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Fellow Riders and Freedom Fighters:

As you may know from my last article, "Let's Unseat Those Who Would Unsaddle Us..."

http://tinyurl.com/37dwbl

...bikers rights advocates nationwide are working hard to defeat Florida HB-137, proposed legislation that would authorize the seizure of motorcycles by the State. The bill has cleared the first committee with these amendments...

http://tinyurl.com/2tn8e3

...but it remains a poor piece of legislation that would establish a dangerous precedent. And in the midst of our efforts to raise awareness and the resources necessary to kill this bill, the following article has appeared on Jalopnik.com:

"Florida Passes HB 137, Speeders Face Vehicle Confiscation, Prison Time"
http://jalopnik.com/368868/
florida-passes-hb-137-speeders-face-vehicle [ or http://tinyurl.com/2o2ulx ]

Screen shot: http://tinyurl.com/2r2sd7

Let me assure that THIS IS NOT TRUE! HB-137 has NOT been made a law as this article claims, and it has NOT even been passed by the Florida House of Representatives. The truth can easily be found here, where as you can see it has only passed through one committee so far:

http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/
Bills/billsdetail.aspx?BillId=37239&SessionId=57 [ or http://tinyurl.com/2zxun2 ]

I attempted to bring this to the attention of the incompetent journalists who posted this damagingly misleading article, but all that resulted was a series of progressively more abusive email exchanges with the author...

Wes Siler
Road Test Editor
www.Jalopnik.com
c: +1 718 219 5308
e: wes@jalopnik.com
AIM: wpsiler

...and the editor:

Ray Wert III
Editor-in-Chief
www.Jalopnik.com
AIM: RWert3
FON: 517.881.7508
EML: ray@jalopnik.com / editor@jalopnik.com / RayWert@gmail.com http://www.imediaconnection.com/profiles/
iMedia_PC_Overview.aspx?ID=5214 [ or http://tinyurl.com/3b7l7u ]

I have also requested action by the person I understand to be the publisher...

Nick Denton
email nick@gawker.com
aolIM nicknotned
voice +1.646.808.0248
where 76 Crosby St, NY 10012 http://www.nickdenton.org/002032.html

...but I have yet to receive any response.

As I said, we are fighting hard to defeat HB-137. Posting articles saying we have already lost the battle costs us precious resources and support. And refusing to retract such errors brings into question the integrity and agenda of Jalopnik.com and its parent Gawker.com (Gawker Media), both of which are registered to this foreign company:

BLOGWIRE HUNGARY SZELLEMI ALKOTAST HASZNOSITO KFT
Blogwire
Magyar u. 36
Budapest - 1053 - 112233
HU

American motorcyclists have enough problems protecting our rights from our own anti-biker politicos, numbskull nannycrats, and myopic media. We don't need poorly researched articles published by unprofessional journalists working for foreign companies making matters worse. If you agree, I ask you to please email and call the offending author, editor and publisher (Wes Siler, Ray Wert, and Nick Denton) using the contact info above, and DEMAND THAT THEY PULL THIS ARTICLE:

http://jalopnik.com/368868/
florida-passes-hb-137-speeders-face-vehicle [ or http://tinyurl.com/2o2ulx ]

Speaking strictly for myself and no other individuals or organizations,

Bruce Arnold

Bruce@LdrLongDistanceRider.com
Author and Publisher, LdrLongDistanceRider.com
Co-Moderator, Bruce-n-Ray's Biker Forum
Mile Eater Gold Member, Iron Butt Association
Sustaining Member, Motorcycle Riders Foundation
2007 Chairman's Circle, American Motorcyclist Association