Posted by INTRUDN on May 30, 2000 at 17:04:54:
In Reply to: GIMME A BLOODY BREAK, GUYS!!! posted by Armand on May 30, 2000 at 14:46:30:
Nah! You can't be serious. Let's see. How does this "Soldier" thing apply to motorcycling? Well, motorcycles played a very important role in WWI & WWII, for ALL sides fighting. Harley's and BMW's are just the "popular" names that folks remember, but Japan had quite a few of them too. And you know what? Some of those "Biker Soldiers" even had the gall to give up their lives on the field of battle. Can you believe that? Hummm. A biker/soldier giving something of himself for what he thought was a greater good. Nah! That doesn't deserve any respect at all! (I hope Y'all can hear the sarcasm in my typing) Now, let's look at the "biker bad ass" image that the WHOLE WORLD uses, and every "wanna be" tries to copy. Do you know where it got it's start? Probably not. It was SOLDIERS (any fighting man/woman is a soldier in my book, no matter what branch of the armed services he/she serves in) that were bored. There were MANY little groups of soldier-bikers that started up, but everyone seems to remember the Hell's Angel's best. They original, founding, members were VETS! Think about that. The "biker" image was started by AMERICAN SOLDIERS! Well slap me naked and hide my clothes! Betcha didn't know that, huh? Every time you get on your ride and get that "rebel" attittude, you are honoring SOLDIERS! Some of whom who died fighting for "bikers rights" in a war on our own soil between them and our government.
Think about that and ask yourself again if the American holidays Memorial Day and Veterans Day are MOTORCYCLE RELATED for the WHOLE WORLD. You might suprise yourself with your answer.