Freedom Run 2001 was an event in which bikers protested helmet laws in the state of North Carolina. Approximately 300 of us met at the state fairgrounds and
rode without helmets under police escort to the state legislative building in Raleigh. There, we heard from leaders of the Concerned BikersAssociation/A.B.A.T.E. about the progress made to repeal helmet laws in the last legislative session. House Bill 107 made good progress but did not get enacted into law. Hopefully, the citizens of North Carolina will fair better next time. Meanwhile, we are stuck with a mandatory helmet law which is arguably unconstitutional. "They that can give up essential liberty
to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." Benjamin Franklin
Since it was a legislative day off, the people who spoke from the steps actually knew the subject well and made a lot of sense. They talked about the fact that more and more of the legislators who are
normally inside the building are coming around to our views, but there are still many factions willing to misrepresent the facts. As a result, the last legislative session voted against House Bill 107 which
would repeal helmet laws. This was a day for citizens to take a look at freedom and the way our rights are whittled away. It took place on a day when other patriots lined the streets in opposition to the
so-called "million moms", a group of fanatical friends of Hillary Clinton who would legislate away our right to bear arms. |
