| Author | Message | ||
     Axel Haakonsen (Axel) Moderator Username: Axel Post Number: 577 Registered: 02-2003 |
Lifted this off another list. You decide: ----- Original Message ----- Sent: Wednesday, December 03, 2003 5:36 PM Subject: Eco-Terrorism Hey everyone, hope you all had a great Thanksgiving... and a bunch to be thankful for... You have heard from me on many occasions about eco-terrorism and the acts of the eco-cowards, most recently towards SUV dealers and SUV owners... Finally, there has been action taken and support is needed to get some laws passed that target specifically, the eco nuts who are out burning Hummers, new construction and vandalizing bio tech sites, etc. The bill is called the "Stop Terrorism of Property Act". As you read on, you'll notice the "mainline" eco groups saying that these laws will shut down even non violent forms of protest.... You may sort of think a bit and say..." hhhmm, they could be right..." Then, think just a little bit more and remember how many places are shut down to us responsible motorized recreationists because of the "Renegade" driver/riders.... How many PUBLIC trails have been shut down w/o any consideration of the responsible user... then ask yourself again if we should be all that concerned with the "responsibly civil disobedient". What to do: Go to www.Congress.org and type in your zip code, you'll be given a list of your congresscritters... Pen a quick letter asking them to support the Stop Terrorism of Property Act co-sponsored by Rep. Candice Miller (R) of Michigan. Very simple... Hi my name is ___________, I am an SUV owner, (hunter, logger, whatever else may fit YOUR bill) and current actions by radical environmental groups have me quite nervous, especially how many of these terrorists are being treated... as simple vandals as opposed to what they truly are. As a valued constituent, I ask that you support Representative Candice Miller's Stop Terrorism of Property Act. Thank You, sincerely, Your name.. a few clicks later, its on its way their email inbox... pretty darned easy, eh?? so.... Read On, Get Angry, Take Action! http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/1126/p02s01-usju.html New laws target increase in acts of ecoterrorism They seek to curb arson, property damage, and threats of violence, but critics say the penalties stifle valid dissent. By Brad Knickerbocker | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor A rise in ecoterrorism is prompting federal and state lawmakers to craft laws aimed specifically at radical environmental and animal-rights activists. For those wanting to crack down on people who use arson and threats of personal violence to force better treatment of animals and nature, tougher legal penalties are logical. But to civil libertarians, and especially to law-abiding activists, this trend is an attempt to stifle legitimate political dissent, including peaceful civil disobedience. That it comes at a time of political stress over the war in Iraq, sometimes rough protests against international trade agreements, and calls to patriotism is not lost on either side. Initially, acts of "monkey wrenching" amounted to little more than vandalism aimed at such targets as logging equipment and mink farms. In the 1990s, that escalated to major arson and bombings. Meanwhile, the range of targets in recent months has expanded to include biotechnology firms, SUV dealers, housing developments, Wal-Mart stores, and a bottled water plant. According to the FBI, there have been some 600 acts of ecoterrorism in the United States with property losses totaling nearly $50 million. Speaking of recent attacks on biotech firms, Phil Celestini, head of the FBI's domestic terrorism unit in Washington, told the Associated Press, "We've seen a drastic escalation in the use of violent tactics in the past year." So far, groups like the Earth Liberation Front (ELF) and the Animal Liberation Front (ALF) seem to have carefully avoided human injury or killing. Operating in small, unconnected groups with no central command, they've almost always avoided capture and prosecution as well. But in September, when a group calling itself the "Revolutionary Cells Animal Liberation Brigade" set off a bomb at a California beauty products company with links to another company that uses animals for research, it warned that "all customers and their families are considered legitimate targets." And in a personal message to the head of a biotech company that had been attacked earlier this year, the group wrote: "You never know when your house, your car even, might go boom." In Portland, Ore. next month, former ALF and ELF spokesman Craig Rosebraugh will publish his book, "The Logic of Political Violence." The cover features a photo of the collapsing twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York. In frustration, and under pressure from special interests ranging from agribusinesses to SUV owners to hunters, lawmakers are proposing measures aimed at such violence. In Congress last month, a bill was introduced specifying ecoterrorism as a federal crime and providing stiff penalties for anyone who "intentionally damages the property of another with the intent to influence the public with regard to conduct the offender considers harmful to the environment." "These people are not environmentalists. They are not even part of the most radical sect of left-wing environmentalists," says Rep. Candice Miller (R) of Michigan, cosponsor of the Stop Terrorism of Property Act. "These people are terrorists, and it's time we held them responsible for engaging in these frightening acts. "PART OF THE problem is that "most states make no legal distinction between a disgruntled youth vandalizing a public park and an organized ecoterrorist torching a family's home," says Sandy Liddy Bourne of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a conservative think tank. The ALEC, an organization of state and national lawmakers backed by corporate sponsors, has written model legislation that makes any property damage or destruction in the name of animal rights or environmental protection a category of domestic terrorism. The legislation would increase penalties and punish those who assist or finance such acts. It also would create a "terrorist registry" where a photo and other personal information about anybody found guilty under the law would be posted on a website for at least three years - similar to registries of sex offenders. "The legislation specifically addresses actions that are designed to intimidate, coerce, invoke fear or other forms of terror that are committed in the name of environmental or animal-rights activism," says Ms. Bourne. So far, lawmakers in Oklahoma, Texas, New York, Arkansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, and Oregon have introduced laws patterned after the model. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and other supporters of civil liberties say such laws, if enacted, would violate constitutional protections of free speech and political activity. Mainstream environmental groups have spoken out against radical organizations engaged in destructive and dangerous acts. But they see laws now being promoted in Congress and state houses as vehicles for antienvironmental special interests. "The legislation is so sweeping and nebulous it could also cover nonviolent civil disobedience or even ordinary environmental activism," says Andrew Becker of the Sierra Club. Because some proposed state laws aimed at ecoterrorism could be interpreted as outlawing financial support for those engaged in nonviolent civil disobedience, Mr. Becker says, "holding a bake sale to support tree sitters could be a terrorist offense." [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Thanx everyone, spread this around to your various lists. Talk soon, Dave Brill Land Use Chair: East Coast 4WD Assoc. Land Use Chair: Region D/Northeast, EC4WDA V.Pres. & Land Use Chair: Eastern 4 Wheelers Blue Ribbon Coalition, Tread Lightly!, NAMRC - Axel | ||
| Ray Wallace (Rayd2) New Member Username: Rayd2 Post Number: 17 Registered: 05-2003 |
Axel, that's a really great idea and the site is easy to use. Hope all our colleagues on DiscoWeb send their elected officials a letter on this. Ray | ||
| Phillip Perkinson (Rover4x4) Senior Member Username: Rover4x4 Post Number: 538 Registered: 02-2003 |
sign me on | ||
| Jamil Abbasy (Jamooche) Member Username: Jamooche Post Number: 188 Registered: 05-2003 |
Good to see someone's on our side. Jamil |
