"The War on Scientists"
Secondhand Smokette, better known as Debra J. Saunders, has an excellent column in today's San Francisco Chronicle castigating the animal rights terrorists who are attacking animal researchers. (I should point out that she was writing about the dangers of animal rights before I ever did.) From her column:
Imagine if a group of rabid creationists started fire-bombing the homes of University of California professors to prevent them from teaching evolution. Area politicians would be holding competing press conferences to assure the public that they would take on the violent zealots, who have declared war, not only on good academics and their families, but on science itself.She points out that HSUS has offered a $2500 reward for information leading to the conviction of these criminals. Good for HSUS, but I doubt very much whether a mere $2500 will move many to turn in these creeps. Given, HSUS's hundreds of millions in assets, it seems to me it should put some real money on the table to show how seriously it abhors these actions. How about upping the ante to, say $50,000 or more? That might get someone's attention.
No need to imagine. Across California, a different group of zealots has done just that. True believers have distributed personal information on scientists and their families. They've placed firebombs in medical researchers' homes and cars. They've donned hoods on their heads and marched to the homes of professors, then banged on their doors. They've told children that their parents are evil murderers and chalked anonymous charges on sidewalks for the neighbors to see.
The difference is these zealots aren't fighting for religious fundamentalism. Extremist animal rights groups have organized anonymously to intimidate and terrorize medical researchers until they abandon their studies out of fear for their children's safety and their own peace of mind.
In any event, it is good to see one animal rights group (HSUS is that, even though it doesn't pitch the ideology) show some gumption here. Still waiting for a PETA condemnation. I am not holding my breath.
Labels: Animal Rights Terrorism. HSUS Opposition. PETA. Debra J. Saunders.
posted by Wesley J. Smith @ 8:36 AM
5 Comments
5 Comments:
$2500 from HSUS? That's not gumption. That's a cheap attempt to cover their buns with a PR sop.
Kudos to the Smokette. People need to realize that the issue is not AR ideology, but their methodology. They can have any views or opinions they like, but if their message is rejected that does not entitle them to commit civil disobedience at any level.
padraig: I agree and disagree. I think the ideology leads to the methodology because the value of the lab rats is seen as important as those of the cancer patients.
But clearly, one need not necessarily lead to those methods, as Gary Francione has opposed, as has Tom Regan (a little wobbly in my view) and this symbolic gesture (at most) from HSUS.
But the real problem is utopianism, where the ends are seen as justifying any means.
The analogy given here is not very good. Creationists don't think the teaching of evolution is killing anyone (well...most don't).
A better analogy would considered those who blow up abortion clinics and threaten abortion doctors.
Joshua, that is a better analogy but it's been used to the point that I suspect that she was looking for a new one for the sake of contrast.
The list of causes that have been used to justify violence is huge, and many of the causes themselves (including Christianity and other religions) are themselves positive and worthwhile. The problem is when zealots and extremists use the cause as their excuse for the use of force. I see these efforts more as power-grabbing than as attempts at social change.
For me the bottom line is , majority of humanity supports animal research on a factual intellectual basis because they put their family ahead of the lives of lab rats or dogs. That search for cures is as amoral as having omnivores eat meat or Vegans eating corn flakes that are protected by animal rat deaths caused by coumarin poisoning. At leat the lab rats have animal welfare law protection but that rat at the Grain Elevator died a tough death without any concern by Vegan ARA.
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