Domestic terrorism, cont.

And while we're on the topic of domestic terrorism, my Glorious Father pointed me to this at Captain's Quarters:

Molotov cocktails left on doorsteps. Bombs placed under cars at the homes of targets. Death threats in public communiques. Are these new tactics for al-Qaeda or Hezbollah? In fact, they're part of the new offensive by animal-rights activists targeting the Jules Stein Eye Institute at UCLA, and only incompetence has kept them from scoring their first kill.

The ALF and the ELF are two of the more active domestic-terror outfits. It's even worse in Britain. Looking back over my logs, I find this grave-robbing gem from August, 2005. I'm still mad about that story.

I was in the break room at work a few months ago, trying to stay out of a one-sided conversation about charging Oregon-ELF members under domestic terrorism laws. They could see how he should be prosecuted for burning the car dealership, but felt that there was a slippery-slope argument against terrorism charges. (Somehow, I don't think they'd fear a slippery slope if a Klansman were the indictee.)

I think this answers their arguments thoroughly:

On Sunday, June 24, just that kind of person struck. Rosenbaum, a highly regarded pediatric ophthalmologist who had been regularly harassed by animal-rights activists for his research work with cats and rhesus monkeys at the Jules Stein Eye Institute at UCLA, noticed a device underneath his luxury sedan. The bomb squad was dispatched to the scene and hauled away a makeshift — but deadly — explosive. A faulty fuse was the only reason it didn’t go off.

That, and the list of seperate incidents making up the 2006 ALF/ELF indictment. Let's see, in chronological order there was arson against a federal installation, arson against a federal installation, arson, arson against a federal installation, arson against a federal installation, attempted arson against a federal installation, arson, arson, arson, arson, destruction of a high-voltage tower, arson at a police station, arson, arson including the destruction of 35 motor vehicles (must've learned that in France), arson, arson against a state facility, aaaaaand arson against a federal installation. Seventeen ideologically-motivated attacks over 5 years.

Ladies and gentlemen, that's terrorism.

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[Dad]

And yes, I got the reference to your Glorious Dad - cheers! I would suggest, however, that your Glorious -Father- resides above us all - I am merely your father on earth, and immensely proud to be so!