Yes, Virginia, there are a few radical "greens" left....

greenspun.com : LUSENET : Beyond the Sidewalks : One Thread

Believe it or not, the Earth Liberation Front made our local Podunk evening news on channel 9 out of Steubenville/Wheeling, seems that ELF members set fire to several gas guzzling SUV behemouths at a few local auto dealers just outside of Girard, Ohio, over the line into PA.

No one was injured, but the SUV's were "toast". Sorry, couldn't resist the obvious pun ;-)!!!

Oh, to be so young again without litiginous assets that could be taken away from us as punishment, to be young again in this vacuous time that seems so lacking of "alternative" leaders in the fight against oppression and corporate greed overriding common sense.

Do the young adults of modern times have ANY causes that they fight for like we did in the 70's? Where are they, and what are the causes? It seems as if they care for nothing but what concerns their lives directly and in the immediate future.

Know any "budding Green radicals" in your neighborhood?

-- Anonymous, January 05, 2003

Answers

A crime was committed. I certainly hope they get the book thrown at them when they are caught for destruction of private property.

-- Anonymous, January 05, 2003

Oh my yes, got Jay's shorts in a bunch about that one, you betcha. A crime was committed indeed, I'll agree. I don't condone violence in any form, but its too bad people like Jay don't get all indignant about tens of thousands of innocent people being slaughtered throughout the world in our name. Course they're not "property", are they, just people. Priorities indeed.

And yes, Annie, there is a groundswell of young people who are VERY politically active, my daughter among them. They are working hard to stop this insanity, among other progressive causes.

Don't discount the youth; many are picking up the ball that our generation dropped, gave up on, and reverted to something worse than our parents. Maybe they hold the hope for a future after all.

-- Anonymous, January 05, 2003


EM, I dont care about their politics, theyre entitled to their leftist views. However, by their actions , they are terrorists and no better than Al Queda. Actually, their style is more akin to the Ku Klux Klan and its night riding history and predjudice. They do more to damage the credibility of true environmentalist efforts than help the cause of "green" stewardship.

-- Anonymous, January 06, 2003

Geez Jay, you got some twisted values, as I see it! They're as bad as Al Quaeda eh, that's rich! I'd be the last person to defend ELF'S idiotic actions, but to compare the occassional destruction of PROPERTY to that of mass murderers, leaves me speechless. But not surprised. sad sad sad.

-- Anonymous, January 06, 2003

Just in case anyone missed this, please realize what kind of person Jay Blair is:

http://hv.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id= 00A0EA

EM, I am a supporter of war machines. I work in the defense contract industry to provide better ways of war and we need a target. Saddam is as good as any other. I need the activity to enhance my lifestyle. Just personal choice as your choice is the hippie culture. You want peace for you to enjoy yourself, I want war to enjoy myself. I am just your oppisite number.Without opposition, there is no cause,only boredom. But the more you folks complain, the more determined the powers to be will proceed ahead, The more we continue ahead, the more active you will protest. Our positions fuel each other. While you embrace the world, I like to see the boot on the throat to establish political superiority. I don't expect to ever change your views and know you will never alter mine. I do however support your right to protest it and appreciate the fact that you are adding fuel to the flames. Look on the bright side, the stimulated economy will fund our domestic problems. Take care and enjoy all to come. -- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), September 26, 2002. ------------------------------------------------------------------------

-- Anonymous, January 06, 2003



To be honest I'm not all that crazy about ELF's tactics either. If they had chained themselves to the SUVs and prevented them from being sold that's one thing, but IMO property damage like this just makes it easier for the powers that be to dismiss us. I don't remember Gandhi or Martin Luther King or Mother Theresa lobbing molotov cocktails at anything.

-- Anonymous, January 06, 2003

I'll just ditto on Sherri's post, as I agree with it all. Not to mention all the pollution they caused by the burning. That wasn't very environmentally beneficial! :-/

-- Anonymous, January 06, 2003

Well I ain't sure of course, but I kinda doubt Annie is blessing the action either.......Annie, some folks here might be worryin about you a bit! ;)

-- Anonymous, January 06, 2003

Yep, there's still "radical greens" out there. Took my first bulldozer out of commission when I was 10.

-- Anonymous, January 06, 2003

That's neat, Debra! Can you tell us about it?? Please?

