For the past 20 years, every Memorial Day weekend, tens of thousands of motorcyclists join together as Rolling Thunder to honor the military, particularly the dead and MIA. The coverage is usually positive and focuses on the patriotic bikers and their interesting-looking bikes. On May 27, ABC News went a different direction for this year’s ride. Instead of covering Rolling Thunder and their military and veteran-related issues, the way the Washington Post and the Washington Times did in their articles, ABC turned it into advocacy journalism to inform people about the importance of--wearing helmets while riding motorcycles. After four rather bland sentences about the the event, ABC slipped into lecture-mode (emphasis mine thoughout):
And as the number of motorcycles on the road rises, so does the number of motorcycle deaths.
A recent government report found motorcycle deaths have more than doubled in the past 10 years. Nearly 4,800 people died last year in motorcycle accidents and 87,000 were injured.
Mary Peters, the U.S. secretary of Transportation, is one of the six million Americans who rides motorcycles. She is campaigning to get every American who rides a bike to first put on a helmet.
"Of the motorcycle fatalities over the last year, 700 of them would likely not have died had they had a helmet on," said Peters. "I hope I'm setting the right kind of role model by wearing all my safety equipment, that I check out my bike before I leave, that I ride with others so that we are more visible."
In the entire article, there was only one quote that was not from a safety advocate. In it, I know the speaker rides a motorcycle, but I don’t know if he was a Rolling Thunder participant. I can’t be sure because it isn’t exactly specified whether ABC is still talking to another generic motorcycle-riding helmet advocate or if it switched back to discussing Rolling Thunder:
So why do so many riders opt for less safety?
"Some people just believe in flouting the system," said Harry Avila, a Harley Davidson rider. "They think they're cool."
Other people, Peters believes, just don't know any better. Those are the riders she is hoping to reach.
This close to a holiday that recognizes the men and women who have died in military service to their country, couldn’t ABC have profiled Rolling Thunder the way the Washington Post and Washington Times did and explain a little to the readers about a sure-to-please Memorial Day topic (for all of those who don’t think American soldiers are terrorists), while making sure to focus on the group’s mission?
Maybe next time, ABC will actually cover the event and not just use it as a tool to promote helmet usage. Sure, it is safer for bikers to wear helmets, but write about it in another article, don’t hijack a 20-year tribute to past and present members of the military for an agenda.
Contact Lynn at tvisgoodforyou2 AT yahoo DOT com
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Screw it,.. Ban gasoline.
May 30, 2007 - 01:58 ET by upcountrywaterScrew it,.. Ban gasoline. Traffic deaths will drop to almost ZERO, coasting accidents will continue unabated, however.
More motorcycles on the roa
May 30, 2007 - 02:08 ET by Mean Gene Dr. LoveMore motorcycles on the road = more motorcycle related deaths...most of which are caused by idiots in cars that aren't "sharing the road" or otherwise driving defensively and motorcyclist horseplay (which usually ends badly with or without a helmet anyway). How many of the motorcyclists that died were wearing helmets at the time of their accident? Where's that statistic?
"Of the motorcycle fatalities over the last year, 700 of them would likely not have died had they had a helmet on,"
Key word: "likely"
"Other people, Peters believes, just don't know any better. Those are the riders she is hoping to reach."
No offense ladies, but no biker that purposely chooses not to wear a helmet is going to listen to a woman that knows better than they do. BTW, everyone that rides and doesn't wear a helmet is well aware of the safety risks involved.
Keep out of people's business. If you think it's your mission in life to save people's lives, become an EMT or a neurosurgeon...don't lecture grown-ups on why they should wear a helmet.
(It must be time for bed, Dr. Love is getting cranky...I don't even ride motorcycles).
"Believe what you want. You work your side of the street, and I'll work mine." --Frank Bullitt
Oh great
May 30, 2007 - 03:54 ET by SportPoliticsOh great, momma mary peter runs the dept of transportation, doesn't think people who try to be cool are cool, 'cept she rides a Harley (uncool apparently) - and she has an overactive gland for more national DC rules for 300 million little dweebs she can push around with her declarations about how smart she is.
First we had some psychically scarred moron who was locked up in detention camp here during WW2(Mineta - declaring profiling for muslim terrorists an illegal and immoral act - great payback to the whole nation for his jap detention years ), now we have a safety first motorcycle mamma.
Can we get some people who aren't overactive FREAKS in DC soon ?
