Something i felt i needed to put into words to vent, as i have tried screaming to the Heavens, punching a hole in a wall, and blasting an old chevy with my Bennelli 12 ga.Lemme start by saying i belong to an MC, not an Outlaw 1%, but just a club for enthusiasts.Now im the first to admit most of us look a bit rough, but i can honestly say we have some of the finest human beings i have ever had the pleasure to meet n know. Prolly 70% are either active duty Military or Veterans, and the rest are solid supporters! We may not agree with some of the silly laws that anti gun n other such legislators try to pass, but westill love our counrty n think its the Dam Best one there is!!My BEEF really came today as we were on a run for one of our own who had fallen in hills far from home in the Afgan mt.s, a place he may not have wished to be, but he was proud to be doing his part! Anyways, there were a few well dressed men in suits, Lawyers i think, and i heard one say to the barmaid, you need a better clientel in here hun, whats this all about? Well she told him we were having a run to raise money for a fallen soldiers family, and DAM if he dinna say, well one more criminal off the streets.Now i know i may not look like the guy ya want your daughter to bring home( Im 6ft 8in. n am a muffin shy of 280lbs.)But when i heard this i ALMOST picked him up n tossed him thru the window! But after regaining my composure, i walked to him n looked down, and said you have just proved a point to me...thnx. He asked what that point was, and i explained that a man in tattered rags, with no roof over his head, and not a cent in his pocket could well be one of the finest men you may ever meet, and after seeing YOU, i know a 2000.00$ siut can hold as much GARBAGE as a hefty bag!!Sorry for this rant friends....and to Big Jack, i will toast you each time i raise my mug, and say SEMPR FI...because SIR, you were always faithful, and a true Man! Mike

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45.acp-why shoot twice.

He likely thought that "soldier " in context meant gang member and not U.S. Army. Many gangs call members by the term soldier.

How do you know they were lawyers??????
That is as offensive a sterotyping to me as theirs was to you.

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Forum consigliere

I'm sympathetic with your story, but I don't think you will ever stop people from "judging a book by its cover." It is just human nature. If you don't want to struggle with it, there is a simple, inexpensive way to put it aside and move on to more productive things. May not be "right," but that's the way it is and probably always will be - at least in my lifetime.

My condolences for the loss of your friend, and I say that sincerely. The loss is bad enough but to have it compounded by other factors adds insult to injury.

Dinna mean to offend you Cajun, the briefs made me think Lawyers, but guess i mighta been wrong.I have found the true "salt of the earth" among those here, n just needed an ear, if ya took me wrong, sorry....but be they Lawyers,Judges, or Indian chiefs, the way they acted made em trash to me!I try n live by the golden rule, n i tell ya wht...animals n lil kids like me...if any of the "rightgeouser than thou" dont, i could care less!Sorry, was the wrong forum for this, n again soryy. We lose too many good men, who give thier all for this country to keep it free, and i tend to take it badly when i see those who lack the courage of a mouse speaking of MEN!My respects to you Cajun...i do get carried away...but imma tryin, lord knows imma tryin! Mike And Gator, i know what ya mean sir, but some of us "soldiers", tho we may look a bit rough, are the kinda men i want with me when TSHTF.Again, sorry for putting this in prolly the wrong spot, i never wanted to disrespect any on here, i have come to view alot of ya as "friends i just aint met yet"...all my best to you ladies n gents of this fine forum.Mike

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45.acp-why shoot twice.

I'm sorry for the loss of your friend and clubmate.

You certainly come across as a caring guy here, but I suspect in person you are quite intimidating just based on your size. Add in biker regalia and a bunch of pals and I'm surprised a table full of guys in suits didn't just pay their tabs and sneak out!

Most folks can't tell the difference between regular bikers and 1 percenters. I bet even the Bikers For Christ guys can cause a minor panic in Denny's until people read their patch.

Again - sorry for your loss.

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“What you got, ain’t new.”

