Posted on 05/25/2005 9:50:05 PM PDT by Libloather
MB mayor wants bike events nixed
McBride stands by comments about Bikefest attendees
By Emma Ritch
The Sun News
Myrtle Beach Mayor Mark McBride refused to apologize Tuesday for comments about black bikers and asked council members to cancel Saturday's Atlantic Beach Bikefest events at the convention center.
Mickey James, president of the Myrtle Beach branch of the NAACP, criticized McBride at Tuesday's City Council meeting and asked the mayor to apologize publicly for statements in an October deposition that have been highlighted by national and local leaders of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
"Council shouldn't tolerate [McBride's statements]. You can't just bury your head in the sand," James said.
James noted McBride is up for re-election in November and said, "We will look for a new leader."
McBride looked down throughout James' speech and said he meant what he said "in the context of the comments."
McBride said last week that he was referring to some Bikefest attendees, not all black people, when he said in a deposition, "They want to disregard the law and sit on the tops of their car and smoke dope and drink and do whatever they want to and disregard everything."
McBride gave the deposition in the NAACP's lawsuit against Myrtle Beach. The suit says the city is discriminating by using a restrictive one-way traffic pattern, an overwhelming police presence and aggressive police tactics to intimidate and discourage Bikefest participants.
McBride said he wanted to pull the plug on Saturday's Bikefest events because they last until 6 a.m. and are "not what this community's about."
"I believe I represent the people," he said.
McBride does not have the authority to stop events at the city-backed convention center, city spokesman Mark Kruea said. A majority of council members could ask the city manager to stop the event, but doing so could create liability for the city and would be highly unlikely, Kruea said.
Audience members repeatedly spoke over McBride's response. They yelled that he didn't represent them and didn't have the authority to cancel Saturday's events.
"I live in this county, and I want my people to come down and have fun, just like you want your people to have fun," said Linda Johnson, who is black.
McBride argued with council members about taking votes in workshop meetings, which is allowed, but the council rarely votes during workshops.
The council voted on the concept of a special taxing district at the most-recent workshop, although it still needs two readings to be enacted, and plans to decide at the next workshop whether to give the Waccamw Regional Transportation Authority $75,000.
McBride said he was disgusted with the council because those workshops are not televised, and he threatened to leave early because the council is "out of control."
Councilman Mike Chestnut said the council also was disgusted with McBride. "It goes both ways," he said.
HEY! You resemble that remark!
Today's bikers are mostly yuppies trying desperately to pretend that they're not (yuppies, that is).
How dare they attempt to enforce their laws -- Just who do they think they are? (sarcasm off)
What did this guy say that was so offensive? I didn`t see one word that pointed to a persons skin color. Is something missing from the article?
It is remarkable to me how some folks who hold tribalistic attitudes are simply incapable of recognizing that there are many others who do not hold such attitudes. Further, these tribalistic people are unable to recognize the benefits that accrue to all members of our society from its generally non-tribalistic nature.
Click on 'MYRTLE' in the key word and you'll find what lead up to this.
Sounds like Memorial Day Weekend is a bad time to have this event. Changing the date of the event would probably resolve alot of the issues that people are complaining about. This whole thing doesn`t sound racist, it sounds like a huge holiday weekend mess.
"an overwhelming police presence"
I can't think of a single circumstance under which that would bother me.
If you have a problem with it, I gotta think you must be planning to break the law.
Sturgis, SD hosts a really big event each year.
Likewise Laughlin, NV. Lotsa other places, to.
Any community overrun by thousands of temporary visitors feels a big impact.
On the positive side is income for businesses. On the negative side is whatever degree of lawbreaking may take place.
Skin color need not enter the conversation. And I dare say a town has every right to NOT allow the event, if it so decides.
So I see no particular problem. If a local politico "slips" in his speech, and aludes to the skin color of the participants, let him pay the consequences.
Myrtle Beach's loss. A win for racists.
