“What’s the first day going to be like for his kids?”
For all I know they might well get kudos for having a “cool” biker Dad. I am not joking.
Yes, kids can be cruel.
And actions have consequences.
Clendennen rode with a known Cossack affiliated gang. Ask him what he was thinking of to have done so, if he from now on wants to put his kids’ welfare first in his life and decisions.
Ask him, if that is the example he wants his kids to follow, or be proud of him for.
Ask him why he didn’t put loyalty to wife and kids and his responsibility as a business owner, to his employees and vendors, ahead of gang affiliation to begin with.
Ask him why he jeopardized his wife and family for the personal kicks of riding with a gang. He could have been killed there that day and was lucky he came out unscathed except for reputation, and a reputation he helped to “earn” by riding with a support gang.
And think about the kids of Campbell and others, who are going to school tomorrow fatherless. !!
Even if he is ultimately innocent in the eyes of the law, as a husband and father and small-business owner, he made some poor imprudent decisions. Sadly. His kids should not be made to suffer for his poor decisions; even if they were not illegal decisions, they were imprudent decisions.
I have probably said before, my husband, also a small business owner, desired to ride a motorcycle, and not even in a gang. I told him, as a small business owner, there are people depending upon you, your employees, your vendors, not to mention wife and kid. You can’t afford to be a smear on the highway. He had the sense enough to forego his testosterone-induced desires to ride a motorcycle. Clendennen did not, or did not have a wife as wise as I am. In all humility. Maybe he just wouldn’t listen.
Maybe he is young enough to learn his lesson. Maybe he is lucky to have this lesson in time to prevent his being a smear on the highway, or to be killed in a future gang encounter.
No, his kids should not be the ones to suffer for his imprudent decisions nor (if that is what it is) unlawful arrest.
Maybe he can man up, and tell his kids, and their classmates (if the school agrees) riding with gangs is a poor decision, one I am sorry I made. Don’t make the same mistake, and don’t blame my kids because I am man enough to take it on myself.
Summary of sorts. A small business owner has responsibilities to a lot of people, that have to be met — payroll, payroll taxes, paying vendor invoices. These responsibilities, once undertaken, are real compelling impediments to living a free life on a bike or anywhere else that could eliminate one’s ability to meet those responsibilities. Even the family of a small business owner comes in second place to those legal and moral responsibilities. I can testify to that, and payroll and payroll taxes and vendor invoices have priority over family expenses.
Clendennen may be a poster boy for the wrongly arrested. He is not a poster boy as a small-business owner, husband and father.
“Clendennen may be a poster boy for the wrongly arrested. He is not a poster boy as a small-business owner, husband and father.”
Thank you for the civil discussion. I agree with much of what you said.
I am willing to entertain the idea it is possible someone like Clendennen could have perceived that by joining a non-criminally designated club he was joining nothing more than a group of other guys who like to ride to the lake on the weekend and drink a few beers, and play dress up.
It is my understanding that unlike the 1% groups, these other clubs pretty much accept all comers. There is no probationary period wherein one has to prove their loyalty, criminality or whatever. Essentially one is invited, buys a “patch”, and becomes a member.
As for smears on the highway, yes, motorcycling can be dangerous. But so can a lot of activties, like Sky diving, scuba diving, or, non-activities, like obesity, and coronary artery disease. There are law enforcement motorcycle clubs. There are clubs for just lawyers and judges. So any of those judges, cops and attorneys with young children and spouses are equally guilty.
Did Clendennen join a “gang”? No.
Is it possible that in order to pump up their numbers some with ill intent or ulterior motives within these non-criminal clubs suckered in guys like Clendennen. Yes.
Did he make a bad choice in retrospect? Clearly.
The question to me is how long does the Waco justice system intend to legally keel-haul those like Clendennen (and by extension, his wife, and kids and other family members), and to what social/public/moral benefit?