restore their right to decide. Conversely, the less they work on the campaign trail, the less likely they will ever see their rights restored. So by engaging the NTSB in a battle of words, bikers are giving up their home-field advantage on the campaign trail.

The last several decades have shown that debating the issue will not work. The proof is that -- while bikers have gotten really good at lobbying and protesting -- our rights have steadily eroded. While the halls of the state capitol may be filled with bikers (for one day a year), the campaign headquarters of their strongest allies remain totally void of any black leather.

In addition to helmet laws, bikers now have to deal with organized motorcycle-only traffic stops, prohibitions on modifying our motorcycles, and more stringent helmet requirements. Think it's going to get any better if we keep talking?

We can stop all of this infringement in a very short period of time. And we can accomplish this with very few bikers, using very little of their time. All it takes is an organized effort to put volunteers on the campaign trail in races that matter most.

If YOU want to make a difference, subscribe to our Action Alerts. Or if you want to make it happen even faster, take on the task of canvassing your legislators to find out where they stand on the helmet law.

Use the Repeal Machine, and you'll get results.

Winning the war is a whole lot better than losing the battle ... year after year. You just have to keep your eyes on the prize, and simply avoid the pitfalls of getting sucked into a debate that won't change a single closed mind.

-RIDE2REPEAL@gmail.com