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Letters and Opinions

The opinions expressed in the following letter(s) do not necessarily reflect those of the executive of the Confederation. The Ontario Confederation of Clubs retains the right to edit, in whole or part, any material submitted to this web site and to reject any material without explanation.

A Canadian Biker by Susie

Dear Editor: I am a Canadian citizen working in the United States as a legal advocate for civil rights and, in particular, bikers' rights.

I cannot believe that a newspaper of your quality (I read you online every day) would allow such ill informed nonsense to waste the ink on your presses. First, and most importantly, bikers...men and women who are motorcycle enthusiasts...are not gangs! You insult us when you pin this label on us.

You mentioned in your articles about a "convention" of bikers and your astonishment at the number of motorcyclists present. Please....check out the NCOM (National Coalition of Motorcyclists) convention held last May in Florida - over 2,000 bikers - several hotels totally booked - many dollars spent - and guess what? No trouble. FYI: New Orleans this May.

The Hells Angels and many other clubs and associations (including the boy scouts) proudly display their emblem (colours) on their clothing and congregate in the same location on a regular basis. As proud citizens of a free country, we have the right to do so. When did our country rewrite the Bill of Rights to include "no colours allowed"? And when did our country rewrite the Bill of Rights to exclude association with other fellows.

Turn my Harley into Rice if I'm wrong but I thought that Dieppe, Normandy, Vimy Ridge, etc.,was won by Canadians who were not ever going to be told what they could do and with whom they could associate.

Mayor Lastman is an exemplary Canadian and we should applaud him for his strength as a true supporter of our country's Bill of Rights. But, instead of supporting him, we are ridiculing him because he has shaken the hand of another Canadian! If I just read the newspaper articles and wasn't a Canadian, I would conclude that Canada was an oppressed nation governed by idiots.

The only criticism I have towards Mayor Lastman is that he didn't acknowledge the HA tee-shirt. If the club had presented the shirt to Trudeau, he would have strutted through the lobby of the King Eddy in it and probably up the elevator.

Susie