a cultural institution?

  A cultural institution. That is what the current mayor of the city of Baltimore says about the illegal riding of dirt bikes on the city streets. It has been and continues to be a major issue during the summer months in Baltimore. Hundreds, yes hundreds, of dirt bike riders gather in the streets, calling it a take over and ride those dirt bikes in traffic, around traffic, weaving in and out and in some cases down the sidewalks. It may continue for hours at a time and the police are powerless to do anything to stop that. Why? Because the mayor and others insist it is just a cultural institution, an expression of culture. It's black culture, although you won't hear that said out loud, unless it is from a black person. It's what we do! I have heard that.

  Last year there were big talks and plans being made to build a dirt bike facility. The plan was in that way they wouldn't "have to" ride in the streets. As it currently stands they just don't have any other choice. Of course there were discussions about how would they get those bikes to the facility? The vast majority of these dirt bikes are not street legal, in fact, a big portion of those bikes are stolen and so not registered at all, that too, is just a cultural institution I suppose. Hundreds of motorcycles are seized each year by the authorities but there is always a ready supply of replacements.

 That was once again the topic in the news this morning as this past Saturday was another of those take over days. The dirt bikes were out in full force, racing around the streets and disrupting everything. Naturally the police can do little. No chasing after them, no attempting to stop them. Can't do anything to endanger them, it's a safety issue. Safety for the riders, not for the motorists and the general public! Well that and you can't interfere with a cultural institution. An institution of illegal activity. A cultural legacy? That is what the mayor and others like him are saying. It's what we do! 

  The deal is this, it isn't a cultural institution. It is a societal issue. That is what that really is. It has absolutely nothing to do with culture, especially black culture. Now if there were a bunch of white guys on horses wearing cowboy outfits would that be a cultural institution? Ye Haw, we are just celebrating our culture and heritage. I don't think so. How did it become a cultural institution among inner city blacks, of all age groups, not just youngsters, to ride dirt bikes illegally on the city streets? The reason isn't hard to understand, it is allowed. It has even been celebrated by city leaders. When you begin to offer to build multi-million dollar facilities to stop criminal activities, that is enabling that activity, it is encouraging it. And now you have that, no facility for us means we just take over the streets! It's an expression of culture! 

  Law and order. It's a term we hear often and it is the fundamental principal upon which a society is formed and functions. The law defining what is expected of its' citizens and order is those citizens obeying those laws. It is a very complex issue, I understand that. The reality is you have to work within that framework to have a productive society. You can't just have chaos every time a group of individuals decide they don't like the law. And that is exactly what we are seeing in America today. 

 Then we hear all the cries about my "constitutional rights" and how I can cause havoc and chaos because that is my right. Right now in the city of LA you are hearing that very statement. And who is saying that? City government! And if that doesn't concern you deeply you just aren't paying attention at all. You are enabling a revolution, an insurrection, and the erosion of the republic! And yes, this is a Republic! That is what our constitution established. It wasn't written for the individual, it was written "for the people" and it was codified "by the people." Time to restore law and order throughout the land. You can't make dissent a cultural institution no matter what race, creed or color you are. Not if you want to be "included" in the republic you can't.  

                                                                                         

This is LA, just another peaceful protest! And city government refuses to act.