Squaring the Culture

Michelle Malkin reports the conviction of eco-terrorist Briana Waters on two counts of arson, for setting fire to the University of Washington’s Center for Urban Horticulture in 2001. Malkin also posted a list of 10 members of the same group, the Earth Liberation Front, who have been convicted of arson recently. According to the Seattle Times story,

The Earth Liberation Front claimed responsibility for the fire because it believed, mistakenly, that a UW researcher was genetically engineering trees.

And they say the Right hates science… This gives us the first reason vigilantism is wrong; people acting on their own frequently make mistakes, and attack the innocent. Far better to let the system work.

The public does not widely understand how common leftist eco-terrorism has become in recent years. In the period 2002-2005, ecology activists and animal rights groups accounted for 23 out of 24 recorded terrorist incidents in the US, according to the FBI:

In keeping with a longstanding trend, domestic extremists carried out the majority of terrorist incidents during this period. Twenty three of the 24 recorded terrorist incidents were perpetrated by domestic terrorists. With the exception of a white supremacist’s firebombing of a synagogue in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, all of the domestic terrorist incidents were committed by special interest extremists active in the animal rights and environmental movements. The acts committed by these extremists typically targeted materials and facilities rather than persons.

The burning of four luxury homes in Washington earlier this week adds to the tally. No suspects have been arrested yet, but eco-terrorism is suspected.

All this, and the string of anti-recruitment attacks as well. And yesterday, Hot Air reported that leftist activists are preparing to disrupt the Democratic convention in Denver this summer, naming their group “Recreate ‘68!” a reference to the violence attending the 1968 Democratic convention in Chicago.

The fact that their acts usually target facilities rather than individuals does not make the matter any better. The loss of a facility is devastating to the people involved, and disrupts normal life for years. The outlay by the insurance company drives up rates for everybody. And, as I discussed in my previous post, attempts at political statements by violence attack the fabric of the Republic, and say “We’re not part of your nation.” Domestic terrorism in the US occurs when a group of True Believers fails to win public support for a position of theirs through legal means; they’re trying to force on us what we’ve already chosen not to do. This is an act of tyranny at its core.

I’m waiting for a denunciation of ecological, animal rights, and anti-war terrorism from American liberals. I still haven’t heard it. Is it possible that they secretly admire these terrorists, as they accused Christians of admiring abortion clinic bombers? The growing violence of the Left reminds me of the thuggery that preceded WWII in Italy and Germany. These activists, a tiny percentage of the populace, think they have an inherent right to force the rest of us to do as they demand. Of such sentiments are tyrannies made.

There’s an HBO western entitled “The Jack Bull” that explores the cost of vigilantism to the public order in a provocative and highly entertaining fashion, with a surprising performance by John Cusack. I recommend it for families wanting their children to understand why respecting the law is essential, and why taking it into one’s own hands is usually disastrous.