Re: responsibility?

[Ruth Sponsler <jk5554@yahoo.com>]

I have no problem with things like "recommended" lists

of cosmetics makers that use no animals in their

product development.  I also believe that standards

for use of animals in research should be humane and

should be actively enforced.  I have no problem with

free speech or peaceful protests on college campuses.



Several times, I have expressed support for

environmental issues on this list, especially those

connected with land conservation and air pollution. 

However, I certainly don't agree with the extremist

tactics that PETA supports.



I happened to be a student at UC Riverside during 1985

when ALF conducted a very large and extremely

destructive lab raid that caused $600,000-700,000 in

damage.  They didn't stand outside the lab where some

admittedly inhumane experiments were being conducted

with protest signs.  The didn't peacefully enter the

building during business hours as a protest, or occupy

administrative offices.  Instead, they outright

trashed the labs - - destroying computers, breaking

things, destroying research records, etc. etc.  ALF

didn't just take the animals to shelters.  After the

raid, PETA acted as spokespersons for ALF.



If you doubt the role of PETA as 'mouthpiece' for

groups like ALF that do vandalism, check this page

(written from ALF's own standpoint) out for yourself:



http://www.nocompromise.org/issues/15blast_past.html



In one of the first few paragraphs, that page openly

states that "The A.L.F. of the 1980s found its

greatest voice in PETA, who acted as a mouthpiece for

the A.L.F. following the raids, holding press

conferences and distributing videos and seized

documents to the media."



A timeline of ALF raids and some other activities is

at 



http://www.fbresearch.org/illegal-body.html



The Riverside raid is listed under '1985.'



To get back on track, the Riverside ALF raid was a

relatively early large lab raid, where numerous crimes

were committed - vandalism, theft, sabotage.  If you

condone PETA's  acting as 'mouthpiece' for this sort

of activity, would you condone a group that acted as

'mouthpiece' for a hypothetical anti-nuclear group who

decided to breach security and commit crimes at a

nuclear facility?  (Could be any facility - hospital,

whatever).



I am a strong believer in free speech, but I don't

think that incitement to violence is a part of that.



If someone wants to help animals, the Humane Society,

local no-kill shelter, or spay/neuter clinics are much

better venues than PETA.



~Ruth 2



--- Vincent A King/KINGVA/CC01/INEEL/US

<KINGVA@INEL.GOV> wrote:

> 

> When extreme actions by an individual "cross the

> line" into the realm of

> the illegal and inhumane, I think the "group" has an

> obligation to condemn

> the action as wrong and make it clear such actions

> are not acceptable.  If

> the group says nothing, public perception is that

> they implicitly condone

> the extremist activities.

> 

> And to go a step further, if the group provides aid

> of any kind (financial

> or otherwise) to individuals performing such acts,

> then they are indeed

> supporting that type activity and share the guilt.

> 

> (In light of the above, I have not detected PETA

> condemning or distancing

> itself from extremist individuals.  I would suggest

> that PETA's

> communications coordinator make PETA's views on such

> activities abundantly

> clear to the public.  As far as the extremists, I am

> not interested in the

> message of anyone who injures or destroys to try to

> get their "message"

> across.)

> 

> Vincent King,

> Idaho Falls





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