To cloud illegalities & justify thugish behavior behind racism on either side is pathetic. Bikeweeks in Laconia, Daytona, etc., etc., have been fighting these racial claims since the Adams Mark Hotel in Daytona paid a multi-million dollar settlement on a racial discrimination charge in 2002(3?) at one of their first black bike weeks. That opened the flood gates of the lawsuit crowd and now they've just about taken Myrtle Bch.
I guess settling instead of fighting these race pimp shysters seemed the economic answer at the time, but the Adams Mark had tunnel vision.
The cities like Daytona & Myrtle Beach that approved seperate bike weeks encouraged by idiots like the Adams Mark Hotel fueled the flames of a racial divide and deserve to lose their butts, their jobs, and elected officials that thought it was a good idea, their seats!!!
In defense of the cities, bike weeks have grown in the last 5 years way beyond any previous attendance plans and laws are being re-written to play catch-up.
Although I was thinking about South Padre Island this year. :-)
bttt
"Lord, You made other men out of clay. Mine, You made out of sh*t."
you want to see a bunch of bikers that don't know how to ride go to Myrtle Beach during black biker week,, My buddy saw a Black biker on a big bike with his really fat momma on the back pull out into traffic from a Quick mart type store,, my buddy is stopped at the red light and watches this guy gun his bike through to the other side of the road and dumps his babe right off the back and he didn't realize for a quarter mile he'd dumped her,, my buddy said it was the funniest thing he ever saw,,, she wasn't hurt badly,, white biker week is LOUD but rooms are cheaper and you don't notice it on the golf course
Our family took a short trip to Myrtle Beach several years ago.....little did we know it was "Black Biker Week". There was trash knee-deep all along the sidewalks, for miles. You could not sleep for the roar (or whine) of bike engines all night long. Nothing like driving to dinner and having someone on the back of a bike wearing a thong...esp. with young kids in your minivan! Lots of public drunkenness as well. From what I understand, there is another biker week either the week before or after this one and the situation isn't any different. There should be some type of warning if they are going to have these things so families can decide whether or not they want to subject their children to this stuff. It wasn't pretty and it wasn't all middle-aged guys during mid-life crises. Feel sorry for the folks that live there year-round, having to put up with that stuff.
There are two May bike weeks in Myrtle Beach. The Harley riders' festival is Mothers' Day weekend through the following weekend; I've been there for that one (not as a biker, just happened to be in town), and while it is crowded and LOUD, the crime rate is not exceptionally high. The town is very welcoming to the Harley riders, because they bring in a huge amount of money. Black Bike Week is Memorial Day weekend, and the Myrtle Beach area has more problems with various crime that weekend. Less money brought in, more traffic and crime problems...it's no wonder they aren't as welcoming.
Personally, I think age and economic factors have more to do with it than race...Black Bike Week tends to attract a younger crowd on their crotch-rockets, and they're down there to par-tay. The Harley folks (and yes, I saw a fair number of black riders down there that weekend too) tend to be a little older, a little more sedate, have a little more money because the bikes are a lot more expensive. It's sure not a wine-and-cheese crowd, but they aren't raising nearly as much hell.
}:-)4
He didn't say anything that the store operators there have personally told me.
The store wons there shut down because during Black Biker week people are openly using drugs, Fg in parking lots and ally and chitg and pissing where ever they think appropriate, meaning out in the open.
BTW the store owner mostly SHUT DOWN for that week.
Discrimination or self-protection?
I think it is clear what is going on here. The NAACP is a racist organization and the only way they make money is by bullying people around in order to drain their pockets. The NAACP finds situations and turns them into racist ones. Attempting to sue businesses for exercising their rights to close their business whenever they want. I appluad Mayor McBride for finally standing up to these thugs. He trully does speak for the majority of our city and I will not be voting for Mike Chestnut this time around for sure.
I think that they should give them 2 way traffic. BUT...If there is an emergency and someone dies, a place burns down or some other castrophy, then the NAACP should be held accountable.
As for closings I worked on the Blvd one B.B.W. I wish we had closed. It took our bus guys 2hr. to clean up the parking lot each morning (harley week 20min). If a tip was left for a watiress (lucky her)6 times out of 10 someone(other customer) picked it up on thier way out.
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