<html>
<body>
<font size=3><br>
this is an excellent piece by journalist Will Potter. We strongly
encourage you to bookmark his blog which focuses on the Green Scare
called
<a href="http://www.greenisthenewred.com/blog/">greenisthenewred.com</a>
<br>
thanks,<br>
<a href="http://www.supportdaniel.org">Family and Friends of Daniel
McGowan</a><br><br>
<br>
</font><h2><b>
<a href="http://www.greenisthenewred.com/blog/2006/11/02/prosecuting-intent-turning-vandalism-into-eco-terrorism/">
Prosecuting Ideology: Turning “Vandalism” into
“Eco-Terrorism”</a></b></h2><font size=3>November 2nd, 2006 by
<a href="http://www.greenisthenewred.com/blog/author/will-potter/">Will
Potter</a> <br><br>
When environmental activists around the country were rounded up as part
of “Operation Backfire,”<br>
<a href="http://www.usdoj.gov/ag/speeches/2006/ag_speech_0601201.html">
Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales told reporters,</a> “Today’s
indictment is a significant step in bringing these terrorists to
justice.” And when the <a href="http://www.shac7.com/">SHAC 7</a> were
sentenced for “animal enterprise terrorism,” it was for “their roles in a
campaign to terrorize officers, employees and shareholders,”
<a href="http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/nj/press/files/pdffiles/shac0912rel.pdf">
the Department of Justice said.</a> The “Operation Backfire” defendants
are charged with serious crimes, but not accused of harming any human
being. And the SHAC 7 are not even accused of committing any of the
property crimes that they vocally supported on their website).<br><br>
Keeping that in mind, take a look at some fires in the news the last few
weeks. <br>
According to
<a href="http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061019/METRO01/610190372/1006">
<i>The Detroit News</a></i>:<br><br>
</font>
<dl>
<dd>A Tuesday night fire at a longtime salvage yard caused more than
$50,000 in damage — and the loss of some hard-to-find car parts coveted
by hobbyists.<br><br>
</dl>The owner of the lot suspected criminal intent:<br>
<dl>
<dd>“I’ve had a lot of trouble over here, a lot of vandalism,” he added.
“We’ve had vandalism the last two Devil’s Nights.”<br><br>
</dl><a href="http://www.am920.ca/news.php?artID=15915">This radio
station said</a> police were on the lookout for “tricksters” and “will be
out in force to make sure any mischief doesn’t take place” on Devil’s
Night. In many town these “tricksters” set buildings on fire the night
before Halloween.<br><br>
And in <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/02/us/02reno.html">today’s
</a><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/02/us/02reno.html">New York
Times</a></i>:<br><br>
<dl>
<dd>RENO, Nev., Nov. 1 — Six people were killed and more than 30 injured
Tuesday night in a fire that at least partly destroyed a historic
residential hotel in the downtown casino district here. A 47-year-old
casino worker was arrested and charged with arson and multiple counts of
murder.<br><br>
</dl>The police said they did not know of a motive.
<a href="http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/nation/4304338.html">The
Houston
Chronicle</a></i>
<a href="http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/nation/4304338.html">
reports</a> that the suspect had previously served prison time for
murder. And
<a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/11/02/national/main2143900.shtml">
CBS News reports</a>:<br><br>
<dl>
<dd>…Valerie Moore, 47, had been drinking and apparently flew into a rage
Tuesday night after she quarreled with a fellow resident at the Mizpah
Hotel before setting a mattress afire…<br><br>
</dl>So causing $50,000 in an arson, and destroying a man’s livelihood,
is not terrorism. Vandalizing property is the work of “tricksters,” not
terrorists. And burning down a hotel, murdering six people and injuring
30, is still</i> not terrorism.<br>
Why? Because those criminals committed those crimes out of anger,
stupidity or malice. Not politics. When animal rights or environmental
activists commit similar crimes — but don’t injure anyone — it is
“eco-terrorism.” And when they simply support</i> underground activists
through websites and fiery rhetoric, they are convicted of
<a href="http://www.greenisthenewred.com/blog/aeta-analysis-109th">
“animal enterprise terrorism.”</a> <br>
The solution to this hypocrisy is not to label individuals who burn down
car lots, or even those who murder people through arson, as terrorists.
All crimes instill fear, instill terror, but labeling all crimes as
terrorism sucks all meaning from the term. <br>
Instead, we must make sure terrorism rhetoric isn’t batted around against
the enemy of the hour, and used to prosecute actions that, while they may
be criminal (or in the case of the SHAC 7 do not amount to anything more
than words), have not injured any human being. It is an insult to victims
of true terrorism around the world. And it robs the accused of the
possibility of a fair trail.<br><br>
If all this sounds like an incredibly conservative argument, you’re
right. Years ago when hate crimes legislation was a much hotter topic in
state and federal legislatures,
<a href="http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=38708">
conservatives argued that</a>:<br><br>
<dl>
<dd>…the real danger of “hate crime” laws is that they criminalize
thoughts and beliefs. The law should concern itself only with actions.
Prosecutors must prove intent, but examining underlying beliefs goes far
beyond that. <br><br>
</dl>Conservatives feared the prosecution of crimes based on the
political beliefs of those in power. Now they’re making their own fears a
reality by using their power to
<a href="http://www.greenisthenewred.com/blog/aeta-analysis-109th">
prosecute activists</a> they disagree with as “terrorists.” <br><br>
<br><br>
-------------------------------------------------------------<br>
Family and Friends of Daniel McGowan<br>
Daniel McGowan is an environmental and social justice activist, unjustly
arrested and charged in federal court. To donate to Daniel's legal
defense, send a check/money order made out to "Lisa McGowan" to
Lisa McGowan, PO Box 106, NY, NY 10156-106.
<a href="http://www.supportdaniel.org/" eudora="autourl">
http://www.supportdaniel.org<br><br>
</a>December 7th Day of Solidarity with Green Scare Indictees<br>
<a href="http://greenscare.org/1206call.html" eudora="autourl">
http://greenscare.org/1206call.html<br><br>
</a>National Lawyers Guild ECO-LAW Hotline for individuals arrested or
subpoenaed for offenses related to environmental or animal activism.<br>
888-NLG-ECOLAW<br>
<x-sigsep><p></x-sigsep>
<font size=3 color="#FF0000">The Freedom Archives<br>
522 Valencia Street<br>
San Francisco, CA 94110<br>
(415) 863-9977<br>
</font><font size=3>
<a href="http://www.freedomarchives.org/" eudora="autourl">
www.freedomarchives.org</a></font></body>
</html>