MRF E-MAIL NEWS ~ take action NOW

MRF E-MAIL NEWS
Motorcycle Riders Foundation
P.O. Box 1808
Washington, DC 20013-1808
202-546-0983 (voice)
202-546-0986 (fax)
http://www.mrf.org (website)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Tom Wyld
wyld.TakeThisOut@mrf.org (e-mail)

December 2, 2003

#03NR41 -
ANTI-MOTORCYCLING OUTFIT DEMANDS NO FREEDOM...
....AND NO SAFETY!

Advocating mandatory-use helmet laws and slamming everything
from rider education to sanctions against reckless vehicle operators
who kill, an anti-motorcycling group has papered Washington, DC
in opposition to the meaningful agenda for motorcycle safety
proposed by the Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) and
State Motorcyclists' Rights Organizations (SMROs).

Infamous for its support of the 1990s provision that withheld
highway funds from states without mandatory-use helmet laws,
Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety (AHAS) distributed
a flyer the day before a key Senate committee was poised to
consider and adopt the heart and soul of the motorcycle safety
agenda advanced for over a year-and-a-half by the MRF and
SMROs nationwide. Our motorcycle safety language satisfies
literally dozens of action recommendations of the National Agenda
for Motorcycle Safety (NAMS) through education, incentive and
discussion - and AHAS is demanding that Congress reject it all!

This well-funded anti-motorcycling group not only has your rights
in their sights, but your safety in its reach. You have only one
choice: FIGHT BACK!

1. Read the rebuttal on the MRF website
(www.mrf.org/positionpapers.php)
which contains the bulk of the outfit's criticism.

2. E-mail (or mail) that rebuttal to BOTH your U.S. Senators
AND your U.S. Representative.

3. At minimum, include this comment in your email or letter to your Senators:
"I urge you to reject the false claims of this anti-motorcycling group which
threaten my freedom and safety, and I respectfully request that you support
the Motorcycle Safety Amendment being advanced by U.S. Senator
Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska)."

4. To your U.S. Rep., write: "I urge you to reject the false claims of this
anti-motorcycling group which threaten my freedom and safety, and I
respectfully request that you send a letter to U.S. Reps. Steve LaTourette
(R-Ohio) and Pete DeFazio (D-Oregon) to signal your support for their
motorcycle safety initiative."

AHAS is arguing against a "Motorcyclist Advisory Council" that prompts mere
dialogue between experts on the issues of road hazards, claiming that hazards
"are not the reasons for motorcycle highway crashes." AHAS is assailing a
provision that encourages sanctions against vehicle operators whose recklessness
or negligence causes injury or death, because they view the measure as "a means of
blaming passenger vehicle drivers for motorcycle crashes." Also, AHAS is
criticizing the initiative because it "does not include State enactment of all-rider
motorcycle helmet legislation."

AHAS arguments are too weak and too numerous to detail here,
but the group reached a new low by attacking education by claiming that
rider education/motorist awareness "wastes federal taxpayer funds..."
"[M]otorcycle training programs," the group charged, "have
not been proven to be effective in reducing motorcycle crashes."

In fact, motorcycle skill training does prevent accidents, and NAMS
lists ten separate action recommendations - all marked "Essential" -
that are fulfilled by the "Motorcycle Safety Incentive Grant" contained
within the legislation.

The LaTourette-DeFazio-Murkowski motorcycle safety initiative
will prevent accidents, thwart injuries and save lives. Act today -
or your freedom and your safety will be history tomorrow.

For an attached file of this news release,
reply to MRF-Releases.TakeThisOut@mrf.org
and request by file name:

03NR41.txt (text file)
03NR41.rtf (rich text format)
03NR41.doc (msword)

Ride With The LeadersTM by joining the MRFat -
- http://www.mrf.org/join.php or call 1-800-MRF-JOIN.

(c)All Information contained in this release is copyrighted.
Reproduction permitted with attribution.
The Motorcycle Riders Foundation, incorporated in 1987,
is a membership-based, national motorcyclists' rights organization
headquartered in Washington, DC. The first motorcyclists' rights
organization to establish a full-time presence in Washington, DC,
the Motorcycle Riders Foundation is the only Washington voice
devoted exclusively to the street rider.
The MRF established MRFPAC in the early 1990s to advocate
the election of candidates who would champion the cause of rider
safety and rider freedom.

The MRF proudly claims state motorcyclists' rights organizations
and the very founders of the American riders' rights movement among
its leading members. The MRF is involved in federal and state legislation
and regulations, motorcycling safety education, training,and public awareness.
The MRF provides members and state motorcyclists' rights organizations
with direction and information, and sponsors annual regional and national
educational seminars for motorcyclists' rights activists, as well as publishing
a bi-monthly newsletter, THE MRF REPORTS.
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Posted FYI
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