What about USA "Domestic Terrorism", should we abolish it too?

[Ripsnort]

You guys do realize we have our own terrorist, right?  Read on:

 

Enemies here threaten food

By Richard Berman

On the same day America was directly attacked for the first time in 6 decades, the Earth Liberation Front (ELF) and the Animal Liberation Front (ALF) were taking credit for the burning of a McDonald's in Tucson.

"Make no mistake about it," FBI special agent David Szady told 60 Minutes this year, "by any sense or any definition, (ELF) is a true domestic-terrorism group."

These homegrown terrorists have not let up since September. Federal agents are investigating a fire and unexploded incendiary devices found Oct. 15 at a government holding pen for wild horses and burros in Nevada — a site where animal-rights extremists committed arson in 1991. And ALF claims to have set fire to the Coulston Foundation primate-research facility 9 days after the terrorist attacks on the United States.

Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson now has warned that the nation's food supply could be the target of a terrorist attack. The people we need to worry about, though, may not be international terrorists. They could be the middle-class kids down the street.

The growing wave of domestic terrorism by animal-rights, anti-corporate and anti-biotech extremists has gone beyond vandalism. Property has been destroyed, and lives have been put at risk. And Americans are the perpetrators.

Even the incendiary devices are nothing new. ALF says it was the group that used such devices last March to set fire to two meat trucks in New York. ALF also took credit for setting devices beneath trucks in Canada on Christmas Day 2000.

ALF or ELF — or both — have claimed responsibility for vandalism at New York banks, arsons and firebombings at meat companies, the destruction of homes in several states, and the burning of a feed mill in Wisconsin, among many other acts. On New Year's Eve 1999, ELF says it set fire to Michigan State University's Agriculture Hall, causing about $1 million in damages. Its reason: Researcher Catherine Ives' work would "force" developing nations to switch to genetically engineered crops.

"I lost basically my entire professional life," Ives told 60 Minutes. She said she was working on disease-resistant crops that would help feed Africans.

What will it take for the United States to recognize the clear and present danger that such groups present? The death of a McDonald's employee in a bombing, as occurred in France last year?

Perhaps it will require an American Graham Hall. Hall, a British journalist, was kidnapped at gunpoint in October 1999. The letters "ALF," 4 inches high, were burned into his back with a branding iron. An ALF spokesperson's comment: "People who make a living in this way have to expect from time to time to take the consequences of their actions."

Hall's "crime": He made a video documentary critical of ALF.

Complacency is no option; it will happen here. Just this summer, Bruce Friedrich, vegan campaign coordinator for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), told an animal-rights convention in Virginia, "It would be a great thing if, you know, all of these fast-food outlets and these slaughterhouses and these laboratories and these banks that fund them exploded tomorrow." After the audience's applause died down, he An attack could be more insidious than a brick. In April, PETA co-founder Ingrid Newkirk expressed hope that foot-and-mouth disease, so devastating in Great Britain, would infect the United States.added, according to a tape of his comments, "I think it's perfectly appropriate for people to take bricks and toss them through the windows. ... Hallelujah to the people who are willing to do it."

 

"If that hideousness came here, it wouldn't be any more hideous for the animals. ... I openly hope that it comes here," the anti-meat activist proclaimed. "It will bring economic harm only for those who profit from giving people heart attacks."

In 1997, former senator George McGovern wrote prophetically about a "new age in this country" with a fragmentation of society "based on paternalism — what we believe is best for each other." He asked: "Where do we draw the line on dictating to each other? How many of these battles can we stand? Whose values should prevail?"

Or, in the words of Walt Kelly's Pogo: "We have met the enemy, and he is us."

Richard Berman is executive director of The Guest Choice Network, a coalition of restaurant and tavern operators.

[/b]

[Nifty]

Anyone responsible for crimes should be punished.  If a group claims responsibility, incarcerate the leaders.

I love animals.  I have two cats at home, and I've got a pork chop for lunch.  

[Kratzer]

ditto

[batdog]

I've these pointy teeth in my head.... they tear meat and its guuuuddddddd.

 xBAT

[SOB]

They deserve what Bin Laden is gonna get, and then some.  I'd call them pathetic excuses for human beings, but I don't want to make light of how I really feel about idiots of this sort.


SOB

[Maverick]

Terrorism for whatever rational is still wrong. If you destroy property, injure and kill people to "influence" them outside of a state of war you deserve to suffer the fate of a terrorist. Lethel (sp?) injection it too good for them.

 

[Sunchaser]

Nifty, I agree but I would not stop with the leaders

ANYONE, domestic or foreign, who belongs to a group claiming they did it should be incarcerated on sight.

I have always been amazed that when a terrorist group takes credit for killing and maiming people everyone just says "Oh well" and sits around waiting for the next one.

We (the U.S.)finally stood up but are afraid to step forward lest we upset someone.

I think we will not get serious till there are enough dead in our streets to shut even the "Let's see their side of it" crew up.

Anyone else tired of all this "Let's not offend anyone" crap?

[Jochen]

If you destroy property, injure and kill people to "influence" them outside of a state of war you deserve to suffer the fate of a terrorist.

How much difference it makes if there is a state of war?

United States (along with many european nations) bombed serbs in Bosnia and Kosovo without declaring a war. Does US deserve to suffer fate of terrorists because there was no state of war?

Also, if terrorist group that attacked WTC and Pentago would have already declared war to US, would they be any better?

See, it's not that simple...

[straffo]

oups...

wrong thread...

[ 11-06-2001: Message edited by: straffo ]

[miko2d]

Originally posted by Jochen:
Also, if terrorist group that attacked WTC and Pentago would have already declared war to US, would they be any better?

 Which they definitely and explicitly did. That we chose to ignore those declarations is our fault.

 miko

[Apache]

I'm a member of PETA (People who Eat Tasty Animals) & proud of it.

You're right rip, we have our own terrorists. I've been fighting them my whole law enforcement career. They're on every street corner.

[ 11-06-2001: Message edited by: Apache ]

[Nifty]

he said state of war, not a formal declaration of war.  We never formally declared war on Vietnam, but you can't say that there wasn't a state of war going on in Southeast Asia involving the United States.  Did the US formally declare war on Iraq in 1991?  (I don't remember if we did or not, just remember Bush saying "Saddam, we're going to kick your ass" on TV.)

[GRUNHERZ]

PETA are a bunch of self centered leftist amazinhunks who care NOTHING about animals. Look how that squeak said they wanted mad cow to come over here and kill thousands of cows. They just wanna hurt the PEOPLE they hate, they dont really give a damn about animals. They are far more interested in their political hatred of america, democracy, capitalism and globalization than about animals.

You guys remember that thread about bonsaikitten.com? Well I may be naive but I took that very seriously and sent e-mails to PETA and ASPCA. ASPCA promptly sent me a message saying that they were aware of this site and a rather long summary of the kitten websites history and ASPCAs attempts to fight it. PETA on the other hand sent me a canned message that had nothing to do with either bonsaikitten.com or even animal rights. It was full of "action alerts" about leftist political issues such as feminism, veganism, and bioeng foods or god knows what else.
They are diddlying pathetic, and I hope they go hell.

[SOB]

So, eh, ya don't like 'em then Grun?


SOB

[Hangtime]

Wellll... since there's a war on terrorisim and terrorists and the new special super-duper powers of government apply... I'd say the domestic looney toones terrorists will be rounded up pretty quick. Jus whut we need too; a buncha twits cloggin up the legal system for christmas.

I just hope the mystical magical special new government powers run out before they get around to us for terrorizing our cats.