A
member of the Derrick Jensen mailing list pointed out a
brilliantly-written letter to the editor of a small Virginia community
newspaper, describing new laws to increase penalties for
'eco-terrorism', a vaguely defined term which appears to include acts
of sabotage to corporate 'property', even if they do no harm to any
individual. The law was apparently designed to discourage acts against
the property of logging, mining, and factory farm corporations,
developers and SUV retailers. Here's the letter in its entirety.
Last week, you used the term "ecoterrorist"
with
regard to the Earth Liberation Front (ELF). A note on semantics: The
Department of Defense defines terrorism as "The unlawful use or
threatened use of force or violence against individuals or property to
coerce or intimidate governments or societies, often to
achieve political, religious, or ideological objectives."
Somehow, burning a bulldozer fails to meet
these criteria. Unlawful and ideological, yes. But they intended to
coerce corporate entities (United Land, Virginia Land, Kessler Group,
Regency Centers, and Dierman Realty Group), not governments or
societies.
Do you feel "terrorized" by the loss of
the Land Company's trackhoe? Even developer Wendell Wood seems
non-plussed. "You can go buy another."
What is scary is how terms like
"ecoterrorist," "cyber-terrorist," "narco-terrorist" and
"special-interest terrorist" are slipping into our vernacular.
Know this: "Animal and Ecological
Terrorism Act" legislation was proposed in Texas and New York, to
officially label many forms of advocacy as "terrorism." Plus, President
Bush's proposed Patriot Act II hopes to broaden the definition of
terrorism and make it easier to sentence such "terrorists" to death.
Now, who's scaring who?
Indeed, the ELF is the FBI's top priority
regarding domestic terrorism. But I, for one, would hope they'd instead
focus more on whoever mailed U.S. military-manufactured anthrax and
ricin to Congress.
Truth is, most people agree with ELF's
intentions. A recent national survey found that two out of three people
think the environment is more important than property rights, corporate
profits, or even creating jobs.
The ELF usually targets only the most
egregious of industrial polluters and ecology-destroying profiteers.
Take Nestle's Ice Mountain bottled water, which built a plant in
Michigan's Mecosta County (despite a 2-1 resident vote to deny them
zoning) and then proceeded to violate state and federal water rights by
siphoning from public rivers and streams. ELF activists, after
exhausting legal avenues of dissent, tried to blow up the plant.
Is the sprawling Hollymead Center as bad?
No. But Richmond's SUVs were arguably an environmental and social
menace. Objectively speaking, SUVs kill more Americans than al-Qaeda
does.
The last word: There was a time when we
had a very different term for those who sabotage avaricious
corporations. As John Adams said of the Sons of Liberty who dunked East
India Company tea into Boston harbor: "There is a dignity, a majesty, a
sublimity in this last effort of the patriots that I greatly
admire."
Brian Wimer
Charlottesville
P.S. This week, Bush's Education Secretary
called the National Education Association teachers union a "Terrorist
Organization" for criticizing the shortcomings of Bush's No Child Left
Behind Act. Who's next? Editorialists?
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