Iron Order This particular patch pulling is noteworthy because Moye is a member of the Iron Order Motorcycle Club. The Iron Order was founded in Kentucky in 2004 and has chapters in 42 states. The club wears a black-on-white three piece patch, accepts sworn peace officers as members and has developed a reputation as a cop club. In an interview in 2010, the Los Angeles chapter President said, “Yes we do wear a three piece patch and our colors are black on white. The reason for our colors dates back to the start of the Iron Order. When the original eight members kicked around the idea of colors, and after trying to follow protocol with the existing MCs, the decision was made that the center patch, the Jughead (skull) only looked the best in black and white. So black on white it was. We are in every sense a traditional MC and follow all traditional protocols. We ride and we party and take care of our brothers. In fact, our brothers are put before our personal needs. We wear a California bottom rocker, as does each state’s chapter, as well as chapters outside the US. This only signifies the state we are from.” The spokesman denied that any members of his chapter were police. “However, for future reference, we do not disclose any information about any brothers, period!” The club allows women to ride with them but not to patch. They don’t admit anyone who has ever been convicted of a felony. They do not tolerate marijuana use. They do not require members to own an American motorcycle. They claim to be “the largest independent motorcycle club in the world.” The club seems to exist almost completely apart from other motorcycle clubs but insists “we are a real motorcycle club.” Something Is Happening Here Both the Iron Order and the Sons of Anarchy may be pointing toward a new social phenomenon. Last September, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported, “Authorities say that the soaring popularity of the Sons of Anarchy TV show – the most-watched in FX’s history – could be contributing to a disturbing trend: Weekend warriors, no longer content to simply ride together, are forming small motorcycle clubs and dabbling in the outlaw lifestyle.” It is debatable whether the Inquirer knows what it is talking about but it is certain that the Harley-Davidson Motor Company has spent the last 30 years turning “the outlaw lifestyle” into a commodity. Sons of Anarchy is part of that commoditization. So is the merchandise, like ersatz colors, that the FX show promotes. And none of this probably disturbs anybody very much unless they work for Gangland or the ATF.
Posted on: Mon, 04 Nov 2013 17:18:46 +0000
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