I'm going to push for a skiing helmet law - just to rub it back in their faces. We'll make put em on a ***** helmet when they go to their thrice yearly corporate sponsored ski resorts. I think we should make them ski down no more than a 10% grade, otherwise it's too dangerous. Yeah, we need to close down 3/4ers of the skiing hills and mountains in the USA. John Kerry fell and almost broke his neck, he didn't have a helmet and a neck brace on, like he should have.
Man we always get some freak nowadays with a personal mission. I am so sick of it. I bet there's a tape out there where mary peters is seen crying her eyes out over some family loss - a brother or some crap - heck maybe it's one of her little kids who got a head injury on their bicycle, now it's her turn to take it out on the USA.
Reminds me of that freak gun control nut that testified forever in front of congress. Her son took a gun from Daddy's closet and offed himself, a year later Daddy took a gun from the same closet and did himself in. That was our "expert witness" for congress. I was thinking, I wonder how many congressmen want to kill themselves now listening to that fat ugly hog of horror. Hey, it's all over lady, you drove your family members to suicide, now leave the rest of us alone, you FREAK.
Good gawd, momma Harley is runnin' transportation, and she's a safety freak on a mission. Yeah, here comes another national law to take away states rights and their choice. Gosh, I can harley wait.
While I agree with your point
May 30, 2007 - 06:49 ET by Lynn DavidsonWhile I agree with your points about a nanny state, losing a child, especially when a parent probably views himself as responsible (it was his unsecured gun), does things to parents that those who haven't experienced that kind of piercing loss don't understand the depth of those parents' despair. So, I don't think it is as simple as the wife drove her son and husband to it.
Indeed. Perhaps the nanny s
May 30, 2007 - 06:55 ET by sarcasmoIndeed. Perhaps the nanny state itself did the driving...
JMR
While I agree with your point
May 30, 2007 - 06:49 ET by Lynn DavidsonWhile I agree with your points about a nanny state, losing a child, especially when a parent probably views himself as responsible (it was his unsecured gun), does things to parents that those who haven't experienced that kind of piercing loss don't understand the depth of those parents' despair. So, I don't think it is as simple as the wife drove her son and husband to it.
While I agree with your point
May 30, 2007 - 06:49 ET by Lynn DavidsonWhile I agree with your points about a nanny state, losing a child, especially when a parent probably views himself as responsible (it was his unsecured gun), does things to parents that those who haven't experienced that kind of piercing loss don't understand the depth of those parents' despair. So, I don't think it is as simple as the wife drove her son and husband to it.
Motorcycles have more tha
May 30, 2007 - 09:41 ET by kgMotorcycles have more than doubled in the last 10 years. Almost 70% of
motorcycle accidents is because drivers of cars do not look for the motorcycles.
If you really want to reduce motorcycle accidents then make part of the drivers
license an education on the importance on watching out for motorcycles.
Percentage wise motorcycle deaths are less than they were 10 years ago.
Fatalities have actually gone down more in states where there is no helmet law.
Perhaps that is because the rider can see and hear better and take action to
maybe avoid the accident caused by the car pulling out in front of you. Wonder
why they don't track deaths caused by wearing a helmet like the helmet bouncing
around like a bowling ball with your head still in it.
Rolling Thunder is a great way to show support for our fallen
ones!!!
Anybody else mad about this?
May 30, 2007 - 02:42 ET by Cool ArrowSo John Edwards uses Memorial Day to draw in other ingrates who hate the troops
ABC uses a tribute to those same troops to make a point they could make any other day of the year. But since these people are in Washington to grieve for fallen heroes and friends, what better way to turn the knife.
Same idiots think it's humane to withhold fire while Taliban gathers to bury its dead.
Opportunists, pure and simple. Michael J. Fox won't run to Canada to find a cure for Parkinsons. He knew when he applied for citizenship Canada was a windbag full of promises. Instead, he decides to use his on camera abilities to influence elections.
We are besieged by fools in connivery towers who'll stop at nothing to push this worldview agenda that man is evolving into some all caring being who craves inclusiveness in their club
Let's all kick back and make Christopher Reeve jokes.
Gore lied. Nobody fried
Those are good points.It is i
May 30, 2007 - 07:36 ET by Lynn DavidsonThose are good points.It is interesting that when celebrity Canadians get sick or have babies, they seem to stay here. If America is so bad, why do so many Canadian celebrities live and raise families here and sometimes even become American citizens?
