Conservatives push ecoterror laws

[Thor_MN]

http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/05/09/animal.rights.laws.ap/index.html

A national group of conservative state lawmakers has been promoting laws creating a separate offense of ecoterrorism since 2003, when California passed such a law. Similar bills have died in Texas and Arizona, and others are pending in Pennsylvania, New York and Missouri.

Bills in Ohio would add that state to the growing number that seek harsher penalties for attacks, including those against dog food makers, farms where animals are caged, and university animal labs.

Sponsors say the bills are needed because of fire-bombings at ski resorts and new subdivisions, break-ins to free disease-carrying laboratory animals, and threats against corporate executives and their families.


Beyond all the other considerations here, it looks like the "Haves" are getting worried about a backlash against America's Aristocracy

[Deja Q]

1. & I thought 'ecoterrorism' was tearing down rainforests, making 2MPG cars,

et cetera.

How stupid I was. Apparently eco-terrorism is about people who fight back against those who destroy the ecology. Now it all makes sense! </bizarroworld>

[LdyGuique]

2. I don't see how any of these types of criminal offenses

don't already have laws on the books -- except for the "freeing disease-carying laboratory animals."

[amazona]

you'd have to arrest the staff of a local primate lab

I won't embarrass them further and give the name but in my parish a lab has several times over the years accidentally released disease-carrying MONKEYS into the parish, and the small town where the lab is located is no longer so small. The last time some of the monkeys were picked up on the campus of a Christian school. They do HIV/AIDS research there. Sheesh. Secure your damn research monkeys, people.

I would like to know how many places have poor procedures, animals get out, and then, oops, they decided to blame "protestors" rather than get in trouble with the boss. Could we ever be sure?

The conservation movement is a breeding ground of communists
and other subversives. We intend to clean them out,
even if it means rounding up every birdwatcher in the country.
--John Mitchell, US Attorney General 1969-72

[louis-t]

3. Not to say eco-terrorism is right

but not one person that I can recall has ever been hurt or killed by an eco-terrorist. Yet abortion doctor murderers are considered heroes to the fundie wackos.

[rodeodance]

4. conservatives/repugs are just making too too many laws of late!!

[amazona]

5. firebombings, break-ins, extortion threats already illegal

Why don't they enforce the laws already in existence?

The conservation movement is a breeding ground of communists
and other subversives. We intend to clean them out,
even if it means rounding up every birdwatcher in the country.
--John Mitchell, US Attorney General 1969-72

[jukes]

9. because

w/ these laws labelling it as terrorism, they can apply the (non)patriot act.

as stated above, RW & fundy terrorists are excused.



and it's only starting...

[Piperay]

11. Yeah and eventually they will

get around to making Greenpeace, the Sierra Club and Audubon Society as belonging to a terrorist organizations.x(

[Charlie Brown]

6. I thought they disliked "hate crimes" n/t

[jeff30997]

7. Let the war on ecoterra' begin.

If I follow the US administration logic the next step is to invade a country.Why not Canada ?

[bluedeminredstate]

8. Why the scary name? Terrorists?

They are law-breakers if they are indeed commiting those acts. But use that "T" word and suddenly these people aren't only breaking the law, but they're on the same level with OBL, hijackers of planes and suicide bombers.

A fire-bombing is reason enough to arrest a credible suspect, but most environmentalists don't fire-bomb, threaten public health, or plan violence against the people they want to persuade to implement policies that are pro-environment. Presumably there are laws on the books to charge someone who does any of these things... :sarcasm:

Passing a law that simply is inflammatory by calling them terrorists paints all environmentalists as dangerous because of their
wingnut-screw the public agenda. It's a step in making any organization or commited environmentalist untouchable, lest you be somehow a sponser of terorism.

I don't see how passing this bill would keep the public any safer since fire-bombing, for instance, and intentionally endangering the public health is not something one can go out and do anyway. Are the Anthrax mailers "eco-terrorists" or are they just very dangerous criminals who need to be found and locked up? The cops have enough cover to bust them without this help from Congress.

What a waste of time as well as a way undermine and make suspect people who care about the environment.

:grr:

[Voltaire99]

12. Excellent post.

You've nailed it. This campaign is, broadly, an attempt to muzzle legitimate legal environmental activism.

[central scrutinizer]

10. What about the "wise use" zealots?

In much of the west, the real wackos are anti-governmental, "wise-use" assholes who firebomb Forest Service offices, tell their kids to beat up the kids of Forest Service workers in schools, threaten other workers, steal timber, etc.

[screembloodymurder]

13. Reminds me of a scene from Gangs of NY

Let us kill each other off, but don't touch a rich person.

[blindpig]

14. well, they are thinking ahead

considering the disaster they are bringing upon us they are wise to expect a backlash from the proles who find the future stolen from them and theirs for a sack of worthless trinkets.

The time will come(too late!) when the avengers of Gaia rise from the pages of fiction, Monkeywrenchers, Trainites, Skink, to smite the greedy fools who have lead us down the path of desolation. It will be ugly, the death fight of a cornered, wounded animal, no quarter. Don't think I'll live to see it but they are wise to fear. They will be treated like any rabid animal, and that's too good for them.