Ecoterror is terror.Byline: The Register-Guard The arrests of six people, including four with ties to Lane County, could clear the books of a three-year series of arsons around the Northwest that destroyed property worth about $5 million. The suspects have not been convicted, and federal authorities' record in prosecuting people accused of such offenses is spotty spot·ty adj. spot·ti·er, spot·ti·est 1. Lacking consistency; uneven. 2. Having or marked with spots; spotted. spot . Yet there should be no doubt about the seriousness of the crimes, and the government is justified in vigorously pursuing these cases. Apologists for the Earth Liberation Front The Earth Liberation Front (ELF) is the collective name for anonymous and autonomous individuals or groups that, according to the now defunct Earth Liberation Front Press Office, use "economic sabotage and guerrilla warfare to stop the exploitation and destruction of the and the Animal Liberation Front The Animal Liberation Front (ALF) is a name used internationally by those who, through the means of direct action, oppose the use of animals as property or resources through capitalizing on the destruction and experimentation of animals. , both of which have claimed responsibility for some of the crimes of which the six arrested Wednesday are accused, often boast of the fact that no one has been injured in·jure tr.v. in·jured, in·jur·ing, in·jures 1. To cause physical harm to; hurt. 2. To cause damage to; impair. 3. or killed in their fires and explosions. This does not make arson a non-violent act. The fact that no one has died can be ascribed as much to luck as to planning. Even if arsonists take great care to make certain that no one is in a building they are about to burn, they can't ensure the safety of firefighters attempting to extinguish Extinguish Retire or pay off debt. the blazes. The arsons, committed from 1998 through 2001, were directed against timber companies, research centers and meat-processing facilities. The organizations claiming respon- sibility said they were acting to protect the Earth or defenseless animals. Many Americans are sympathetic to environmental causes and animal rights campaigns, but arsonists should not be permitted to cloak themselves in romanticism romanticism, term loosely applied to literary and artistic movements of the late 18th and 19th cent. Characteristics of Romanticism Resulting in part from the libertarian and egalitarian ideals of the French Revolution, the romantic movements had and self-righteousness. A political belief, however deeply felt, is no excuse for arson. If it were, those who burn churches or abortion clinics An abortion clinic is a medical facility that performs or specializes in abortions. Such clinics may be public medical centers or private medical practices. Planned Parenthood, whose clinics offer abortions as well as other reproductive care and counseling, is the largest would be entitled to a similar defense. The fact that one of the suspects lives in Springfield and three others are former residents of Eugene makes it difficult to ignore the likelihood that the Eugene-Springfield area is an incubator for ecoterror. Arsonists should not find tacit or overt support in any community. Those who claim for themselves the right to destroy property and put lives in danger are a threat to everyone. Their ordinary criminal conduct is compounded by arrogance, self-absorption and contempt for others' ideas, opinions and rights. It's encouraging that these crimes - possibly including a 1999 fire at the Childers Meat Co. in Eugene that caused $500,000 damage, for which one of the suspects arrested Wednesday may be charged - appear to be on their way to being solved. A political veneer veneer (vənēr`), thin leaf of wood applied with glue to a panel or frame of solid wood. The art of veneer developed with early civilization. does not make arson a lesser crime. |
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