Hey Coiler
Been here goin on 3 years and these guys are the best.Pretty sure they're all pretty forgiving.We are all guilty of stereotyping once in a while,human nature ya know just as Mod 29 said.They was just callin' it to your attention.Don't think there's any hard feelings.Sorry for the loss of your friend.By the way I am a little guy about 5'7"190lbs and never been afraid of you big guys cause a lot of the guys I've hung out with over the years are big guys like you and they told me they would never hurt a little guy like me cause it would make them look bad.Hope this puts a smile on your face.

Sort of sums it up for me.

Don't want to judge nobody, don't want to be judged.

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Doesn't hasta call me Johnson

When I do or say something offensive to someone it is never about them, but it is always about me. Far easier for me to point out the faults/differences of others than to look at my own. I suspect that man has been tearing down others to build himself up since caveman times.
Right,wrong or indifferent, it is what it is.

Im 58, rode Harleys for years, been in a few bars over the years, Been in the Army seen a lot,both good & bad......Just normal life. May I ask a question? Whats the 666 at the end of your screen name stand for?

That's when you tell the mound of **** shove in a suit that; "If we are as you claim we are, you'd need at least year of rehab and recovery before you were able to walk as far as the door under your own power again. So maybe you better apologize before you find out if you are right."

On June 16th I paticipated in the Marsalles Il. Freedom Run. Thousands of motorcycle riders were welcomed into Masalles Ill. to honor the fallen soldiers in the middle east. A wall has been erected with private funds to honor the fallen. It was amazing to see how well these riders were treated in this small town. All types of riders participated in the run. People lined the streets to cheer on the riders. I have seen the type of person that you described. My wife and I live on a golf course and are welcomed into the club house unless we show up in our leathers. We no longer eat at that establishment. It is sad that they cannot see past the leather.
If you get a chance read about the run and join us. http://www.ilmotorcyclefreedomrun.org/news.php

Good point.

I had to think about that and I'm as guilty as anyone. I don't think of myself as being that way but deep down sometimes I am.
I ain't talking Bikers and Lawyers either. Just something to think about.

Thanks,

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Dum vivo cano

I don't see anything wrong with a restaurant having a dress code. There are places I go to eat when I'm wearing my overalls and a coat of dust after a day of plowing. There are a couple of places where I probably would not be welcome dressed like that. I go there when I'm shined up and have some clean clothes on. I'm not offended because certain places have certain expectations. I use all of them when I am properly attired.

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Georgia On My Mind

The suit is lucky that the scooter folks there at that time weren't 1%rs!
[Actually - It's too bad there weren't a few in attendance ]

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In dog years I'm dead.

Coiler,

Here is the thing I try to remember, God knows a man's heart and these Vets have laid their lives on the line for others, many losing themselves in the process. When God's Kingdom comes or they go to meet him, his scales are just, they'll be rewarded for their sacrifice and the blood sucking suits, they'll get their own personal version of the rich man in hell parable. Until then, all we can do is try to make the Vets we run across lives a little better and pray for them.

Live your life for what counts, the opinions that matter are first, God's and then yours, everyone else, who cares. One thing you can count on, if you are truly doing the right thing, some jerk will always be there to try to turn you from it, it's just the way it is.

Note: I wear suits myself from time to time, but my living is not earned by leveraging other people's sorrow and pain or squeezing/taking advantage of them. Those are the "suits" I'm talking about.

Just keep doing the right thing........

