It’s a shame any biker is turned away from a public establishment merely because he or she may wear studded black leather and assorted tattoos. Or maybe the discrimination stems from the biker’s choice of transportation (I confess I have a friend who drives a Yugo and I discriminate against him because of it on a regular basis.) But, come on, protection under the Maine Human Rights Act? The Hell’s Angels and related groups must have taken one ride too many without helmets.

What’s next? As an attorney, perhaps I should seek MHRA protection for those in my profession. We’ve been the subject of bad jokes for years and they hurt our feelings (those of us who still have feelings). As I was writing this the court officer asked me to make a pitch for law enforcmement; they’re tired of the doughnut jokes.

Discrimination against bikers, lawyers, police, truckers, insurance agents or used car salesmen is stereotypical and wrong, but not action warranting state intervention under the MHRA. Although, if you think about it, if you did get all those groups under the MHRA umbrella, it would be one heck of a rally. Richard C. Cleary Houlton