Geez, you'd think that after taking Dan Ackroyd, Corey Haim and Steven Cojocaru off of Canada's hands, you think that country would at least be willing to accept Sean Penn, Michael Moore and Barbara Streisand. Of course, Canada also gave us Mario Lemieux and Lorne Michaels, so the imbalance isn't as bad as it could be.
Then again, there is the matter of inflicting Jim Carrey on us, something for which all the William Shatners and Natasha Henstridges do not make right. Now if Loverboy moved down here or if Canada frogmarched Celine Dion back to the Great White North, I'd call it even.
Shatner
May 30, 2007 - 07:58 ET by Cool ArrowDenny Crane rocks
Gore lied. Nobody fried
The problem that I have with
May 30, 2007 - 10:31 ET by Lynn DavidsonThe problem that I have with the Denny Crane character, is that he is becoming more and more unbelievably outlandish and more of a stereotype of what Hollywood thinks that Republicans are--he's trigger happy, because gun owners are by definition reckless and careless with human life, he cheats in business, and is a sexist, racist homophobe who doesn't care about other people's suffering. Last season, it seemed he grew more unstable each week.
I, too, like Denny Crane, but I think the show runners and writers are scripting what they either believe those inhuman Bushitlers to be or what they want the public to believe they are, instead of treating them they way they would other group. Denny started out a funny, quirky non-PC guy that is now shooting people because he wants to and doesn't see anything wrong with it.
I don't know if it got better this season because that show lost me when they ran the episode with the tax protestor and had Alan Shore stand up and rant about how horrible America is and what a police state we live in. It was the usual leftist speech complaining that people can no longer express negative opinions about Bush, Iraq or anything everything else that is in the toilet. How can anti-war and anti-Bush speech be stifled when one of the big three networks gives a popular show the airtime to broadcast those complaints on a weekly basis? Republicans certainly don't have that kind of access to TV.
Has the show drited further left or did it back off that kind of writing? I'd like to know if the show is worth watching. It would have to be pretty good to tear me away from the FX shows on Tuesdays.
Boston Legal very Left
May 30, 2007 - 10:38 ET by Cool ArrowBut as a charter member of LUHAC (League of United Honky American citizens), and LUPWIM (League of United People With Individual Merits), I can laugh at stereotypes.
Gore lied. Nobody fried
Imagine if motorcycles had
May 30, 2007 - 03:48 ET by sarcasmoImagine if motorcycles had never been invented, and never existed until today, and suddenly someone invented the motorcycle on May 30, 2007. I don't think the big-government nanny-state would ever allow citizen-units to own 'em, period. Hell, the "Segway HT" is so-safe & intuitive that only politicians -- it seems -- are dumb-enough to be reliably-capable of crashing one. They have become a massive cash-sink lobbying effort so their (very fun, I must admit Segways are totally-addictive) devices will be permitted on sidewalks despite being motorized devices, and the bike-bureaucrats are furious about the dangerous possiblity of cyclists sharing "their" bike-trails with something electronic & fun.
JMR
Fat girls Mopeds and Segways
May 30, 2007 - 03:51 ET by Cool ArrowThe list gets longer every time I turn around.
Gore lied. Nobody fried
Motorcycle Helmet Safety? S
May 30, 2007 - 08:40 ET by CapitalismRulesMotorcycle Helmet Safety? See, this is why I can't even begin to try to pick this one apart. If average joe TV viewer cannot see the patriotism-burying bullcrap in this, there is no hope for us at all.
Helmets too hot
May 30, 2007 - 10:45 ET by dagdaHelmets are optional in Arizona because they cook the riders brains during the summer. It is like wearing your own personal microwave. Not wearing the helmet is a safety issue.
Our real problem, then, is not our strength today; it is rather the vital necessity of action today to ensure our strength tomorrow. Dwight Eisenhower
stupid law
May 30, 2007 - 18:03 ET by m1xramI'm not sure it's necessary to have stupidity laws, it won't change the rider's IQ. How does it go? If you have a $10 head, wear a $10 helmet.
A more useful law might be: Head injury treatment is prohibitied for people without helmets. With choice goes consequences.
m1xram
If you are stupid enough to r
May 30, 2007 - 20:32 ET by Roger the ShrubberIf you are stupid enough to ride a motorcycle without a helmet, by my guest. You will be doing the gene pool a favor.