SOONER STATE ABATE SENTINEL Volume 4 Issue 1 | Page 3

Sooner State ABATE Sentinel - Volume 4 Issue 1 Letter from the Editor To Our Readers and Riders, In the coming months we here at Sooner State Sentinel will be bringing you some new features. There will be puzzles and cartoons as well as your regular articles from our featured members. Some of the new content will need your help and feedback. BIKER BRAGS- This will be a section where our readers can send in a boast about a fellow rider. We are looking for people that have gone above and beyond for their brothers and sisters or for the community at large. A picture of this rider and the reason for their BRAG can be sent to soon- [email protected] We look forward to helping improve the community views of all bikers with your help. BIG SAVINGS- Here we will be posting the local area businesses that offer discounts to Sooner State ABATE members as well as other members of the biker community. If you know of a business that this applies to, please let us know so we can add them to the upcoming list. Letters 2 the Editor- If there is something you would like to have covered, or you have a com- ment or com-plaint, here is where you can have your voice heard. Just email us at soonersta- [email protected] and put Letters2Editor in the subject line. We will do our best to respond to every letter. Be sure to keep your eye on Sooner State ABATE’s website at www.soonerstateabate. com . The staff over there is adding new items and updating the calendar on a regular basis. Information on how to join Sooner State ABATE is available from the website as well as contact information for individual Outpost locations. We here at Sooner State Sentinel want to thank you for your continued support; and with your help we will keep growing and improving. With Respect and Thanks, Jessy “PET” Moore Sooner State ABATE Sinners and Saints Outpost When Will Our Voices Be Heard? Just poured myself a hot mug of coffee. With the torturous heat of the Oklahoma summer behind me, I had been waiting for the coolness of fall for a brisk morning ride sur- rounded by the bright colors that only fall can bring and the open sky. It’s a time of change. Riding free makes me a part of the past trailing behind me and the future ahead. Fall tells us to prepare for hard days to come. Right now in my thinking there are hard days ahead for the Oklahoma motorcycling community and there are preparations to be made, actions to be taken and results to be demanded of ourselves, law enforcement and our legislators. Of ourselves it is demanded by those who rode before us and those who stood for us, fought for us and for many who made the ultimate sacrifice for our constitutional rights and freedoms, demanding no less than taking personal responsibility to defend our nation from ene- mies abroad AND DOMESTIC! Authority must be kept in check by the citizenry. If left unchecked authority leads to a social breakdown of trust and respect of its leaders. The only way we as the motorcycling community can stand together is through mutual respect and service to each other. Remember, in Waco they arrested everyone without distinction at a COC (motorcycle rights) meeting. Waco law enforcement with the WACO deputy attorney destroyed the lives of so many with blanket arrest fill in the blank arrest warrants, million dollar bail and a series of unethical and immoral acts which continues to the day of this writing. We demand of ourselves unity when in the service of a noble cause, justice, liberty and freedom! For Law Enforcement, I have no problem with good law enforcement. I do have a problem with bad law enforce- ment. I have a problem with indignant self-righteousness perverting the ideals of justice and liberty into a list of acceptable actions and conduct that are only acceptable to those who knowingly and willingly strip away our hard earned freedoms such as pulling riders over without war- rant or cause only to start “safety inspections” resulting in tickets, unlawful searches and seizures. Then there’s all of those questions that have nothing to do with why you’re being pulled over, like “Where are you headed or where are you coming from?” All of that information is being fed into what is called the Frisco Data Base. It’s not just you brother. They are keeping tabs on everyone. You, your wife, your kids and so on. Now day’s law enforcement can confiscate property and finances because of suspicion of breaking a law as opposed to being convicted and it’s up to you to prove your innocence as opposed to law enforcement proving your guilt. THIS IS AN ABOMINA- TION THAT STRIKES AT THE FOUNDATION OF A FREE SOCIETY! Does law enforcement be lieve that any of this promotes trust among its citizenry? When these actions are taken all I sense is resentment and distrust making citizens uncooperative and resentful. How about more protect and serve and less intrusion into our lives. How about a little more respect for our privacy. I don’t have to look or act like general society to have the same love for my wife, kids, my fellow man or love of my country. If I or any other citizen break the law do your job. Otherwise leave us alone. What American citizen doesn’t expect the same respect from law en- forcement? For our Legislators…What the hell is wrong with you! “I don’t believe we are a poor state. I never have believed that,” Richardson said. “I believe we are a state with poor leadership.” (Tulsa Attorney Gary Richardson. Candidate for governor) It would be fruitless to list the failures of our Oklahoma lawmakers who have proven to be inept in governing our great state. Oklahoma incarcerates more women than any other state, we face years of imprisonment for offenses that are minor in other states. Legislators misuse and misappropriate state funds causing a meltdown of our hard earned and establish state and civic services designed to help those who cannot help themselves. Makes me wonder about that state motorcycle and education fund we all voted for by raising our motorcycle registration fees. I’d like to know how all of that money has been spent and why the directors withhold the information. We have good reason to question it considering we are paying for it. When will our legislators stand for something in a positive light again? They fight hard to bring back the Ten Commandments mon- ument to the capitol grounds while turning a blind eye to profiling and collection of your information by Oklahoma law enforcement. What was it our veterans are fighting for again? Legislators, why not put a foot forward toward a noble cause. Pass Motorcycle Anti-Profiling Legislation. Failure is no more or less than subverting our constitutional freedoms and liberties against every American citizen! Well Coffees gone. I really would like to clear my head and enjoy this ride. Truth is Sooner State ABATE has submitted anti-profiling legislation to our legislators who profess their support then for one reason or another have an excuse at the end of the session why the legislation didn’t pass….. but maybe next year. I hear a lot of talk but all I see is an inept Oklahoma leadership without action while we all pay the price of lost liberty and freedom resulting in a loss of faith in our legislators and a breakdown of trust in good law enforcement. Bottom line is we are stronger standing together than lying down divided. Know who your legislator is, be seen and be heard! It’s kind of like this ride I’m going to take. I know to watch out for different road conditions and obstacles out there but until I put the bike in gear and release the clutch, I’m not going anywhere……… Think about it. RayMan