ABATE of FLORIDA Palm Beach Chapter

We are rapidly approaching our third year as a chapter, it seems like it was yesterday when D Man and I were in Brooksville to receive the honor of becoming a resurrected chapter in Palm Beach County. There were skeptics among other chapters and even the State Board had their doubts, having had three failed attempts at establishing a chapter here. But I made it my goal and my commitment to bring a voice to the Palm Beach motorcycle community. I remember sitting in on a meeting with our Brothers of the American Legion Riders now A.L.R. Post 268 at the Alamo in Delray Beach to ask for their support. Their enthusiasm and generosity was overwhelming and an inspiration. Our first meeting was held there and most of our first members were American Legion Riders. Their support and loyalty to our chapter is an example of Brotherhood and dedication to our cause. We as ABATE Palm Beach Chapter members owe much of our success to them.

When we had our first meetings in Delray they were there for us and offered us a home base, they held Horseshoes and BBQ’s after our meetings to keep people around and helped to bring attention to what we were doing and brought more members in from other Legion Posts as well as independents through out the county. They introduced us to The VFW Riders Post 4143 who had opened their door to us a year ago and gave us our current home base and have always made us feel like family. ALR 268, were also the largest group to attend our 1st Annual event. Their continued support is nothing short of humbling in my opinion. I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to Loop and the crew of A.L.R. 268 for their support. I would also like to thank the members of A.L.R.’s 277, 162 and 142 for becoming members of our extended family as members of our chapter and for always being there to ride with us and represent ABATE P.B.C. as well as members of their Post. Thank you my Brothers and Sisters.

Our chapter has come a long way since then, we have grown and prospered thanks to the efforts of a handful of dedicated members that had made their commitment and stuck to it for the past two years. I think we have a great Board in place and I am very confident in everyone and their ability to perform their duties and to take our chapter to the next level. But, it’s not just the Board that has taken us to this juncture there are several people that have done so much to give us a presence at events and Bike Nights manning our booth, passing out fliers, promotional materials, safety and legislative information and working within the motorcycle community gain support from local businesses as advertisers and drop off points for our newsletter. There are also those who have been there for the chapter to pick up and distribute our newsletters as well as handling the monthly mail outs. I salute each and every one of you that have stepped up and performed those tasks voluntarily and have done your part above and beyond the call of duty.

Palm Beach is one of the largest counties in the state and has the potential to swing a big stick in the legislative representation we have in Tallahassee. This is what motivated me to re-open a chapter here. I realized the need for motorcyclists to be represented in the vast expanse of Palm Beach County. This is where you come in as a member of this chapter. I am asking all of you that are not registered voters to sign up in your district and those of you who are registered to provide the names and contact information for your local representatives. This action will prove to be invaluable when the legislative sessions open in September.

There needs to be a concentrated effort placed on gaining the support of local representatives on three key issues. The first and probably the most important issue is the “Stiffer Penalties” Bill. This suffered a killing blow last session due to a letter threatening the life of Representative Carlos Cantera author of HB 137, not by a motorcyclist but a member of a car club who goes by the name of “Bull Frog” in Broward County. Resurrecting this Bill may prove to be our greatest challenge but it needs to be done and it needs to be done in a very short time frame. (ROWV) Right Of Way Violations are increasing and an already bad situation will undoubtedly get progressively worse.

Driver Education in Florida school systems must be reinstated as a mandatory requirement. The program had been suspended because of corruption within the system itself. We cannot afford to allow our youth continue to get behind the wheel without proper instruction and education. The failures of our educational system in my opinion, was an experiment gone terribly wrong. Passing students on to the next grade without them successfully completing the assignments of the previous grade is just another way of saying it’s ok to be irresponsible and unaccountable. On the roadways those two things alone spell disaster. Combine that with the distractions of cell phone use and text messaging while operating a motor vehicle of any kind and we have allowed deadly phenomena to occur called “inattentional blindness”, which now begins to develop in the pre teen years.

The use of cell phones and other communication devices while driving, which we all know has reached epidemic proportion. We’ve all been affected by it in one way or another and yet it has become so common place and accepted that our legislators have all but blown it off as something we’ll just have to adapt to. Other states already have laws in place and actually enforce to restrict use of these devices. Why haven’t we, as Florida residents demanded similar legislation in a state already famous for some of the most dangerous drivers in the country. Our efforts in Tallahassee were met with an attempt to appease proponents of the Bill by considering restricting the use to “Hands Free” devices only. That is not the solution, it does little if anything to eliminate the danger this phenomena creates. We will need to continue to support our lobbyist by communicating with our legislators. They need to know that Doc is our voice, he is there to represent us as members of ABATE of Florida and as members of the motorcycle community. We can’t expect him to go it alone we need to provide the back up.

I sincerely hope you will consider taking time to write letters, make phone calls and or send emails to these representatives this month. Not just to those who support us but those who have come out in opposition, they are the one’s we need to reach. Remember one voice can represent a thousand other voices if they continue to send the same message. Your voice needs to be heard.

In closing I hope to see more of our members out riding together to the many events and gatherings. I’m sure those who have been giving up their time and efforts manning our booth would greatly appreciate having you stop by to lend a hand or just stop by to say hello and thanks for all they do for our chapter.

See you all at our next meeting.

