Show Terrorists or freedom fighters Joseph W. W Bateman The Globe With over 1100 criminal acts causing causing causing caus caus- ing more than million in damage the Animal and Earth Liberation Front Frontis is considered the biggest domestic terrorist terrorist terrorist ter ter- ter- ter threat by the EBI FBI Dr Steven Best Associate Professor of Humanities and Philosophy at the University of Texas came to South City Campus s to give a speech entitled Terrorists or Freedom Fighters He began by making a com com- parison One night a team of 60 masked liberationists liberationists liberationists lib- lib broke into enemy property and they smashed and destroyed crates of material Dr Steven Best said to the packed audience inside the Skylight Lounge If youre you're thinking that Im I'm speaking of the Animal Liberation Front and saying that's violence violence violence vio vio- lence and that's terrorism Unfortunately for you that's not the case The crime Dr Best described took place on the night of Dec 16 1773 by a group know as the Sons of Liberty That event is now celebrated in US U.S. history as The Boston Tea Party Drawing on past social justice struggles struggles struggles of the founding of our country as aswell aswell aswell well as the abolitionist movement using illegal methods to free slaves through the Underground Railroad Dr Best stated the central message of the speech Do 00 we condemn the same types of actions that have been taken to defend animals from a regime that is a billion times more oppressive than the British inflicted on the Patriots These actions are the same Dr Best said Dr Best referred to the animal agriculture agriculture agriculture agri agri- culture industry as the oppressive regime The industry is responsible for taking the lives of 32 million cows million pigs and 8 billion chickens according to current statistics from United States Department of Agriculture Founded in 1976 The Animal Liberation Front ALF takes direct action to rescue these animals from the factory farms as well as laboratories Through the eyes of the ALF these places represent torture and abuse The ALF is opposed to every image that you saw Every animal in a cage they want free The ALF will break Terrorists Cont on Page 3 Terrorists Cont from front into any door any cage any law judge or cop that stands between the animal and freedom said Dr Best referencing a video which preceded his speech The video images from inside a slaughterhouse of cows bleeding profusely from the then their r freshly cut throat Pigs on the way to the killing floor were being stomped on by workers These hese scenes were interspersed with images inside an an animal laborato laborato- ry Monkeys being cut open while still alive and beagle puppies being punched in the face by laboratory technicians All the images were set to an acoustic performance of Free Me by the band Goldfinger Some of these images featured were obtained by the ALF during raids According to Best one of rJ J the most important raids by the ALF occurred at the injury head-injury lab at University of Pennsylvania in 1984 The lab restrained primates primates primates mates and forced the impact of g-forces g delivered directly to the head of the primates Using the cover of night the ALF struck the lab causing in damages damages damages dam dam- ages and removing 60 hours of footage revealing to the public for forthe forthe forthe the first time what animals went through inside a lab The footage was complied in the video Unnecessary Fuss which led to the closure of the laboratory The raid is considered an ALF action because it fits the four guidelines as listed on the ALF Press Office www Although the ALF didn't liberate animals from places of abuses the action inflicted economic economic economic eco damage Both of which are listed as guidelines By releasing the video tape the action fit the third guideline to reveal the horror and atrocities committed against animals behind locked doors The fourth guideline guideline guideline guide guide- line is cited by Dr Best as one of the most important It states to take all necessary precautions against harming hanning any animal human and non human In over three decades of existence existence existence exis exis- tence and operating in 20 countries now the ALF ALp has not harmed a single human being and only attacked property said Best questioning questioning questioning ques ques- why the FBI lists a bunch of puppy and tree huggers as terrorists ter ter- The animals right to live trumps property rights Dr Bests Best's speech was part of the Speakers Speaker's Series Jared Kubly South Region Vice-President Vice explained the purpose of the series is to bring new ideas and thoughts to our campus Certainly we dont don't expect you to agree with all our speakers Kubly said Some students questioned Dr Bests Best's message After all the animals are freed and being loved w will ll you work to pass a law to so we cant can't swat a fly said Mara Brenenstall a local resident providing one of the dissenting dissenting dissenting dis dis- dis- dis opinions of the afternoon I dont don't think there will ever be bea a Fly Liberation Front There will never be a Humane Society for Mosquitoes said Dr Best We draw the line at sentient life Should animals have equal rights as people questioned student Brian Haggard Is Isan Isan Isan an elephant concerned with how the giraffe is doing Cause I dont don't think so Haggard continued The Animals dont don't need equal rights but fundamental rights said Dr Best Animals dont don't have havethe havethe havethe the right to an education to drive a acar acar acar car or to vote but fundamental rights the right to life liberty and the pursuit of happiness |