First to Mr Ernie, that 666 aint a devil thing, imma coiler in a steel mill, n my consol is #666) Go figger. After a day or so to get things in perspective, i realize maybe i DO have the tendenccy to "get a bit carried away", but i have never done so woithout(in my mind) a REAL good reason. I understand Cajuns comment, and hes right, maybe we all assume when we should be a thinkin.I do realize how my looks affect some, i kinda prefer to think of it as a brightly colored snake....im poison, so please dont try n eat meMe n most of mine came from various gruops such as Force Recon, Delta Rangers,etc, and i know we have it in us to"do what needs done", but i have respect for all those who give it.This world would be a sad place indeed if only the evil men were what the old timers used ta cal "bad men".I have always been big, and could never abide a bully.I know we have several LEOs n vets here, and i have always had the utmost respect for them, and the law.But DeadAye, ya were durn sure right bout ya comment .TY for the link foxtail, this is a common place occurance as well.I ride to Daytona every year with the club, and the past few we have had several LEOs ride along. As Louis Lamour said, most men are decent and fair, but in every barrell, your gonna find a bad apple or two. So now imma raise a glass to our Men n Women in our aermed forcers, our Police, our Firemen, and all others who put themselfs in harms way for the sake of others, and for our way of life. SEMPER FIDELIS! Mike

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45.acp-why shoot twice.

No offense taken, just that all kinds of alpha hotels wear suits-not just lawyers. Take congressmen for instance..... Or accountants
True story. Was involved in some heated litigation with a high powered New Orleand firm years back. Needed to deliver some documents to them so rather than UPS three boxes of documents, I dropped them off myself on my way down to Shell Beach for the weekend. It was a Friday afternoon and I was undercover (wearing shorts, and a old t shirt -was also in full beard and hair trim at the time) since I didn't feel like having to change at the camp (I have been known to take casual Fridays to the limits!). Anyway they had this case staffed with about 3-4 lawyers of which I was dealing with one (the partner). SO here I am with these three boxes of files in shorts and a grunge shirt in the lobby of this firm asking for Mr. So and so. Well, a fresh young associate comes up, looks me up and down like I had just pooped on the carpet and tells me to follow him. I do the "yassa massa" and follow him to his office , and put the files exactly where he wants them bowing and scraping as I go.

Kid shows up with his partner lugging the files at the pre trial conference a couple of weeks later and liked to have a stroke when he saw me sittting at the conference table.

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Forum consigliere

Thank you Cajun, i needed that there smile sirAs i said, i reckon this was the wrong place to "air my stuff out", but after reading some of you all on a semi reglar basis, i kinda feel i know yas, maybe just a lil, n i respect you members who take the time to listen n answer questions(even dumb ones) with sincerity . Thanx brother.Mike

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45.acp-why shoot twice.

Sorry to hear about the fallen soldier and family. You are correct about the judge the book by the cover. We have motorcycle clubs locally that are very active with raising toys at Christmas time for Toys For Tots and other charities. I wonder how many who look down on these riders do anything at all like that?

Glad you were able to collect your thoughts and give the suit a polite offer of re-education. Not that the guy would ever have any sense of regret or embarrassment in the first place, but it is the thought that counts. Ya done good.
Kinest sentiments for the fallen and his survivors.

This is an educational post. People see things differently and sometimes make judgements based on preconceived notions.
i'm as guilty of it as anyone. Been working on that for about the last 40 years, and I'm still not where I'd like to be. Maybe
someday.

First, condolences on the loss of your friend.

As for perceptions, many people judge others by appearance...and not just being scruffy, or in manner of dress. Just think of how many times overweight people are ridiculed, or those who are different from the norm in any way...whether it be a physical handicap, or some kind of disfigurement. It is, unfortunately, an all too common occurrence. I have been guilty of it myself.

What a better world it would be if we all took the time to learn the person inside, before we judged the person outside. We won't change the world here...all we can do is try to do better as individuals. These threads help.

Wanna know something fellas? This post did help, knowing that maybe, just maybe, the good in folks oitweighs the bad in them others! A lot of us take for granted many of the things out fellow man does on a daily basis to keep us safe. Im proud to hear from you LEOs, n you Firemen, and of course you fine men of our military.I am gonna start a Karma thread in the next day or so. I have a great old Milt Sarks ambi Belt Slide for a 1911(tho many others will work), and after the past couple days i reaize how blessed i really am. I belong to a few other forums, but i gotta say, you folks here make this the best one on this World Wide Web, and i am truley grateful for all your responses. Enjoy your Sabbath my friends, and all my best wishes....Mike.

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45.acp-why shoot twice.