Progressive Motorcycle Gang

[MosheFeingold]

I am a transplant to rural New Mexico, being apparently too old to live on my own (according to my doctor son, anyway).

So I have found myself living in the guest house of my son in the town of Mescalero, NM (which is basically Ruidoso, NM).

It's quite lovely, if a shocking amount of trees for a NYC boy. It's mainly an Apache Reservation, but there is a huge tourist area, replete with a nice horse track. We decided to go to the Sunday races, which opened for the summer Memorial Day weekend. Won $400 on "Cartel Cupid" to win.

Well, lots of motorcyclists came to enjoy the weather and roads, including hundreds of members of the Waco-shooting-famous Bandido Motorcycle Gang. Lots of "1%" patches and lower rockers.

Being a lawyer and former cop, I am quite aware of the significance of the rocker and the 1% patch.

Well, I like motorcycles and sat in an outside patio bar watching the bikers cruise by. (They were quite peaceful. In public.)

Interestingly, the gang had people of every race. Mainly Anglo and Hispanic, but also a few Asians and Blacks. Very progressive in a world where race is a big deal and Neo-Nazis seem to prevail.

Then, in a shock to me, being aware of the hyper-masculine environment of motorcycle gangs, a very interesting crew cruised by, also with rockers and full regalia.

They were all women.

If I were to stereotype by the crew cuts and tats (not to mention the leather), I would bet lesbian. (Obviously, I don't know this, but, if making a bet, I'd be willing to put serious money on it, and having recently won $400, was in a betting mood.)

So there you have it. A progressive motorcycle gang.

I suppose more meth can be moved with ethnic and sexual orientation inclusion.

Business is business, after all.

[malthaussen]

1. My brother, the Marine...

... likes to point out that the military is the most Socialist organization in the country.

-- Mal

[Ferrets are Cool]

2. I can't wrap my head around this post. Why would you bring up their sexual orientation?

[MosheFeingold]

4. You would understand if you knew a bit about gangs

A typical motorcycle gang is hyper-masculine, generally one race (and, indeed, overtly racist), and very sexist.

Women are literally property that get passed around. As in, they get prostituted.

Gay people (of any variety) are certainly not welcome.

And, yet, here, there were some (probably) gay women who were patch-wearing members of the gang.

It was very unusual.

[ismnotwasm]

17. Yup

Saw a tee shirt on one member—Gypsy Joker if I recall—“If you can read this the bitch fell off” also girlfriend and spouses of certain biker gang members wear “property of so and so” patches. My BIL is unaffiliated biker, and sells patches at motorcycle shows. I noticed more that were rude and crude and mostly hilarious but actually were more woman friendly this time around

[Dustlawyer]

3. I am a civil attorney that represents 4 of the 177 biker

“Gang Members (as labeled by cops and media). My clients are 4 of the 12 members of their club (not gang) who help abused kids. They went to a legislative update on police profiling motorcyclists and ended up under arrest with $1-2 million dollar bonds. They were never indicted and charges were dismissed only after 3 years and it coming out that the DA who ordered their arrests has been under FBI investigation.

Most clubs now days, even 1% clubs, do not tolerate drug dealing or any other crimes. Please do not label them “gang members” as it presumes they are all guilty of some crime(s). Like cops, some bikers are criminals, but not the vast majority.

Bikers are another group that it has been acceptable to generalize and discriminate against. We must be careful before we buy in to certain narratives.

[MosheFeingold]

5. Well

The Bandidos in Ruidoso, Albuquerque, and El Paso got busted for weapons (and selling drugs) and beating the crap out of people.

https://www.elpasotimes.com/story/news/crime/2018/04/04/bandidos-trial-details-attack-el-paso-texas-chapter-members-roswell-new-mexico-pike-portillo/485681002/

Maybe the national org need to look at the local chapter.

Oh, wait, they jumped them in Roswell to "resolve" it, resulting in the US Attorney cracking down.

I have no idea what happened in Waco, but to pretend this group overall are the Boy Scouts is dishonest.

