Paranoia gripsHells Angels gathering

By RON BROCHU

Squads dotted Highway 210 like flies on a turd Tuesday night in Carlton, mustering a full show of law enforcement to meet a real or imagined threat posed by the national gathering of Hells Angels.

Suddenly, the sky was filled with red and blue lights as several cars gathered at the entrance to the Lost Isle, the Carlton bar and grill where bike traffic was becoming heavy. From a distance, it was evident cops and Angels were engaged in a tense discussion. Members of the motorcycle club slowly walked closer to investigate, followed by non-members who were visiting the tavern out of habit and/or curiosity.

The scene was a classic face-off, explained one Angel, who added that law enforcement in Carlton was heavier than the group typically encounters at its national gatherings.

“It’s a waste of time and money,” he said of the massive show of force.

But it’s exactly what local authorities had planned, according to local cources with ties to police. All along, the goal was to make northern Minnesota very unattractive to Hells Angels, hoping they’d never return. Officers were forced to cancel vacations in order to maximize their numbers. Bottom line: Stop bikers whenever possible, check identifications, registrations -- anything that might discourage their return.

“It’s just driving money away from the area,” a local biker, unaffiliated with Hells Angels, lamented inside the tavern. “It sucks.”

By any analysis, the bar scene was strictly tame, if not downright lame. Despite live music, few people danced. Most Angels hovered close to the bar, joking with others who obviously were long-time friends. Unlike most bar scenes after 10 p.m., nobody was falling-down drunk or lacing every sentence with “F” bombs.

Despite the hassle outside, members of the worldwide motorcycle club declined to express disdain -- at least not for the permanent record. The club never comments to reporters, said a Minnesota member known as J.R., and Tuesday night would be no exception.

“But feel free to stay and enjoy the time you spend with us,” he added.
The same decision was passed down when The Reader sought an interview Monday night.

“Maybe somebody else will talk to you, but I won’t,” a young
Angel said at the bar, quickly walking away. A larger crowd in the parking lot
stood in unison behind a makeshift spokesman.

“We’d rather keep this private,” he said politely.


Media shizzle

Tough editors, of course, fire reporters who leave a news scene without demanding cooperation, whether it intrudes upon busy cops, grieving relatives, bleeding crime victims or, in this case, a private gathering. Newsroom bosses not only want the story, but they demand expert color commentary from professors, authors, sociologists – virtually anybody having a thousand-dollar job title.

But to what end? In droves, readers are dumping newspapers coast to coast despite 72-point headlines that beg “READ ME!” One angry subscriber once brought the issue home during a local complaint session that was impossible to forget.

“You call it a 72-point head? I call it ‘Murder Font,’ ” he barked at a group of editors who were trying to downplay his concerns. “You put the ‘Murder Font’ on a cover story that wasn’t worthy of page 12,” he said while being ignored.

In recent weeks, local media have slapped Hells Angels with the “Murder Font.” Even as a few bikers quietly gathered Monday night in Carlton, local stations reported that Superior and Douglas County cops had coached business owners on how to deal with the two-wheeled visitors.

“Call 9-1-1,” said an official-looking letter as it was panned by the camera.
That, of course, is good advice whenever there’s danger. But what constitutes danger? Is doing business with a motorcycle club more dangerous than walking behind the YMCA – a downtown murder site that some news organizations wrongly confused with Central Hillside?


Danger? What danger?

Despite official warnings, the idea of meeting the Hell’s Angels was a popular notion as this week began. People having a variety of backgrounds expressed little fear about driving to Carlton to have a beer with the group. Perhaps that’s because the warnings weren’t accompanied by evidence convincing anyone of real danger. Few took much stock in historical references to a fatal stabbing at the famous Altamont Speedway, where the Rolling Stones hired Hells Angels to provide concert security.
That event occurred in 1968. That’s NINETEEN SIXTY EIGHT, as in 41 years ago. Many current Angels weren’t even born then, and Mick Jagger didn’t need Viagara. References to a 2002 scuffle between Angels and rival group in Laughlin, Nev., also failed as a deterrent, even though two murders occurred (both of the victims were Hells Angels).

Looking at the big picture, how many murders have been perpetrated in the Duluth area since ‘02, most between people who knew each other well? People aren’t stupid. The world is a violent place, and it’s constantly getting worse. Violent crime drama is relentlessly blasted across TV screens day and night. It’s no wonder that people show little fear of living on the edge.

That desire, let’s not forget, is being fed well by the news media. Hells Angels never sent out a news release announcing their visit. They never invited reporters or anyone outside of the club to their gathering. The entire frenzy was created by the law enforcement community and editors who felt the need to ring an alarm.


Catch 22

Cops, unfortunately, are damned if they do and damned if they don’t. If no crime is linked to the bikers, people will say police overreacted. If the opposite happens, people will say they left the public ill-prepared. And if a rival club invades the gathering, such as Wisconsin’s “Outlaws,” people will complain police substantially underreacted.

Editors, however, may just be milking another overfed cow - grasping for low-hanging fruit far outside the Garden of Eden. By next week, we’ll learn if they rang a bell that didn’t need to get rung. For without the press pimping a story that lacks any real hook, few people would even know Hells Angels came within 1,000 miles of Carlton.