On every Ride, our bike has flown the Stars and Stripes.

Nothing is more American than promoting the “unalienable [human] rights” of the Declaration of Independence.

The flag commands attention and shows that we belong.

A man in rural Pennsylvania said, “Flying that flag may have saved your life.” Good point.

Our good New Jersey friend A. J. Bilenker …

… advised us to fly the POW/MIA flag to be even safer.

Another good point. But that flag might be a poor fit.

So we commissioned this flag in the same colors.

We light up our bike like Times Square, plaster it with reflectors, festoon it with bright colors, and “noodle” it to encourage drivers to give us at least a 3 foot (1 meter) clearance.

Jeffrey dresses brightly too.

The only drivers who don’t see us are the ones who don’t look.

Yet we …

Motorists—all say they’re good drivers!—have been our main threat. (Weather and terrain threaten us too. Dogs sometimes.)

And we’ve always worried a bit about how people will receive us.

So far, almost everyone has been kind.

Yet this year, we are extra concerned.

The leader of a major political party has accused Jeffrey of hating America. He says people like Jeffrey are vermin, enemies of religion, traitors to the United States.

Tens of millions of armed American motorists believe their leader.

A few of them will attack godless traitorous vermin.

How, then, do we stay safe?

We do what we can to be visible. To take only reasonable risks. To obey traffic laws. To show our love and respect for our country and its people.

The rest depends on factors we can’t control.

Anyway . . . were safety the goal, we’d hide in a hole.

The goal is universal human rights.

Some people put their lives on the line to promote human rights.

Others risk less yet stand up … by advocating humane and sensible laws … being a voice for the voiceless … writing columns and books … training lawyers … taking refugees into their homes and communities … sharing.

We have done some of these less dangerous things, in a small way, for a few people.

Big impacts always have been beyond our reach and ability—now more than ever, in the sunset of Jeffrey’s legal career.

What we can do on this Ride, in relative safety in America, is respond calmly and gently when we hear people repeating lies that immigrants and refugees are largely criminals, or diseased, or seeking handouts, or not human.

We can remind people that we all want a safe, prosperous, humane country—and can set an example of showing respect for different, sincere, informed views on how best to achieve it.

We can vote for honorable candidates who promote human rights.

And we can donate within our means to Human Rights First.

You can too!