Social Networking Works

As can be seen on the video linked to below, social media can have a positive effect on political situations.  http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kimatv.com%2Fhome%2Fvideo%2FNo-restrictions-on-colors-or-patches-at-this-years-Smokeout-Chokeout-264064101.html&h=IAQF2Nuat   While originally, the word that sparked all this outrage stated that the City of Yakima had already mandated the exclusion of "Motorcycle Club/organization patches", the video states that the City hadn't made that decision...yet.  It also states that a firestorm of social media pressure was brought to bare.  Personally, it sounds more like  a bit of political 'face saving'.  I know that my previous post about emailing the  City Manager Tony O'Rourke was taken up.  But by how many people, I do not know, and the City isn't going to admit it was very many.

However it has been proven that the efforts of a few can spread the word over a broad arena using the social networking techniques that have been around for decades.  Using the internet to increase the speed of the networking only adds to the effect.  I was surprised, but very pleased to have received an email from the attorney for one of the national organizations representing a large majority of motorcycle clubs.  It was gratifying to know that what I wrote was being seen, and also was being taken seriously by such powerfulan organization.

It only goes to show that with the right connections, people can be brought information that if acted upon can affect their lives in a positive way.  While if left unknown, or not acted upon will lead to further erosion of our Civil Liberties.

It can be something as simple as having an old friend on facebook who happens to know someone a grade or two below you in school that became a local newscaster.  Or who also, has contacts with others positions of influence in other national motorcycle organizations.  One should never be too surprised by who your friends and acquaintances know and keep in contact with.  Reinforce the contacts you are aware of, and work to build new contacts when you become aware of them.  Just remember, each contact is a two way connection.  There may come a time when your contact needs help or information from you.  When that happens, be as open and helpful as you would expect them to be.  Yeah, I know, it sounds corny.  But using the old "Golden Rule' in a networking relationship will only tend to help build it stronger.

Personally, I have decided to focus myself on using my personal 'social network' for researching and fighting Washington States mandatory helmet law.  I don't care if you choose to wear a helmet or not.  That is your personal choice.  You have that Right.  Personally, I choose to decide whether I want to wear one each time I ride.  I demand my right to make that choice for myself.  Not to have it MANDATED by some faceless bureaucrat who has no idea; who I am, how I ride, and when I ride.  It is my personal belief that we have the RIGHT TO CHOOSE as adults, what is best for our own safety.  I would not claim to have the RIGHT to make that choice for another person.  It is an INDIVIDUAL RIGHT that each person should exercise in the way they feel most appropriate.  Just as you have the RIGHT to own and carry a firearm, not everyone will choose to do so.  As it should be.  We as a society must get off this kick of trying to enforce safety concerns on 'the other guy'.

You say that you "didn't see" the motorcycle that you just pulled a left turn in front of, causing it to crash into you?  But instead of taking the care to be more vigilant; you blame the person riding the motorcycle for being hard to see, then you demand that motorcyclists wear flourescent 'safety vests' so that you can see them better?  These are the sort of things we need to use our social skills and networking capabilities to fight against.

If, as individuals, we do not work together to help preserve our individual Freedoms and Liberties, the government and it's bureaucrats will simply, to quote George Carlson; "Nail sandals onto the soles of the natives."  When that happens to us, our Liberties will have been lost, and our Freedom to resist will have been stripped and nailed to the wall never to be used again.  It is our DUTY to band together as individuals and to fight to protect our RIGHTS and LIBERTIES.  Using our connections to draw attention and focus on issues, and gaining by the strength of second, third, or even more disparate connections in our social networks it may just surprise you how much can be accomplished.  Even if there isn't any fanfare about the victory.

Now if you will excuse me, I have some more research to do on the mandatory helmet issue.  But before I go, here is a quote from Ed Becker of the SNELL Foundation; "A helmet that can take one of our headforms through these two impacts could probably handle a single impact somewhat greater than 17.3 mph but certainly no more than 23 mph."  Remember that the impact that a motorcycle helmet needs to be able to survive, and is tested at, is only 13.4 mph.



Catch you on the road sometime...