“The price of freedom is eternal vigilance.” The sentiment of this quote has been shared by many, leading to it being attributed to President Thomas Jefferson, abolitionist Wendell Phillips and Irish statesman John Philpot Curran. Debating who said it is not as important as remembering and living the message.
As bikers, we have learned repeatedly that victories only last as long as you continuously defend them. A majority of States have fought for and won the right to decide whether or not to wear a helmet, yet every year, a legislature in one State or another will debate the merits of removing that right. The same fight continues for the right to repair/modify our bikes, the right to peacefully assemble with who we choose or even to wear clothing styles that reflect our lifestyle. These and other topics appear in our inboxes every week until it feels like it will never end because it does not end.
Eternal vigilance means just that. But we are not alone. Every organization trying to secure rights of any kind faces the same battles. Even among bikers, we are not alone. Other organizations fight with us and look toward the Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) for leadership. We must lead with an example of eternal vigilance. One of those organizations is the Motorcycle Profiling Project (MPP), which maintains an annual survey on the profiling of motorcyclists. The questions change every year, keeping the survey fresh and the data annually updated. The result is the tool that helped pass two Anti-Profiling Resolutions in the US Congress. The survey data was persuasive enough to be quoted in the Resolutions as shown in the attached image.
Eternal vigilance means taking the new version of the survey each and every year. This is no different than doing a Call To Action each time a new bill threatens motorcycling. It needs to be done and with only a few questions, it is less than a minute to do. Take the survey right now!
Join The MRF — visit website https://www.mrf.org/join-the-mrf