-- Anonymous, January 06, 2003


Don't say nothin', Debra . . . I ran into the operator of that 'Cat' just the other day . . . he is still pissed off about it . . . mad enough to spit on one hock and wipe it off with the other. :^)

On the other hand, burning SUVs in a parking lot is kinda 'weenie'. Total commitment to the cause would have been to blow up a plant in Lansing Michigan. Stop the entire production line. Yes, I'm joking.

I share Jay's view - a few burned up SUVs can lead to personal attacks (ala rabid animal rights PETA spraying fur coats with paint), and we have enough enemies in the world as it is.

-- Anonymous, January 07, 2003


Marcia - I think the statute of limitations probably ran out years ago so I'll tell you what little there is to tell....One day I saw a guy on a bulldozer clearing the forest by our house. Being 10 and using those woods everyday I came to consider them to be mine. Needless to say I was really ticked off that he would destroy all my tree friends not to mention the homeless animals he would leave.

So I sneaked out of the house at night with a flashlight, screwdriver and small sledge hammer. I proceeded to "fix" the dozer. They towed it away the next day and I'm happy to say the remainder of the woods is still there today. (Dave Foreman would be so proud of me!)

My folks have no idea I ever did this, neither does anyone who knows me personally. If a person is going to be active in ecodefense it is best to work alone and tell no one at least until the statute of limitations runs out.

Now days I generally confine myself to teaching environmental ethics to any willing ears and sometimes to the not so willing ones, living as lightly on the earth as I can and constantly writing my legislators.

-- Anonymous, January 08, 2003


Really cute story, Debra :-)!! Reminds me of the time when I was about 9 or 10 and I kept "liberating" a neighbor's chickens. He used to keep them inside... all the time...in a tiny coop so I'd sneak over first thing in the morning after he'd gone to work and let them out. They always stayed in his yard and to this day I don't know if my neighbor figured out how the chickens were escaping!!

-- Anonymous, January 08, 2003

Three cheers for Debra!!! Yes, I know it's destruction of personal property, but, geez folks, with that kind of anti-activism weenie attitude the Boston Tea Party would have never happened!!!

If you believe in the principals of something very strongly, especially if it is backed up by the actions of our founding fathers and the Constitution, you act on it, it may be good, bad or awful, but if you don't act, you are treated like sheep by the so called leaders of this country. I refuse to be a sheep, ever.

Long live independent activism, it is what allows us to voice our opinions over any so called "law".

-- Anonymous, January 13, 2003


now, now...don't be dissin' sheep. My little flock has WAAAAY more sense than those wooly-headed animals back in DeeCee. I'm sure my gang could pass a budget, get along with their neighbors, and I'm REALLY sure they don't own Wall Street (or vice versa).

Green radicals around here? Last time I looked, there were none in Seattle.... 8-)

-- Anonymous, January 13, 2003



Cool, Debra; but please remain careful of whom you tell about your escapades. The statute of limitations is rendered moot when The Man decides to charge you for something else that you had no part of, just because he can't get you for what you really did. I'm the voice of experience, tho I'm not going to get into it here, believe me!

JOJ

-- Anonymous, January 14, 2003


Good point JOJ!

If you guys liked that story....When I was about 7 Dad saw two coyotes playing tag around our pond. He got his rifle and was getting ready to shoot them when I ran in front of him, pulled the rifle barrel down to my chest, looked him square in the eye and told him if he was going to shoot them he'd have to kill me first! (I still remember the look of terror in his eyes, that he had almost shot me) The coyotes lived and to my knowledge Dad never shot another wild animal.

-- Anonymous, January 16, 2003


Wow -- and all I ever did was to liberate a bucket of live frogs that they were going to pith and dissect in high school biology class!

-- Anonymous, January 17, 2003

Debra, you are too cool! Your dad must have just about had a stroke!

Would you do it again, if you had the chance?

JOJ

-- Anonymous, January 19, 2003


JOJ- Would I do it again? If I was a kid I'm sure I'd do exactly the same thing. If I were to do it today I'd probably push the barrel up in the air and then take it away from him gently but firmly. Dad will be 82 this year and he's not in the best of health. He might just HAVE a stroke if I did it the same way as when I was a kid.

When situations like that come up a person doesn't have much time to think just react fast to save the critters lives. My best friend in high school died while trying to save the life of a fawn. He was run over by a vehicle. What a noble way to die. I was taught in Sunday school that "Greater love hath no man than to lay down his life for his friends". I consider all wild things my friends.

-- Anonymous, January 19, 2003


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