And so here we are, caught between a rock and a hard place. That's pretty much the case when you consider the area's conflicted sentiments regarding the pending visit from the notorious Hells Angels motorcycle group.
What Sturgis, S.D., has long been aware of - and what Carlton County and surrounding areas are about to find out - is whether the economic "bump" from having so many people from outside our area visit our hotels, bars and restaurants will outweigh the time and expense expended on extra law enforcement to contain the outlaw group's "extracurricular" activities.
Of even more concern than the fiscal expense, however, is whether area residents will have to pay the price in terms of assaults, violence or other illegal activities.
Many are running scared, afraid to hold other activities during the time period in late July when the Hells Angels are slated to visit, fearing the potential for disruptive or violent behavior.
Some others, especially business owners, have gone on record as attesting the Hells Angels aren't nearly as worrisome as they're cracked up to be in the name of securing extra business. Face it - so many are in need of the dollars that the expanded patronage from the Hells Angels stands to represent they are willing to throw caution to the winds.
ADVERTISEMENT
One individual even went so far as to comment on the Duluth News Tribune Web site, "The Hells Angels are people, too, and they are just enjoying what makes them happy. Leave them be. If hundreds of knitters came into town for a convention, you know the police wouldn't be all up in their business."
While some area folks are planning to be away from the area at the time of the Hells Angels visit to avoid any type of confrontation, others plan to hang around in the hopes of either seeing what the Hells Angels are all about or gleaning some much-needed extra revenue during the time the motorcyclists are in town.
It's a Catch 22 for certain, but it's one that each of us will have to decide on a one-by-one basis. Let's just be sure not to sacrifice caution for the sake of cash or curiosity. It's simply not worth it.
Wendy Johnson