Ride Free, Ride Safe

I was actually feeling pretty good this morning and was really enjoying the ride up State Road 7 to the Veterans Cemetery in Lantana. It was a beautiful day--not raining for a change--I was going to pay my final respects to Margate Police Officer Michael McQuade. He was killed last Friday morning on Coconut Creek Parkway in Coconut Creek while off duty and riding his personal motorcycle. Reports are that an SUV operated by Loize Augusme turned left across his right-of-way and his motorcycle collided with the SUV. He died at the scene. As usual, “Police are still investigating the crash”, but I am hoping that because it was a Brother Officer they’re looking at it real hard.

Before today, anyone that read the Sun-Sentinel article could have known almost as much as I knew about the former US Marine and Margate Police Officer. Now as you keep on reading I’ll try to share some experiences and insights I have that helped me get to know him better.

First I need to take you back exactly 24 hours before Officer McQuade was killed. As most of you know I am an ABATE of Florida Motorcycle Safety and Awareness Program (MSAP) Instructor. Last Thursday from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM I was lecturing to the Drivers Education Class of Coconut Creek High School, this school is located just a short distance from where 24 hours later, Loize Augusme would kill Police Officer Michael McQuade. Late morning was right around when the first class of Drivers Education students would have been watching our ABATE MSAP DVD and learning the dangers of carelessly turning left across the right-of-way of a motorcycle. When instructing that part of the MSAP class I had always taken special care in explaining the hazards of failing to yield to oncoming motorcycles but in the four classes since that fateful morning for Officer McQuade I stop the DVD to relate his story to the class in the hope that his death might save someone from the same fate. Also, I share my hopes with the class that none of them will ever have to go through the anguish, fears, pain and self questioning that I truly hope Loize Augusme is experiencing.

Back to today. I got there fifteen or twenty minutes before the motorcade escorted by a wealth of Motor Police Officers entered the cemetery followed by a hundred or more Police Cars from departments all over the State. The Margate Police, US Marines and other police Honor Guards were waiting to lay Officer McQuade to rest with the honor he was due. His American Flag Draped coffin was escorted to his repose by a US Marine Honor Guard as a police bagpipe played in the background. Taps and a shotgun salute were offered as well as full Military Honors. All-in-all, a very touching and befitting ceremony but as I looked around, all I could concentrate on was the pain. I looked at his wife, parents, brother, friends, brother officers and I could tell that the only honor that they really wanted but would never again feel, was the honor of his presence among them again. They spoke of his warmth, love and friendship. I could see the pain in all of them. It brought back many memories and I again felt the hollowness in my chest and sickness in my stomach from attending so many funerals. When is this all going to stop? The answer is never! Unless we do something about it!

I am sick and tired of going to funerals and seeing all of the pain that irresponsible morons cause to our Brothers and Sisters with absolutely NOTHING being done about it! I am full committed to do all I can as YOUR Vice President to bring our Palm Beach Biker Community together for a safe and successful future for ALL of us.

I truly believe that everyone is not necessarily against us but more than that most people are ignorant of just who we are. I also believe that to succeed in changing their perception of us we need to communicate with them on a reasonable level that will inform everyone who we are and not confirm their stereotypical misperception of Bikers. I think that the best place to start is in our own community.

In the past, we as a Chapter have been remiss in involving ourselves in our own Bilker community. ABATE Palm Beach Chapter is as diverse of a Biker organization that there is, with the exception of one group, Motorcycle Clubs. Our Chapter does have scattered MC members who have paid their annual membership fee, but few are truly involved with us. This is our fault because we have not taken the initiative to reached out to them. We need to get the entire motorcycle community to unite and stand together to fight for stiffer penalties to any vehicle operator who injures a motorcyclist in a violation of our right-of-way. We need to get our Motorcycle Safety and Awareness Program in front of the community. We need to show our politicians and lawmakers that they ignore and discriminate against us at their own political peril. We desperately need to organize!

Palm Beach County has the greatest potential for growth of an organized motorcycle and Biker community than anywhere else in South Florida. My thoughts are why not start with the Motorcycle Clubs, South Florida Presidents Council and South Florida Confederation of Clubs. They have displayed the organizational skills and cooperation that has distinguished them across the Country. They already have the communication networks established that has proven to be successful for years.

Then looking it from their point of view I have to ask myself, what’s in it for them? I have to honestly answer, for right now, not very much. But, they didn’t get to be as successful as they are by not having leaders who are not insightful enough to look into the future and see what could be. This gives us an opportunity. The small openings that we have are the SFLPC Calendar Events and the Motorcycle Clubs Open-house nights. We NEED to be there! We need to ride with them when invited. We need to get to know them as much as much as they need to know us! When that happens we will ALL reap the benefits of a true Palm Beach County Biker Community and a stronger identity in the South Florida Biker Community.

It has been proven time-after-time that there is strength in numbers. We need to stand together to fight for our freedom and our basic right for our subculture to survive. I plan to attend every SFLPC Calendar Event and all the MC Open-houses that I can. For the good of our Palm Beach County Biker Community I call on you, our members to ride with me. You might just find out, as I have, that while securing a successful future, you’ll be having one hell of a great time too!

Today we pray to God to accept the Soul of Police Officer Michael McQuade and that He by His love for us can lessen the pain of our fallen Brothers’ loved ones.

Just remember... All you have to do to be heard is show up!
All you have to do to have what you say to count is show up and VOTE!

PLEASE FEEL FREE TO WRITE ME WITH YOUR COMMENTS ON THIS ARTICLE OR ANY OTHER ISSUE YOU WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS!