Posted on 07/12/2015 5:24:02 AM PDT by don-o
It's not a gang, it's a club.
When it comes to the Houston-born Bandidos Motorcycle Club, this debate has taken on some urgency and a few twists.
Following a May 17 melee in Waco that left nine dead and 18 wounded, police arrested 177 bikers. Each was charged with engaging in organized criminal activity by being part of a conspiracy to commit murder and assault as part of a turf war between the Bandidos and a lesser-known rival, the Cossacks.
The distinction carries a hefty penalty, as those charged faced 15 years to life in prison if convicted - even if they never threw a punch or fire a shot.
While police have built hefty records of prosecuting some gangs and cartels, there hasn't been much courtroom action in recent years when it comes to the Bandidos.
Federal prosecutors can't remember the last time a group of Bandidos was charged in federal court in Houston. Attorney Kent Schaffer notes that more police officers are indicted each year in Houston than members of the Bandidos. Then he also says that while DPS labels Bandidos as a dangerous criminal gang - and tracks its members - it is the very same agency that has issued at least 80 concealed handgun licenses to Bandidos in this area.
(Excerpt) Read more at chron.com ...
Basically, if you write the description of both down...and then 4-H or Boy Scouts instead of the bikers....well....it’s a club. Am I correct....the bikers have a monthly fee due?
It is most likely both depending on how you participate.
Any club that chooses “We are the people our parents warned us about” as their motto is either a criminal gang or poseurs.
It's also the title of a Jimmy Buffett song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YiW5Z0fr-Q
I dunno know why the thing doesn't make a live link...
Do they have a sergeant at arms or similar position in their organization to enforce their rules? What happens to a dues paying member that doesn’t follow orders? Just curious ...
Probably more cops out there than Banditos (although that's a separate issue) but still an interesting factoid.
Bandidos are a gang.
They have been infiltrated for a long time and are listed as mid tier on the Texas government assessment list.
Unlike the Cossacks, who have never warranted a place on the list at any level.
Just gum flapping at affixing labels. As the complaint says, the Bandidos orgainzation is in a Texas database, identified as a criminal street gang.
Didn’t there used to be something in the Bill of Rights about the right to assemble?
prosecutors in Waco contend that not only are they gangs, but they will be able to prove they took part in a planned battle that was part of an ongoing crime turf war between the two.Here is the "sleight of hand" that passes for reasoned analysis. "They" is an identifiable group, but "they" are not accused. Individuals are accused, and the state is obliged to pony up evidence associated with individuals.
What the government is doing is guilt by association.
Which, FWIW, works in some cases, e.g., ISIS.
That was when we had a Bill of Rights. That was when we were governed according to the parameters set forth in the Constitution. That was before the people demanded that the Government take their Rights and assume their responsibilities and make them “secure”. That time was long ago and never to return.
I’m always amused by the motorcycle gangsters being upset by their “stereotyping.”
If I walked around with a sign saying, “I’m a violent and dangerous person,” people would be likely to stereotype me as a violent and dangerous person.
Many of the members of these clubs doubtless are not actually violent and dangerous criminals, but it’s obvious they get a charge out of others seeing them as such. Which is exactly why they dress and act as they do.
Until of course the image turns around and bites them big time. Then they complain about being stereotyped by an image they carefully created.
Amendment I
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
FWIW – note the word “peaceably”.
There are about 2400 Bandidos worldwide.
And well over twice that number in the Houston PD alone.
So playing “dress up” is now a crime?
Long before the Bandidos motorcycle gang became an international headline for taking part in a fierce turf war at a Waco restaurant, authorities had been able to link the outlaw motorcycle gang with the violent Mexican cartel known as Los Zetas.
The Bandidos are involved in transporting and distributing cocaine and marijuana. The gang is also tied to the manufacture and distribution of methamphetamine, information revealed by the U.S. Department of Justice revealed.
Because of their transnational scope, these OMGs (outlaw motorcycle gangs) are able to coordinate drug smuggling operations in partnership with major international drug-trafficking organizations (word used by federal agencies to describe Mexican Cartels), the DOJ information revealed.
LOS ZETAS GUNMEN SHOOT AT MEXICAN MILITARY CHOPPER NEAR BORDER; MEXICAN MARINES KILL 6 ZETAS
>>> Federal prosecutors can’t remember the last time a group of Bandidos was charged in federal court in Houston. Attorney Kent Schaffer notes that more police officers are indicted each year in Houston than members of the Bandidos. Then he also says that while DPS labels Bandidos as a dangerous criminal gang - and tracks its members - it is the very same agency that has issued at least 80 concealed handgun licenses to Bandidos in this area. <<<
http://dps.texas.gov/RSD/CHL/faqs/
1. What are the requirements for obtaining a Texas Concealed Handgun License (CHL)?
The Concealed Handgun Law sets out the eligibility criteria that must be met. Applicants must be at least 21 years of age (unless active duty military) and must meet Federal qualifications to purchase a handgun. A number of factors may make you ineligible to obtain a license, such as: felony convictions and some misdemeanor convictions, including charges that resulted in probation or deferred adjudication; pending criminal charges; chemical or alcohol dependency; certain types of psychological diagnoses protective or restraining orders, and defaults on state or city taxes, governmental fees, or child support. Eligibility requirements can be found in GC §411.172.
[I thought a few folks might be interested...]
Nope. But if I choose to dress up as a criminal, I shouldn’t be surprised if people view me as a criminal.
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