[Dustlawyer]

8. I am not pretending anything and I am not defending

those guilty of crimes. I acknowledged some bikers are criminals just as some cops or even Elks Lodge members commit crimes. It is the generalization that they are all gang members, a label the cops and media perpetuate.

[MosheFeingold]

9. Dunno

The plurality of 1%ers do a pretty good job of perpetuating the stereotype all by themselves.

Given the Bandido's motto is "We are the people our parents warned us about."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/05/18/how-the-bandidos-became-americas-most-feared-biker-gang/?utm_term=.b3dfaa0e0f05

Now, did your clients do anything? I have no idea. But they were hanging around with a rough crowd.

[Dustlawyer]

22. They were still on their bikes looking to park.

They ran and hid behind cars during the shooting. That was it. Out of 177 arrested the DA’s office has dismissed all but about 25. The one trial the DA brought ended in a hung jury with 10 of 12 voting not to convict.

[Ferrets are Cool]

20. +1

[Aristus]

6. There's something about lady bikers that I find very appealing.

I don't know why. I have no interest in biking in even the smallest degree. I dislike the hypermasculine nature of biker organizations in general that you pointed out. None of it holds any appeal for me.

And yet, I love the image of a lady biker. Lesbian or not (none of my business...), it kind of sticks with me.

Maybe it's the leather...

[MosheFeingold]

7. I served with a lot of guys

In WWII that became bikers. It was hard to buy a car after WWII, but bikes were plentiful (and cheaper).

Gang life was attractive after military life. I had a new wife and took Judaism much more seriously after seeing what I saw. So I lived a very straight and narrow life.

To a man, the soldiers I knew who got involved had stories that ended badly.

Most in prison (for life, or close to it), the rest dead.

Still like the sound of a Harley, though.

[janx]

10. Quite the environmental and cultural shift, moving

from NYC to Ruidoso. It sounds great. New Mexico has such a mix of people in a sparsely populated place. It's mind blowing sometimes, the people and things you can experience here.

P.S. Please hang some hummingbird feeders if you haven't already. You are in prime hummingbird territory, at least for six months out of the year. I'm sure you have noticed them.

[MosheFeingold]

12. Indeed

I've got three. All red, but clear nectar, which is what the gentlemen at TruValue told me to do.

They are very territorial little guys, so you can't hang the feeders too close together.

Had one come fuss at me the morning -- zoomed up right in my face and buzzed at me. (The feeder was empty.)

Also feeding unsalted peanuts to some sort of bright blue jay with a black head. Gorgeous birds.

Not overly fond of the giant crows (or something big and black) with ~4ft wingspan.

Had no idea how big the claws were on turkey, either. (My great grandson named them Veloci-turkeys).

No bears yet this year. We usually have a brown one that likes the dumpster.

[janx]

14. It sounds as if you have transitioned well!

Giant crows might be ravens. I am jealous. Enjoy!

[MosheFeingold]

15. I am

I have a little class where I am teaching a local group Hebrew twice a week, in return for learning Apache.

We had to fill out a form to use a classroom. It asked "Tribal Affiliation."

I put "Levi," which was good enough for the BLM.

[LexVegas]

11. What kind of stereotypes did the Asian members conform to?

[MosheFeingold]

13. They wear the biker uniform

Big and fat, blue jeans, white shirt, black leather vest/jacket, black boots.

You know, rebels who dress like every other rebel.

If they weren't (probable) criminals, it would be refreshingly un-racist.

[aikoaiko]

16. Enjoy living in the southwest.

There is a wonderful outlaw elan among the high desert residents. Most people are law abiding on the important things, but still a good vibe out there.

[ChubbyStar]

18. Congrats on the win

Betting the chalk in a race is a beginners dream!

[MosheFeingold]

19. Ah, but Cartel's Cupid

Wasn't the chalk, at least in the $1 tip sheet I had. It was a show.

I picked it because it was the smallest horse. They seem to run best at that altitude.

[ChubbyStar]

21. It paid $4.40 to win on a $2.00 bet

Obviously you wagered more than that!