|  Beneath
the leather jacket, the faded tattoos, and the scowl of America's most
famous Hell's Angel, Ralph "Sonny" Barger, beats the heart
of a ... libertarian?
Not exactly. Barger -- who parlayed 40-plus years of riding with the
outlaw biker gang into several best-selling books -- has never claimed
to be a libertarian. But he does admit to voting for Libertarian candidates.
In an interview with New Mexico's Farmington Daily Times (September
3, 2000), Barger said, "Every time I've ever voted, I voted for
the Libertarian candidate. I know it's sort of like throwing my vote
away, but I just can't bring myself to vote for a Democrat or Republican."
He made a similar comment in Portland, Oregon's Willamette Weekly
(August 23, 2000). When asked -- theoretically, because Barger is a
felon who lost his right to vote -- who he supported in the 2000 presidential
race, he said, "The Libertarian Party. They're the only people
that really give a damn about what's going on."
It's obvious why the libertarian message of personal freedom appeals
to Barger (even if he seems oblivious to the libertarian "non-initiation
of force" philosophy); his life is a testament to his rebellious
spirit. After getting out of the Army in 1956, Barger helped form a
chapter of the Hell's Angels in Oakland. In the years that followed,
he turned that eight-member group into a worldwide organization that
became notorious for violence, murder, and feuds with rival biker gangs.
Barger summarized the Hell's Angles' history for the Los Angeles
Times (May 17, 2001): "In the '60s, we started gettin' in
trouble. The '70s, we got into a little bit of crime and stuff. And
by the '80s, we were all in prison." Barger was no exception. He
was arrested 21 times for crimes as varied as kidnapping, murder, income
tax evasion, drugs, and conspiracy to blow up a rival gang's headquarters.
He spent 13 years in prison. Barger also paid the price for his three-pack-a-day
smoking habit. In the late 1980s, he underwent surgery for throat cancer
and had a plastic valve installed in his throat, which allows him to
breathe and talk.
In 2000, Barger turned his turbulent, brawling life into a best-selling
autobiography, Hell's Angel: The Life and Times of Sonny Barger
and the Hell's Angels Motorcycle Club (with Keith and Kent Zimmerman).
The book was praised as the "ultimate outlaw's tale." He followed
it with Ridin' High, Livin' Free: Hell-Raising Motorcycle Stories
(2002), the novel Dead in 5 Heartbeats (2003), and Freedom:
Credos from the Road (2005).
He also built a thriving business, Sonny Barger™ Productions. On
his Web site -- www.sonnybarger.com -- fans can purchase everything
from Sonny Barger™ T-shirts to Sonny Barger's™ Kick-startin'
Cajun Salsa to the official Sonny Barger™ calendar. (His Web site
also once featured a familiar "opinion poll" for visitors
-- the World's Smallest Political Quiz. Barger said the Quiz was useful
for people like him who are "unsure how to describe our political
attitudes, and the labels 'liberal' and 'conservative' are just not
adequate.")
Today, Barger lives in New River, Arizona with his third wife, step
daughter, five horses, three dogs, and three cats. While now a (relatively)
settled family man who travels more frequently to book signings than
to biker brawls, Barger retains his distrust of authority. In an interview
with the Willamette Weekly (August 23, 2000), he said that
America is becoming a less free country. "People are giving up
their freedom for safety," he said. "They're letting more
and more suppressive laws come into effect, thinking it's going to make
them safe... Someday it's going to turn around and backfire."
Does this kind of libertarian talk from Barger mean that Hell's Angels
are a libertarian group? To the relief of most libertarians, apparently
not. When asked in an online chat on WashingtonPost.com (July 19, 2000)
about the motorcycle gang's political leanings Barger said, "I
think we're sort of apolitical."
--
Bill Winter
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