The story of our trip to Europe in May/June 2014 was something I needed to write down. It's written in terms bike riders will understand and hopefully appreciate. The trials and tribulations of terrible weather conditions turning to beautiful sunny dry weather on the same day. We saw and experienced it all. The emotional trauma of seeing the Polish death camps and our families homes is something that will be with us always. It's not something one can just put behind them and move on as though it was just another ride. It was much more than that. It was a Ride To Remember those who were murdered only because they were Jewish. A Ride To Remember those who were murdered because they didn't meet the high standards of the pure Germanic race (Jew and non Jew) embarking on a thousand year Reich ethnically cleansed of the sub humans they decided were inferior and did not deserve to live.
It was also a Ride To Remember the finest generations of the 20th century who fought and died on the battlefields because they felt a sense of duty to provide a free and democratic society for their fellow country men and women. A Ride to Remember the survivors of the atrocities the Nazi's perpetrated in attempting a total genocide of the Jewish people of Europe. We all know there are always survivors. Many of us owe our existence to their courage, strength and fortitude in the face of hopeless despair. Their stories need to be told, re-told and encapsulated permanently for the generations to come.
In our very small way we wanted to pay homage to our forebears and say a last Kadish for those who will forever remain physically in those places.
An important point that should be noted is the fact that only Miles Rangeley, the editor of 2 Wheels Magazine was kind enough to publish our story. It was submitted to Australian Motorcycle News who at least gave the ride a small mention in their letters section. It was offered to the Jewish News who didn't even respond as well as to "Bear" Peter Thoeming from Australian Motorcyclist Magazine who was as lifeless in his enthusiasm as our own community Jewish News. With Thoeming however I get it, after all he's a German. He was not interested in a story on our 2008 ride in Israel despite the fact he asked for all the photos and told me to write a story. I decided to try him again but to no avail.
Bottom line, the story was to capture and memorialise our ride in a cohesive biking framework. It may be a little political but then most things today revolve around politics and the new world order trying to emulate those of the 1940's.
Just remember the next time you ride down a highway in a safe law abiding society that your freedom to do so is not a birth right. It must be fought for and protected by all of us, or we will have that freedom taken away.
Sam