Thursday, Jul. 09, 2009
You Are Not Invited
They say to keep your friends close and your enemies closer so I signed up to receive newsletters from the Take Back May Web site. Take Back May, led by local attorney Tom Rice, is the group that organized against the May motorcycle rallies.
The e-mail I got opened with “YOU ARE INVITED!!!” in all caps with three exclamation points. I, along with hundreds of others, was invited to attend a free barbeque and thank you rally for Myrtle Beach Mayor John Rhodes and the city council members, honoring them for their efforts to destroy the May rallies. The party was scheduled from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday, June 10, which we noted was smack dab in the heart of both the work week and the work day – at least for those of us who are productive members of the local economy. How convenient for the retirees and silver spoons who seem to make up both the Take Back May and city council crowds, though. The e-mail closed by encouraging me to “…forward this invitation to all of your like-minded friends!!!” Again, with three exclamation points, so I figured they must really want me and my like-minded friends there. Naturally, we obliged.
As we pulled into the Myrtle Beach Train Depot where the event was held, anyone on a motorcycle was summarily denied access to the parking lot, explaining the dozens of motorcycles lined up in the adjacent lot. Those of us who drove four-wheeled vehicles (because our motorcycles don’t comply with the city’s new ordinances) were allowed to park in the Train Depot lot, but most were immediately informed by gun-toting, jack-booted, private security that we would not be allowed into the event because we were wearing T-shirts deemed to be “inflammatory.” Mine read “F.U.M.B.”, which I tried to explain to the guard posturing in front of me, stood for “Families United for Myrtle Beach,” but he wasn’t buying it. Fellow freedom-fighters’ shirts were emblazoned with less ambiguous messages like “Mayor Rhodes Sucks,” “Myrtle Beach Sucks,” and the “Not a Dime in ‘09” boycott slogan. Apparently, our Constitutional rights to free speech and freedom to assemble aren’t recognized at the Republik of Myrtle Beach’s Train Depot. We were allowed, however, to walk a picket line on the sidewalk in front, which many did carrying signs that read “End Selective Tourism” and “We’ll do it again in 2010,” referring to the year-long boycott of Myrtle Beach businesses who many feel have not been supportive enough of the rallies. All afternoon passing cars honked and gave the thumbs up, shouting things like “Save the rallies!”
I guess I wasn’t surprised that this group, known for its willingness to discriminate against fellow citizens when it serves self-interests, had pre-arranged to keep out the “trouble makers,” but my disdain actually increased when people wearing more passive and respectful T-shirts featuring acronyms including B.A.T.T. (Bikers Are Tourists Too) and B.O.O.S.T. (Businesses Owners Organized to Save Tourism) were also denied. It didn’t matter that we were invited. Several people actually produced e-mails and postcard invitations proving that we were invited by the organizers and were still denied access by the rent-a-cops.
If we wanted in we’d have to change our shirts. Several chose not to, but I felt it was important to get a glimpse inside for my readers who couldn’t be there so I changed into a Pizza Grill-a shirt I had in my truck. I think I got my point across anyway when I rolled up my left sleeve to display my Harley-Davidson tattoo and I filled out my name tag to read “F. Rhodes.” I patiently stood in line, sneering at the sea of blue-hairs and sycophants until I reached the food. When asked what I wanted to eat I explained there was nothing that Tom Rice had to offer me and I politely followed the line back outside. Others filled their plates high and promptly dumped them into the trash cans at the end of the line.
One old fart was even obnoxious enough to flip the bird at my friend Lee Wimmer who had done nothing to antagonize him. (Nice family beach, huh?) When Wimmer confronted him, he was escorted back outside by the armed security guards. Apparently, these coots can be pretty tough when they have hired security present.
Speaking of obnoxious, when his highness the mayor arrived and found the lot was full (of trucks sporting Harley-Davidson decals and license plates) he didn’t hesitate to illegally park his Jaguar at the end of a row. As word spread, Rice came out and moved his car off the lot before moving the mayor’s Jag into the spot he vacated. I got a kick out of the fact that ultimately Rice wasn’t able to park in the Depot lot either, saying a lot about instant karma.
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