Big bikers, bigger hearts

Representing Bikers Against Child Abuse, Pilot, Twisted Sister and D-Day offered their services to Saline County at the Inter-Agency Council meeting on Tuesday morning.

The unlikely guardian's black-inked tattoo, gruff appearance and crass language makes him seem dangerous, and the thunderous roar of his bike is surely off-putting.

The biker poses a threat, but that's the point.

As a member of Bikers Against Child Abuse, he fends off perpetrators of abused children, and he works to empower kids living in fear of violence. At the Inter-Agency Council's regular meeting Tuesday, D-Day and his biker buddies, Twisted Sister and Pilot, offered their assistance to Saline County.

"We're big burly guys," D-Day said. "But we're guys with big hearts."

The group of bikers exists to create a safer environment for abused children. Founded in 1995 by a therapist known as Chief, the bikers encourage children to testify against perpetrators in court.

"We are the plague to end child abuse," Chief said in a video message viewed by the council.

The National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System estimated 1,770 child fatalities in 2009 in the United States. D-Day said 96 child abuse related deaths occurred in Missouri last year, and for every reported case it is believed there are three unreported cases of abuse.

Every BACA member rides because they have a "big heart" for children. If it helps empower the victim, they'll send the child to therapy, horseback riding or karate classes. The non-profit organization directs all the donated money toward helping the BACA kids.

"There's nobody in BACA that gets a check for doing what we're doing," D-Day said.

The bikers prepare the kids for the courtroom, go to trial with them, and, if needed, provide full-time protection during a threat.

"If you want to come after me that's fine, just don't go after the kids," he said. "I can take care of myself."

BACA works in conjunction with local and state officials, but the group consists of bikers from different backgrounds including law enforcement, lawyers, blue collar workers and people with "shady pasts." They only exclude child abusers or non-bikers from the organization.

According to their mission statement, they never condone violence. But if necessary, the bikers stand ready to divert perpetrators from children.

"If you're a pedophile or someone who's going to hurt a child, you're going to meet my fist," he said.

Consequently, in times of need D-Day has gone prom shoe shopping and sat at Wendy's all night while a BACA kid worked. He even took a 10-year-old boy to the swimming pool when the previous solution for his safety had been to keep him indoors.

"We stay there until the threat goes away," Twisted Sister said.

While there isn't a BACA organization here, well established BACA chapters border Saline County on all boundaries. BACA hopes to protect children in this area, too.

"We'll send whoever is closest and makes the most sense," she said.

BACA assigns each child two primary bikers. These bikers act as the child's protectors, but they also form a relationships with the child by taking them for ice cream and showing up at schools for "show and tell."

The BACA kids grow to trust their new "brothers and sisters," and when 40-plus bikers appear in the neighborhood for a ride, it sends a clear message of protection. This intimidation factor proves essential in securing the children, because most perpetrators live near their victims.

"We say what we do, and we do what we say," D-Day said. "And, there are a lot of us."

The child's confidentiality remains a priority even through the high profile rides. Most of the time, BACA riders don't learn anything about the child's specific case, until they accompany the child to court. Even the child's name remains confidential.

Each BACA kid chooses their own road name. Upon initiation into the BACA family, the kids receive a vest with their new name on it. On a ride, the abused children travel surrounded by their new biker friends, under their new pseudonyms such as "Frilly" and "Duck Man."

"We are a big ugly people, but that empowers them to be the kids they need to be," D-Day said.

For more information visit http://bacaworld.org or call the Kansas City, Mo. Chapter hotline at 816-520-0991


source: www.marshallnews.com
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About Texas Biker Lawyer, David Cole:

Attorney David Cole, as a youngster, recognized his love and passion of motorcycles. Well before law school, he owned and regularly rode numerous motorcycles. With his passion for the open wind and motorcycles, fighting to protect injured Texas motorcyclists and motorcycle rights seemed a natural fit after graduating from law school.