Discussion 7
An outlaw motorcycle club, is a motorcycle subculture that has its roots in the immediate post-World War II era of North American society They are generally centered on the use of cruiser motorcycles, particularly Harley-Davidsons and choppers, and a set of ideals that celebrate freedom, nonconformity to mainstream culture, and loyalty to the biker group.
In the United States, such motorcycle clubs (MCs) are considered "outlaw" not necessarily because they engage in criminal activity, but because they are not sanctioned by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) and do not adhere to the AMA's rules. Instead the clubs have their own set of bylaws reflecting the biker culture.
There are also non-outlaw motorcycle clubs who adopt similar insignia, colors, organizational structure and trappings, such as leather outfits typical of outlaw clubs making it difficult for outsiders (especially police) to tell the difference between the two. These other groups are attracted by the mystique of the outlaw image while objecting to the suggestion that they are outlaws.
The Iron Spartans Motorcycle Club
From their website:
The Iron Spartans Motorcycle Club (Links to an external site.) was founded by a group of friends, known as the “original seven.” After riding and patching with another motorcycle club, we felt our philosophical ideals would best be served on our own, which was the impetus for creating the Iron Spartans Motorcycle Club. We all share a love for riding and American-made motorcycles.
Members of the Iron Spartans are often indistinguishable from other motorcycle clubs (especially OMGs) except for one thing as they point out on their website:
"the majority of our members are current or former law enforcement motorcycle officers."
If it walks like a duck, talks like a duck, then it must be a....cop? To the casual observer members of the Iron Spartans MC may look like OMGs.
The prompt for our discussion:
• What is your opinion of the image or message this type of behavior sends to the community?
• Do you believe this behavior presents a positive image of police officers?
• Do you believe law enforcement leaders should restrict this type of off-duty behavior?
The main threat to public safety/ the community from outlaw motorcycle gangs stems from their propensity for extreme forms of violence. There logo has a dead skull, with a police badge basically saying they're in charge have power.This includes the use of firearms and explosive devices such as grenades. In general, the use of intimidation
