CriminalJustice

JohnT.Hill
SamK.Beck
TermPaper:MotorcycleClubs(MC)

BikerGangshaveoneofthemostdiversecrowdsinAmerica.Beingspreadall
overthecountrytherearedozensofdifferentculturestheseclubsliveby.These
clubs/gangshavegreatlystayedalmostthesameoverthecourseofahundredyears
expressingdedicationtoawayoflife.Theinitiationofbecominginvolvedinanoutlaw
bikergangisaprocessinitselfthatonlythemostdiehardcanachieve.Itstruly
remarkablehowdifferentclubscanbeandhowtheyhaveindividualizedtheircharters.

EverywhereyougothroughoutAmericathereisabikerclubnear,theyrange
anddifferinsomanyways.ThemajorityofclubsarepeacefulHarleyDavidson
enthusiastswhogathertogethertoridetheopenroad.LivetoRide,RidetoLiveH.D.
Thebiasthattheseriderspickupareheldtothestrongestdegree.Myselfbeingoneof
them.Onceyoustartridingaharley,therearentanyothermanufacturersyouwantin
yourlife.Tosomeitsonlyahobbyandtoothersitsawayoflife.Youthink,breathe,
speakHarleyDavidson.Theloyaltytothebrandisabeautifulthing.Thisiswhatmakes
orbreaksclubs.Thefeelingandjoyofriding,cruisinginapack,withyourfellow
brothers,makesforjustaspecialsense.Thesedifferentclubsrangefromcoastto
coast.Ninetyninepercentofclubsarenonviolententhusiastriders,strictlymembersto

ridewithotherloyalHarleyowners.Theotheronepercentisyourbikergangs,allstill
holdingtheHarleyloyaltyandtheloveforriding,justtakingitastepfurtherdivinginto
illegal/violentactivity.The99%vsthe1%iswhereyourdiversity/differenceslive.Some
ofthetopbikergangsinAmericaarenotoriousfordrugsmuggling,prostitution,arms
dealing,andmore.TheFreeSoulsMCoriginatedinthe1960soutofOregon.Their
patchisblueandwhitewithdesignbeingbasedoffofanAnkh,whichisanancient
Egyptiansymbolintheshapeofacross,withabikeriminthecenter.TheFreeSouls
areinvolvedwithdrugs,weapons,andstolenbikes.NextwehavetheWarlocksMC
whowerefoundedin1967inPhilly.Theyareastrictlywhitemaleclubholdingmany
VietnamVeteranmembers,whitesupremacyispartoftheirculture.Theycontrollotsof
territoryacrossthenortheasternportionoftheUnitedStates,alongwithGermanyand
England.TheyrepredandwhitewiththeGreekmythologicalfigureofawingedHarpy
astheirpatch.AnothermajorbikergangarethePagansMC,originatingfromMaryland
in1959.TheirpatchisbasedfromtheNorsefiregiantSurtrsittingonthesunwieldinga
sword,allinred,whiteandblue.Theyholdtotheeastcoastwhenitcomestoterritory.
Alongwithhavingoneofthemostviolentganghistories,theyhaveaviciousrivalrywith
theHellsAngelsMC.ThePagansarelinkedtomurder,arson,drugsmugglingand
organizedcrime.Noclubthesame.EveryMChastheirownindividualizedpatchand
colors.Diversityintheseclubsstartwiththefoundersandstaytothatculturetheyare
foundedon.Nomatterthestateorregion,aclubisnear,somepeacefulsomethe
opposite.

Theevolutionovertheyearswithclubshasntdifferedmuchfromthestart.Most
MCsthatridealongthelegalsidetendtonotbearoundnearlyaslongastheOutlaw
clubs.Mostoutlawclubsthatoriginatedinthe1950sand1960s,arestillaroundtoday.
Doingthesamestuffsixtyyearslater.Thegangsarestillasviolentandterritorialas
ever,onlythingschangingarethetypeofdrugsalongwithmoremoderngunstotraffic.
Manypeacefulridingclubscomeandgoovertheyears.Thebondbetweenmembersis
notastightwhenallyoudoisgathertoride.Muchdeeperconnectionsareformedwith
brothersthatyouredabblingwithindangerousactivity.LookingintodifferentMCsyou
willfindthatnotmuchchangehasoccurredovertheyears.

Outlawbikergangshavesomeofthemostdrawnout,violent,toughanddifficult
initiationprocessestoearnthatpatch.Itbreaksdowntoathreestepprocess,firstoff
youstartbyhangingaroundtheclub,carryingoutmenialtaskslikeservingdrinksinthe
MCclubhouseandguardingbikes.Youcanthenevolveintoaprospect,whereyou
receiveavestlackingthepatches.Aboutayearlatertheprospectsapplicationisput
toavotewherethemembersdecide.Theseviolentbikergangshaveafinalinitiation
wheretheywilltestyourloyalty.Mostofthetimethisisdonethroughacriminalact,
suchaskillingorbeatingarivalgangmember.Theinitiationprocessisorganizedand
actsasafiltertoonlyallowthemostloyaltobecomemembers.Thestructureinthese
clubscanbewellthoughtoutandactalmostasofmilitarystandardfollowingstrict
rules.Earningtherighttothatpatchisoneofthemosthammeringandtough
processes.


ThediversityisincrediblebetweentheseMCs.Seeingpeacefulclubstooutlaw
clubsshowshowthespectrumranges.Thedifferentculturestheseclubsabidebyis
beautifulinsomewaysandhorrificinothers.Howtheseclubshavestayedstagnant
andlackedevolutionovertimereallyshowshowsetthewaysare.Thejoiningofan
outlawclubrequiresanextremephysicalandmentaltoughness,alongwithacertainset
ofmorals.Thisdiversityinclubsisspreadsofarandsowide.Amazingdiversity
betweenharmlessHarleyDavidsonenthusiastsasninetyninepercentoftheclubs
acrossAmerica,nexttoonepercenterOutlawclubs.

Pfaffenbach,Kai.(06/06/2015)
http://theweek.com/articles/558736/americasbikergangs

ListverseStaff.(08/18/2009)
http://listverse.com/2009/08/18/top10notoriousamericanbikergangs/