I worked hard this week, and looked forward to the weekend. My daughter had her last university exam for the year, and it was good to end the week knowing she went ok. Saturday morning I trimmed the hedges around the house, while my wife pulled weeds in the garden. Sounds like a good family doing ‘normal’ things doesn’t it? Around lunch time, my wife and I put on our leather jackets, boots and helmets & went for a ride on the bike to clear our minds. Because we’re on a bike we’re seen as scumbags & I’m sick of it. 

 

Is it the mind numbing consistency of movies portraying bikers as baby eating, pet raping, brother bashing, Father killing morons? Is it the words of some in the law enforcement community who rattle on about the ‘Bikie menace’, coming to a town near you?  Whatever it is, as soon as we’re on the bike, people treat us differently.

 

Now they’re talking about ‘Anti Biker Legislation’. A set of laws allowing our friendly lawmakers to further judge individuals based on appearance and baseless thought.

 

This is not ‘Anti Biker Legislation’ – It’s ‘Anti different Legislation’.  It’s removing the burden of proof from the individuals who are supposed to be protecting us. In effect, anyone deemed ‘different’ enough to be considered a worry, can have a control order put on them with no proof of wrongdoing, no evidence, and no reason given. While that may sound appealing to control some violent organized crime ring, it will have major effects on law abiding citizens just trying to enjoy life, perhaps by being different to what’s considered normal. Bikers aren’t mentioned – This’ll apply to everyone.

 

The danger of this could not be more obvious when you consider the mindset of our current budget driven safety brigade - many who are (for example) corrupt enough to add a couple of K/ph to a RADAR reading so a larger fine is warranted. (If you think this doesn’t happen often, you’re just being naïve.) Imagine the same individuals with the power to control people, associations, get-togethers, and social functions when the attitudes and appearances of their targets are different to their own. Consider also that there are already strict laws in place to bring criminals to justice that currently require proof of wrongdoing - for good reason. Remove the burden of proof and you are inviting corruption.

 

I urge all thinking individuals to take a good long look at the so called ‘Anti Biker Legislation’. Read the bill and consider it in practice against (say), the local hot-rod club. Imagine the bill being used by all manner of law enforcement professionals with differing degrees of ethics and senses of right and wrong. They are just human after all so the application will vary. Consider it’s far reaching powers granted to political figures such as the Attorney General, and consider it being used to shut down charity events, club meetings, and celebrations – or just give the attendees such a hard (and expensive) time that it all becomes too hard. Right now the target is so called ‘Bikies’, but that’s just the start. Importantly, there are good and bad in most special interest groups, but motorcyclists continue to get the ‘Awmoigawd they’ve come to kill us’ thing – and the lawmakers want to put all of them down, which is just crazy.

 

Different is good. Let’s accept people that look different, or have different interests to our own rather than attempt to control and push them underground. Let’s try and let people enjoy life, take the occasional risk, and foster their differences rather than try to create this beige world we are fast approaching.

 

Pauly