Comments on: Industry Group Says Mainstream Animal Advocates “Consorting With Terrorists”

By: Will Potter

Will Potter — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 19:52:05 +0000

anonymous:

There are a few problems with that reasoning. The Patriot Act expanded and watered down terrorism definitions, as I’m sure you know, as well as rolling back other civil liberties issues, such as sneak-and-peek search warrants.

But even if you think the expanded, Patriot Act-esque definition of terrorism is legitimate, this case certainly does not apply. The activists being labeled as “terrorists” have done nothing to harm human beings: in fact, their great crime according to CCF was working on the same campaign as another activist group. And the great crime of HSUS, in turn, was merely associating with a group that had ties to another group that ran a controversial, but nonviolent, campaign. Can you see the danger of this ever-expanding “terrorism” rhetoric?

By: Definition of terrorism

Definition of terrorism — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 19:42:48 +0000

The US Patriot Act defines terrorism as, “activities that (A) involve acts dangerous to human life that are a violation of the criminal laws of the U.S. or of any state, that (B) appear to be intended (i) to intimidate or coerce a civilian population, (ii) to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion, or (iii) to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination, or kidnapping, and (C) occur primarily within the territorial jurisdiction of the U.S.”

Activities such as those practiced by the more militant activist groups clearly fall within this definition.

By: Edwin

Edwin — Sun, 19 Aug 2007 04:20:20 +0000

hi i enjoyed the read

By: SuperWeed

SuperWeed — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 23:36:47 +0000

Interesting that this is happening just as more mainstream environmentalists are moving in the other direction. In today’s NYT, Al Gore is quoted as saying “I can’t understand why there aren’t rings of young people blocking bulldozers and preventing them from constructing coal-fired power plants.”

So… if young people do start blocking bulldozers and the coal companies do lose money as a result, will Al Gore be brought up on the same charges as the SHACtivists? Oh, no, I forgot: Coal isn’t an “animal enterprise” so I guess he’s safe. For now.

By: lauren

lauren — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 17:03:18 +0000

very well written, as always. thanks for the update, will.

By: kelly g.

kelly g. — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 04:24:19 +0000

Wow. I just hopped on over here from Herbivore, where they describe how Jenny Brown of Woodstock FAS was booed for criticizing the “humane” meat ranchers who bought their way into TAFA, only to see that the Center for Consumer Freedom and the like find such a carni-friendly venue too radical? Frickin’ ridiculous.