ABATE of South Carolina, Inc. is the motorcyclists' rights organization of South Carolina. Our members brought freedom of choice to South Carolina bikers in June of 1980; ABATE amended South Carolina's mandatory motorcycle helmet law to allow adult freedom of choice. ABATE stands for A Brotherhood Against Totalitarian Enactments. Our philosophy is to defend liberty; while we do not oppose safety devices we oppose laws that mandate the usage of devices.
ABATE of SC operates in the style of a republic. You can learn more about the operation and governance of ABATE by reading our constitution and policies and procedures. A Motion Form is available for download.
This was taken during our 2008 Helmet Support Rally and if anyone wants to know why they need to join ABATE of South Carolina send them this short video.
I would like to thank all the ABATE members for their prayers and well wishes during my recent hospital stay. It means a lot to me and helps with the healing process more than you know. I can't thank you enough for all the kind thoughts and wishes. To cut down on rumor control, I'll try to give you the short story about what took place. I went in to MUSC for a heart cath and possibly another stent. What they found was not good so the docs scheduled me for open heart surgery the next week.
ABATE of SC members, If you are planning to attend Beast of the East, I need to make a list of names for MRF. If you are going to the Banquet on saturday, it will cost $40 per person, will need to be paid before the conference starts "no later than Apirl 1st". Please pass this info on to your area, chapters, newsletter editors and webmasters. If there are any question please give me a call. 864-430-0998 or email me. Look forward to seeing you all there.
It is good to have people like Laurie (Carol) and Bill (William) O’Day who step up when their rights are being violated and are willing to take on the government. It is good to have 47 others who are willing to join them in protesting government actions that affect their rights. It is great when you can start early in the process and get things on the record.
I'm just in from Columbia and the Supreme Court! The Myrtle Beach legal team has gotten a good spanking today by our Supreme Court and the McGrath Law firm.
Hi all, The state supreme court heard the helmet law case today, but is not expected to make a decision for up to 6 weeks. The judge did make a statement saying that she felt the reason for myrtle beaches helmet law was to get rid of bikers and she did not like that fact. When I receive more info, I will pass it on to you.
ok latest and greatest on wiggy.
they had tubes out within an hour and had him sitting up in a chair by 5:30 last night. Still in a little pain but thats expected.
He is moving along to recovery rather quickly! ( you know how them old bikers are) Wiggy has asked anyone wishing to visit to please wait untill he is home. the hospital would like only family to visit in the IC room he is in. Do not know number yet. will post info as we get it.
To all concerned. As many of you know, Wiggy is the Lowcountry Area Coordinator and has been an ABATE of SC member from the beginning.
Just wanted to let you know that I talked to Donna today. Wiggy has 80% to 90% blockage in 3 of the main valves to his heart. He is scheduled for quadruple by-pass surgery on Monday morning at 6am. Donna said it will take 8 to 12 hours. He will be in Intensive Care for 2 days and in a room for 2 days, that is if all goes well, as the Doctor doesn't expect any problems. Then she will bring him home over the weekend. He will be out of work at least 6 to 8 weeks. If ABATE is going to do anything to help them out, please let me know. I know they can use the help but would never ask. Will let you know how things are going with Wiggy as soon as I talk to Donna after surgery. Mary & Chuck
As the sponsoring organization, ABATE of SC pays $125 and then all ABATE of SC members have free admission to the Beast of the East conference. It is not necessary for each ABATE of SC chapter to pay $100.
Are you tired of supporting companies that either are biker unfriendly or don't support us? How would you like a list of companies that support ABATE of SC (financially)? That is what we are creating.
People in Senate District 31, Florence/Darlington area. Please call Senator Hugh Leatherman or email him and ask him to support S 424 the Sovereignty Resolution. He has been one of the holdouts on getting this passed.
Cliff
Senator Hugh K. Leatherman, Sr. District 31 - Darlington & Florence Cos. Contact Address: (H) 1817 Pineland Ave., Florence, 29501 Bus. (843) 662-0388 Home (843) 667-1152 (C) 111 Gressette Bldg., Columbia, 29201 Bus. (803) 212-6640
I’m glad to see everyone here. My name is Cliff Dalton. I’m from Six Mile SC, a veteran of the United States Air Force, a delegate for my voting precinct and Legislative coordinator for Abate of South Carolina.
Abate, in case you’re wondering stands for “A brotherhood against totalitarian enactments”. Abate of SC is a non-profit organization which operates in the style of a Republic. We are not a club.
This nation is about our freedom to choose, not government control over your life. Over the last 150 years our government has been trampling on our rights and liberties granted to us by our Constitution. This brings me to the 10th amendment of our Constitution which states “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively or to the people”. Our Founding Fathers considered this amendment as the foundation of the Constitution.
This is from Harry Kibler with the Rhino hunt group. If anyone can help or has a good relationship with one of these senators please do your best to help. Although this bill is a resolution it is also a symbol of our states conviction to the 10th amendment.
on the B.O.L.T. Liberty Call-in Hour from last night. Catch up on the latest news about the case to be heard on Feb. 3rd, on this recording of the show.
Check with your local ABATE chapter to meet and travel to the State House for our annual Lobby Day. We meet in the Rotunda at 9:00 a.m. Be sure to pick up your free Lobby Day patch. Cliff will have handouts to assist participants. After you are done visiting your Senator & Representative, meet at Hard Knox Grill, 1000 Knox Abbott Drive, Cayce, SC, http://hardknoxgrill.com/.
