"making up my mind"
april 2007
 

It has been a fairly cool couple of weeks. I've gotten in some riding in spite of the weather. The only problem is that after the ride, it took about and hour to get warm. I'm oldskool minded about my riding. I don't like radios on my bikes. To me the greatest music is the sound of my engine purring. I love the sound of the bike going thru the gears, and the rumbling coming out of my tail pipes. With this the mix of the wind blowing past my ears just completes the package. To me it is like moving Zen. My senses become so in tune to my surrounds that time seems to slow down, and in some cases stop. Riding is also when I do my deepest thinking. I have sorted out many a problem in my lifetime, while in the saddle. When I am stuck, and can't find and answer to something, I swing my leg over my girl and ride.

I had something on my mind that I just couldn't decide on; where I stood on the Confederate Flag issue. It was cold as a witches t.... out. The temp was about 40 degrees. but I needed to think, not talk to anyone, watch tv news, or be bothered by the phone. I needed to know how I really felt about this issue. So I pulled my Harley out from under her wool blankets, and rolled her out of the garage. Now I can tell you that she was not a happy camper just now. She was so warm and toasty under her blankets, that the minute I took them off her, she got wet all over from the cold air hitting her warm body. But to her credit, she started on the first try. After she had warmed up some she was ready. Me on the other hand looked like I was going to the north pole. I had all the winter armor on that a biker warrior wears to do battle with the cold. The heavy leather vest, under the even heavier leather jacket, the heavy leather chaps, the heavy leather neck-chief, with the rubber face mask, topped off with a helmet. I was now ready to go slay the road dragons.

Now that I could just about move, I mounted my girl and we were off. It was around 10:00am. I hoped that by noon it would warm a little. It didn't. I pulled up to the stop sign at the end of my road. Now the first big decision, do I go left or right. What the hell. Left. I tooled up route 79 in Madison. The Harley was purring like a happy cat in the cold air. As I rounded the intersection circle of route 79 and route 80, I decided to head toward Durham and route 17. So rolled on the gas, and off I went.  Tooling along at about 50 mph. I felt myself relaxing into the ride. By the time I got to Durham I was very relaxed. I headed up route 17. The traffic was light today. I began to think about the Confederate Flag issue. It was the fresh in my mind. Where do I stand on this issue. I had just never gave it any thought. I just said its part of our history and that's that. But as of late, a lot of people are ticked off on both sides of this issue. So maybe I should think about this a little.

My first reaction was one of disgust. We are at war on the other-side of the world, with our kids in harms way. Why the hell bring this issue up now?  In Middletown I turned right onto route 9 south. I mean we have more important thing to worry about right now. Man getting on route 9 was a mistake, the wind chill is killing me at 65 mph. I got to get off soon. I do understand where some people may be offended by the rebel flag. But to some of our country it is a very important part of their history. It reminds them of the brave men who died for what they believed in. Just as the American flag reminds us here in the north. Oh man one more exit and I'm off, my hands a numb. Hope I can pull the clutch lever in at the bottom of the exit.

It is true that some very bad people have used the rebel flag to do bad things. But we should punish, or be mad at the ones doing bad, and showing hate, not the law abiding people who just see the rebel flag as their history. I think that it is interesting that at the end of the civil war, the rebel flag was not outlawed and banded. In fact if I recall from my reading, as some of the Confederate officers surrendered their swords and flags to Union officers, the Union officers returned the battle flags back to the Confederate officers as a sign of respect for a gallant effort and bravery. If the men fighting the south had no problem with their flag, why should I. Thank God, exit 10. Turning left onto route 81 north. Feels good to be doing 40 mph again.


Some people claim now 150 years later that the rebel flag is a symbol of hate, because the south treated them badly. We are now The United States Of America. And one law holds true for all right? So if we are going to outlaw a flag, in our country that claims freedom of speech. Why is burning our American flag legal. Isn't burning the American flag a sign of hatred also? Not to just one group of people, but to all our people, yet we allow it. I see a double standard here. At the stoplight in the Center of Higganum. Turn right on route 154. I have got to get some coffee soon. And if flying Confederate Flag offends a certain group of people, because of something that happened a long time ago. Then how must the native people of this country feel when they see the American flag flying? Didn't they also get treated badly? And aren't they still living on reservations? Are we to outlaw the American Flag if they say seeing it offends them. Are we not in enough of a  mess in this country now because someone doesn't like Christmas, or pray in the schools, or the pledge to the American Flag. Why open another can of worms?

Wow! what a great view of the Connecticut river you get this time of the year with all the leaves off the trees. Oh yea. There's the coffee shop by the Good Speed Opera House bridge. Got to stop now. Man that was the best two cups of coffee I ever drank. Even with everybody looking at me like I was from mars, when they saw me pull up on the bike. Two guys sitting at the counter just shook their heads when I sat down at the counter.  I don't blame them. They wish they could be me, out on my girl, she sure is pretty, sitting outside all shiny. Well back on the road, heading for Deep River. I love the town of Deep River. It is like one of those little towns they put on postcards. Just turned right at the light in the center of town, heading back home.

Cruise up the road and pass under route 9, heading for route 80. I love this little stretch of road. It's only about two miles from the center of Deep river to the stop sign at route 80. But it's fun to ride. Turned right at the stop sign. Back on route 80 again. Well I think I worked out this flag issue for myself. If we can call ourselves Irish Americans, Italian Americans, Polish Americans, German American, Latin Americans, Black Americans, and a host of other American titles who all have their own flags and fly them freely in America, then being true Americans, and believing in freedom of speech, and freedom of expression, leads me to believe, that the Confederate States have the right as Americans to fly their flag where they wish. 

Coming up on the junction circle of route 81 and route 80, ten more minutes and I'm home. This part of 80 is really fun. First you go up a mild grade. But when you hit the top you get a view of a steep hill going down the other-side, and man you are moving by the time you hit the bottom. Then you go up a steep hill. Down a steep hill. Up a steep hill again. Next you cross over a bridge and come to the junction of route 80 and route 79. I go around the circle down route 79 and home. Man what a great ride that was. I cleared my head, and made up my mind where I stand on something that was bothering me. WE as a people either have freedom of choice, or we don't. Let freedom ring. All in all. A great riding day.