South Dakota abortion law : Boycott Sturgis

[High Plains]

Alright, people, if you're pissed at South Dakota over the abortion issue, as a South Dakotan, I think the best way to get people's attention is boycotting Sturgis, the annual summer biker party in the Black Hills. I don't claim to have come up with this idea, but I think it would work.

The Sturgis motorcycle rally is a huge event economically and publicity-wise for the state of South Dakota; it is one of the few things that happens in South Dakota that ever gets national attention. (Last SD story that made the wires: A farm elevator failed to implode when it was supposed to). People from all over the country come to the Black Hills for this.

Even mentioning the idea of an organized Sturgis boycott is bound to start them quaking in their cowboy boots in South Dakota.

The state is full of fundamentalist Christians, which is why this shit gets passed in the first place, but it is also full of people who don't have enough money and who would be damned unhappy at the prospect of losing money because of those yokels in the state capitol.

Who would organize such a boycott? NARAL? NOW?

If you want to make South Dakota pay, or at least make a credible threat, I think this is the way.

[NMDemDist2]

1. we need to contact those biker veteran guys who are riding to funerals

to protect the families from phelps et al

i'll take some flyers to the two biker bars in the area if someone can make up some good ones...

[MsMagnificent]

9. Patriot Guard Riders Link

http://www.patriotguard.org/


I'm not sure how helpful it will be to approach them, but it's worth a try.

I mean this in a 2-fold way:

1) Bikers are a true cross-section of America. I think you'll find many who are Right To Life, and you WILL find many, many Christian Biker groups that do the Phelps funerals (check their website & note the colors of the different groups).

2) Even if they are Pro-Choice, many bikers seem to enjoy their partying and socializing over Social Issues. More than we expect may just say they're going to continue the tradition and the party -- two things they tend to be more sentimental towards and devoted to.

Now I hate to be a naysayer, but as an old Biker Chick I'm speaking from my own experiences and the people I personally know and how I feel they'll react. I can only hope I'm more wrong than right on this, and again it is definitely worth a good try!

I know a more helpful group will be Dykes on Bikes but with the recent name-acceptance problem there really is no nationwide organization (as far as I know one chapter in San Francisco) as of yet, so you may want to contact your local GLBT groups for local ladies (and gents!) bike groups.

[LisaM]

2. Good idea! I didn't realize bikers were protecting people from Phelps

but that is a really good way to get an underground word of mouth going.

[sam sarrha]

3. i am supprised it tooks to long to get this to the stacked courts

[Botany]

4. Call em and let them about the boycott

Department of Tourism and State Development

James D. Hagen, Secretary
711 E. Wells Ave.
Pierre, SD 57501-3369
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

[bobbieinok]

5. official sturgis motorcycle rally web page

http://www.sturgismotorcyclerally.com/

[femrap]

6. Isn't Citicard in S. Dakota?

Don't credit card companies headquarter there due to their state laws about usury or incorporation or something?

We could all cancel a particular credit card there???? That would get their attention!

Anyone help on this???

[liberalhistorian]

7. Yes, indeed, the esteemed

(gag!) former governor Janklow pushed through a major loosening of usury and incorporation laws that make it much easier for cc companies to pull their shit, so that they would relocate their headquarters to South Dakota. And relocate, they certainly did.

If people are angry about this and they have a credit card issued by a company in South Dakota, then cancelling it would, indeed, make a good statement. The legislature likes to talk a good game about "morals" and "values", etc., etc., blahblahyaddayaddablather, but when it comes right down to it, it really is all about the Benjamins with them.

[femrap]

10. thx....I'm gonna find out which cc company is the biggest

and do some 'targeting' on it.

[liberalhistorian]

8. That is an excellent idea,

as a new resident of Rapid City, SD, who experienced my first rally last summer, I know full well just how much of a tremendous economic impact such a boycott would have. And the very thought of such a tremendous loss of money and the national publicity the rally brings, as well as the horrendous economic impact a boycott would bring, would probably be enough to change some minds really, really quick.

[mom cat]

11. Are there any other SD firms or products that should get some attention,

or any national companies that ned to know how unhappy we are?

[cascadiance]

12. Join forces with the Indian tribes who also advocate a national boycott!

They were wanting people nationwide to boycott South Dakota since the state was bulldozing their sacred burial grounds. Perhaps if we work together with them, we can up the ante of a boycott for both parties!

http://www.sacredland.org/endangered_sites_pages/supporting/SoDakota.html

[cascadiance]

13. I wonder if Ed Schultz could help in some way...

... since he's up there in South Dakota, it would seem that he might know the best way to hurt that state in a constructive fashion. Maybe he'd move he and his radio show to another state if he thought that would do some good.

[bobbieinok]

14. there are many christian ministries to bikers....a report on KCopeland's

http://archive.salon.com/10/features/bikers2.html

[uncle ray]

15. it'll never happen.

if bikers en masse would have boycotted Sturgis for anything, it would have been for that worthless fuckstick Janklow running down a biker.