FW: FW: no saving animals fer you, you anti-american terrorist pinko nazi.....

June 6, 2004

hey, everyone. i forwarded the article along and received this in return from my uncle. he does eat animals, but his response is sure worth taking a look at (i'm going away now to verify all that he says).brii

>brooks.snyder

>"fartybriivismeisteranushead ta-da!" <phytoscarfingsimianpod >Re: FW: no saving animals fer you, you anti-american terrorist pinko nazi..... >Sat, 05 Jun 2004 05:14:43 +0000 > >Brii, > >Thanks for forwarding the article. Unfortunately, it’s not very balanced. For example, it’s the Terrorism Act of 1992 – so the term “terrorism” isn’t something that Bush cooked up. > >The activists who protested against Huntingdon were referred to as “terrorists” by the London Financial Times Newspaper in January, 2001 – 8 months before the 9/11 tragedy made the word commonplace. (Huntingdon is a British Co. – the NJ office is one of its subsidiaries.) > >Why did the newspaper refer to the activists as terrorists? Because they threatened to kill the company’s employees AND their children. They attempted to carry out the threats by sending letter bombs to the company and its employees. They rigged bombs in the cars of its employees. Of course, the activists also did the usual – they vandalized and destroyed property. But they also vandalized and destroyed the property of innocent bystanders simply because these people wouldn’t join the activists in their destruction. > >Your article refers to those arrested as “political activists”. But there is nothing political about their point of view. There are folks from all political spectrums that agree with their cause – as there are folks from all political spectrums who disagree with their cause. Those arrested stalked, harassed, intimidated and tried to kill animals of the human species. The 1960's Montgomery bus boycott was successful because it was a peaceful demonstration, not a violent one. > >Honestly, it IS horrible that animals have to be used for testing (the FDA requires it in some cases), but harming people is not right, either. Articles like this not only misinform, they do the animal rights movement an injustice. >

> >

> >EBbrewpunx > > > >ESI-List, TFHB , , vegan-network , 0veganpunx > > no saving animals fer you, you anti-american terrorist pinko nazi..... > >Fri, 4 Jun 2004 13:11:58 EDT > > > >http://counterpunch.org/potter05292004.html > > > >May 29 / 31, 2004 > >Protest Torture of Animals; Get Arrested as a "Terrorist" > >The New War on "Terror" > >By WILL POTTER > > > >The Bush administration sent a calculated message to grassroots > >political activists this week: The War on Terrorism has come home. > > > >FBI agents rounded up seven American political activists from across > >the country Wednesday morning, and the U.S. Attorney's Office in New > >Jersey held a press conference trumpeting that "terrorists" have been > >indicted. > > > >That's right: "Terrorists." The activists have been charged with > >violating the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act of 1992, which at the > >time garnered little public attention except from the corporations > >who lobbied for it. Their crime, according to the indictment, > >is "conspiring" to shut down Huntingdon Life Sciences, a company that > >tests products on animals and has been exposed multiple times for > >violating animal welfare laws. > > > >The terrorism charges could mean a maximum of three years in prison > >and a $250,000 fine. The activists also face additional charges of > >interstate stalking and three counts of conspiracy to engage in > >interstate stalking: Each count could mean up to five years in > >prison and a $250,000 fine. > > > >Since September 11, the T-word has been tossed around by law > >enforcement and politicians with more and more ease. Grassroots > >environmental and animal activists, and even national organizations > >like Greenpeace, have been called "eco-terrorists" by the > >corporations and politicians they oppose. The arrests on Wednesday, > >though, mark the official opening of a new domestic front in the War > >on Terrorism. > > > >Bush's War on Terrorism is no longer limited to Al Qaeda or Osama Bin > >Laden. It's not limited to Afghanistan or Iraq (or Syria, or Iran, or > >whichever country is next). And it's not limited to the animal rights > >movement, or even the campaign against Huntington Life Sciences. The > >rounding up of activists on Wednesday should set off alarms heard by > >every social movement in the United States: This "war" is about > >protecting corporate and political interests under the guise of > >fighting terrorism. > > > >The activists arrested are part of a group called Stop Huntingdon > >Animal Cruelty, an international organization aimed solely at closing > >the controversial lab. The group uses home demonstrations, phone and > >email blockades, and plenty of smart-ass, aggressive rhetoric to > >pressure companies to cut ties with the lab. It has worked. The lab > >has been brought near bankruptcy, after international corporations > >like Marsh Inc. have pulled out their investments. > > > >To most, this is effective--albeit controversial--organizing. > >According to the indictment, though, it's "terrorism" because the > >activists aim to cause "physical disruption to the functioning of > >HLS, an animal enterprise, and intentionally damage and cause the > >loss of property used by HLS." > > > >That's like saying the Montgomery bus boycott, a catalyst of the > >civil rights movement, was terrorism because it aimed > >to "intentionally damage and cause the loss of property" of the bus > >company. > > > >It seems the biggest act of "terrorism" by the group is a website. > >Members of the group are outspoken supporters of illegal direct > >action like civil disobedience, rescuing animals from labs, and > >vandalism. Whenever actions-legal or not-take place against the lab, > >the group puts it on the website. The activists are not accused of > >taking part in any of these crimes. > > > >Such news postings are so threatening, apparently, that the > >indictment doesn't even name the corporations that have been > >targeted. They are only identified by single letters, like "S. Inc." > >or "M. Corp." > > > >"Because of the nature of the campaign against these companies, we > >didn't want to subject them further to the tactics of SHAC," said > >Michael Drewniak, spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney's Office in New > >jersey, in an interview. > > > >Some of the wealthiest corporations on the planet, and the U.S. > >Attorney's Office must protect them from a bunch of protesters. This > >is what the War on Terrorism has become: The Bush administration can't > >find real terrorists abroad, yet it spends law enforcement time and > >resources protecting corporations from political activists. > > > >The lawsuit is so outlandish that some activists, who asked that they > >not be identified, said they don't think it is intended to win. > >Instead, they see it as an important political move in the War on > >Terror. In a hearing before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee > >just last week, a U.S. Attorney said the Animal Enterprise Terrorism > >Act needed to go further to successfully be used against Stop > >Huntingdon Animal Cruelty. If this lawsuit fails, the Justice > >Department can say, "We told you so." > > > >So, these activists face a double-edged sword. If they lose, they go > >to prison, and are labeled "terrorists" for the rest of their lives. > >If they win, it could be fodder for an even harsher political > >crackdown. > > > >Their only chance is for activists of all social movements-- > >regardless of their political views--to support them, and oppose the > >assault on basic civil liberties. Otherwise, in Bush's America, we > >could all be terrorists. > > > >Will Potter is a freelance reporter in Washington, D.C. He has > >written for the Chicago Tribune, Dallas Morning News, and Chronicle > >of Higher Education, and close followed the emergence of "domestic > >terrorism." > > > >He can be reached at: william.potter > > > >Getting married? Find great tips, tools and the latest trends at MSN Life Events. MSN 9 Dial-up Internet Access fights spam and pop-ups – now 3 months FREE!