Jr. Patriot Report - January 2026

John Stumpner

“How Not to Behave”

We sometimes look to the examples of others to see the best way to behave. As we know, bikers can set a good example for us to follow when it comes to grit, determination and a “never give up” attitude. But bikers don't always set good examples. High spirits can sometimes lead to public hijinks that are best kept in a private setting. The news media often carries stories of so-called biker gangs blocking traffic and causing problems on the roadways. Unfortunately, some bikers choose to ignore traffic rules and drive recklessly and at excessively high speeds.

Hollister, California is the home of an AMA rally that has been held since the 1930's. The rally took a couple years off during World War II and started back up again in 1947. The attendance that year was much higher than previous rallies and strained the resources of the small town and its seven-man police force. While none of the people in Hollister were hurt, more than a few windows got broke, a number of arrests were made for drunk and disorderly conduct, and a few bikers got injured. After three days, the bikers went home and the people of Hollister counted the money. The news media however, called it the Hollister Riot and only talked about the bad behavior of the bikers. This example caused many people to think that bikers were only drunken hoodlums, a view of bikers which has taken many years to overcome and still persists in some people today.

Other bad examples are set by what are referred to as biker gangs but are nothing more than young hooligans on dirt bikes and ATV's. These gangs operate like flash mobs on the roads, showing up on un-registered dirt bikes and ATVs, blocking traffic, generally being obnoxious, while putting themselves and other roadway users in danger. Other bad examples are the riders, without a motorcycle license, no training and very little experience, riding carelessly and way over the speed limit. Unfortunately, these bad example riders not only make all bikers look bad to other roadway users, but they often become motorcycle fatality statistics.

While talking about bad examples, it seems our elected representatives are trying to set bad examples by their behavior. Politics in the United States have always been difficult. George Washington himself warned against the influence of political parties. Yet politicians today seem to be completely dedicated to putting party over principle and sound government. Deliberate attempts to wreck the legislative process and name calling seem to have replaced any attempt to cooperate on government for the people.

So, maybe a good resolution for this year would be to not follow bad examples. Have fun but make sure you're not causing problems for others. When on your bicycle (dirt bike or ATV if you have one), be respectful of other roadway users and operate in a safe and respectful manner. And join your friends in ABATE of Wisconsin to help our elected representatives to better cooperate so we can continue to enjoy freedom of the road.

John