Editor,
The formal cancellation of the 2006 Hollister Independence Rally was a great loss for the bikers and the community of Hollister. The 99-percenters who go there for fun, camaraderie and shopping don’t deserve to have the tradition grounded by paranoia and politics.
The bikers don’t need an invitation to enjoy the open road and travel to any city their hearts desire, including Hollister. Many, of course, are still coming. There will be vendors, hotels, restaurants and bars welcoming the dollars traveling into the city.
The image of the biker has changed a lot since the Hollister incident in 1947. To negatively stereotype people based on their preferred mode of transportation is ludicrous and outdated.
Sheriff Curtis Hill comment that “Biker events are dirty, stinking, rotten events, period” was patently offensive and did a lot of negative public relations for Hollister.
What really changed was the removal of the welcome mat. I hope Mayor Robert Scattini can find a way to put it back, at least unofficially.
Jim Meyer, Online reader
