STAY INFORMED STAY UNITED OR BE FORCED TO STAY HOME

[Dune Dude]

Organization, communication and determination is what will be needed to keep the sport of OHV'ing alive and well.  We need to continue to monitor the activity that is all a buzz in tying to eliminate us off the face of the earth.  Continue to build interest from other users of OHV's to join our club to build a large vocal group. 
United we stand!  If we act like we don't care "they" (Safety Groups, Anti-Access Groups, Etc) will attack us on all fronts.
"And we'll have fun fun fun till the Lawmakers take our Sport away..."

Some other words to help with mobilization; Bills 101 and 49 will not be the only attack on our sport.  Right now its kids not being able to ride.  Tomorrow it could be closures of riding areas, noise limit restrictions, registration restrictions or any other tions that they see fit to throw at us.  We need to be one voice; loud, vocal and united.  What affects me today and not you might be reversed in the future.  We need to help each other out in these fights.  Buying an ATV or ORMC involves more than just throwing down some green and riding.  It takes time to break them in, time to keep them clean and time to do the maintenance to keep the investment running right.  There is also, the time to be active in supporting the sport.  This can range from word of mouth, a few e-mails sent, letters to the editor, correspondence with Legislators, to active lobbying for protection our rights.
Don’t keep the ATV clean and tuned and what happens?  It slowly rusts, becomes unreliable and stops running.  This does not happen right away.  It a slow process that one day will catch you by surprise when you pull it out of the garage for a ride and can’t.  The same is true for not staying active and informed into what the “Hater Groups” are up to. 
If we all spend the same amount of time staying active and supportive of each other as changing the plugs,  no one would be able to push us around.

[Sandflicker]

This is a copy of the letter I just sent to the Oregonian

Thursday, March 15, 2007

Dear Editor,

Please look over the attached pictures.  I was angered recently by an article you saw fit to print.  This article depicted a baby strapped onto a 4 wheeler and an adult showing little if any concern.  I suppose it is your normal day to day procedure to mislead your readers with this type of imagery and propaganda , and to promote your own political views to the general public.

The first picture is a copy of your printed cartoon (the only way you could get this kind of image). And the second is a real picture of my son and me on our quads, and you can see how terribly dangerous we are with our sons life.
   
    

Please note my son (8 years old) is on a Polaris 90cc.  Now imagine, if you would, the same quad with a fourteen year old riding it.  It doesn't make sense, and it would be dangerous. 
Now, if these bills should pass, my son wouldn't be able to ride the same quad he now has been riding a couple of years, and second after he has out grown it he'll still have to ride it - or not ride at all.
I thought to send you these pictures, just so you can have some perspective into the sizes being discussed and to show you how absurd your reporting is.  Best fit, in my opinion, is the only proper answer to putting anybody (not just kids) on motorcycles or quads.  And banning by age is simply not going to allow families to ride together.  In other words, if a family has a young child, they like to start training on a very small machine that has been set up to go very slowly.  Usually you'll see these young riders not out on the trails, but driving in circles near camp.  They are simply being taught, and are not expected to keep up with their parents and other riders.  Once they have achieved a certain level of skill they may ride between mom and dad - but the reality is their little quads can't go just anywhere - so they stick to simple rides.  A 90cc is the minimum size to go places on, and they too are very limited by power.

Please take a look at these images, I think you'll soon realize just how miss-leading the information you propagating really is.  As a father that has enjoyed this activity with his son, I am ashamed of your papers misuse of the power you have.  I thought all media had an obligation to be accurate and impartial.  I can see I was wrong.
 
Thank you,
Collin Summers,
 Oregon

[Towman 1]

Very good. God I hope that they print this. You spoke absolutely the truth.  But what I have been seeing is the liberal media don't care about what we thing. Its what they think. And they can publish it in there news paper.

[Sandflicker]

Well it's been over a week now, and I haven't heard a thing from the News Paper.  I guess this confirms my thoughts.

[DuneJunkie]

they most likely swallowed their tongue when they read your letter!

great job by the way!