(Note - Attorney Tom McGrath will call in and give an update on the upcoming SC Supreme Court case to be heard in February)
The next B.O.L.T. Liberty Call-In Hour will be:
FMVSS and Special Guest: Tom McGrath
Updates: BOOST v Myrtle Beach, bikers v. Myrtle Beach, helmet ticket stops and court cases, checkpoints, and any hot news and alerts that arise. Topics: non-applicability of FMVSS, preemption in federal and common law, used equipment, NHTSA counsel interpretive files. USC TITLE 49 Chapter 301.
The above matter will be heard in the Supreme Court of South Carolina on Wednesday, February 3, 2010 at 10:30 a.m. at the Supreme Court Building, 1231 Gervais Street, Columbia, SC. You are invited to attend.
The March ABATE of SC Board Of Directors meeting has been moved back one week from Saturday, March 6th, to Saturday, March 13th, to avoid conflicting with Daytona Beach Bike Week.
"A motorcycle rally proposed for North Myrtle Beach this May moved one step closer to becoming an official event after organizers filed for a special events permit with the city Wednesday.
Businessmen Mark Lazarus, a former Horry County councilman, and County Councilman Harold Worley partnered to start the motorcycle convention for the official Harley-Davidson Owners Group, called HOG, and bring what they said could be about 10,000 tourists to the Main Street area of North Myrtle Beach for the five-day event. The two said this permit would allow the town to test the water with the motorcycle event before moving forward with ordinance changes that would be necessary for a long-term commitment to the Harley group."
"The South Carolina Supreme Court has set a date to hear a local group’s challenge to the City of Myrtle Beach’s helmet law that many think is the main reason biker attendance was so low in 2009.
According to the court’s website, the hearing is scheduled for Feb. 3 at 10 a.m. in Columbia."
A local Grinch may have stolen toys from a holiday fundraiser, but several people on the Grand Strand came together to brighten the holidays for some less fortunate children.
When mandatory helmet proponents talk about helmet safety and laws, they want to only talk about the number of deaths, not the number of deaths compared to the number of accidents. So when a state passes a mandatory helmet law, the numbers of deaths drop because so many people give up riding motorcycles because of the helmets, hence less accidents occur with fewer bikes on the road. Then the mandatory helmet proponents claim that "helmet laws work"! Likewise, when a state repeals a helmet law, many more riders are on the road enjoying their bikes, and naturally with more riders there are more accidents and deaths. But that doesn't mean that the repeal of the law made motorcycling more dangerous.
Catch up on this show from December 8th. For the first half-hour, listen in and learn about roadside stops and helmet tickets from a real veteran of the helmet law battles in California. Don Blanscet is a co-founder and Deputy Director of B.O.L.T. of CA, a co-founder of the Helmet Law Defense League, and former Executive Director of ABATE of CA.
"When ABATE members pulled open the door on the motorcycle group’s storage shed in Myrtle Beach on Sunday, they realized more than $1,000 worth of donated toys, bikes, and dolls were gone. Stolen—sometime between September and now."
"North Myrtle Beach is one of three cities Harley-Davidson is looking at to host a five-day motorcycle event for the Harley Owners Group in May. That event would be in addition to the annual spring motorcycle rally and to the Memorial Day Bikefest in Atlantic Beach. Before the motorcycles start roaring and the tents start being set up, some changes in city vendor ordinances would need to happen."
Join us for Lobby Day, the opening of the 119th General Assembly, on January 12, 2010. Check with your local chapter to ride together to the State House.
After talking to the most of BOD, the BOD meeting has been changed to Jan 9th at 10:00 at Natures Deli. Pass this info to all that may come to the meeting. If there are any questions give me a call.
ABATE of South Carolina sponsors a Motorcycle Awareness Rally in the month of May every year.
This is a 10 minitue cross section of our 2008 rally. This ride includes a police escorted ride to the South Carolina state house and every year we have special guests and speakers from all the groups of motorcyclist.
Is texting while driving dangerous? Yes, and this short video describes the problem and tragedies that have resulted from it. Texting while driving is as dangerous as driving with twice the legal limit of alcohol.
Today's Sun News has an article saying that the SC Supreme court is asking both sides on the helmet lawsuit to check their schedules for Feb. 3, 4, 16, 17 and 18, to schedule the court date. They are to respond by Dec. 10th. It is expected that the scheduled date will be known by the end of December.
As we begin a new year, I thought we'd re-visit the question some bikers are being asked consistently: Why do you ride without wearing a helmet?
I'm not going to try and tell you that not wearing a helmet while you ride offers the ultimate in safety. Wearing a helmet has its benefits. However, let's talk about some mostly unknown points, and bring them to light.
Last nights' coast to coast conference call on the topic "Biker Rights Updates" was terrific! We had great callers and covered a lot of ground. You can listen to the recording of it at http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/66775
The next B.O.L.T. Liberty Call-In Hour will once again be a coast to coast conference call, open to the public, on the topic of:
ABATE does not advocate riding without a helmet; ABATE advocates that you have the right to decide. ABATE does not condone drinking and driving or riding. Contributions to ABATE of South Carolina, Inc., or any of its chapters are not tax deductible.
early in the process and get things on the record.
Court and the McGrath Law firm. 
Cliff
I’m glad to see everyone here. My name is Cliff Dalton.
After talking to the most of BOD, the BOD meeting has been changed to Jan 9th at 10:00 at Natures Deli. Pass this info to all that may come to the meeting. If there are any questions give me a call.
As we begin a new year, I thought we'd re-visit the question some bikers are being asked consistently: Why do you ride without wearing a helmet?
