Police are investigating two firebombings targeting UC Santa Cruz scientists. One victim “was one of 13 researchers listed in threatening animal rights pamphlets found Tuesday in a downtown coffee shop.” Opponents to vivisection have published home addresses of researchers who experiment on animals, adopting a tactic reminiscent of anti-abortion protesters. According to the FBI, “Environmental and animal rights extremists who have turned to arson and explosives are the nation’s top domestic terrorism threat.”
These tactics reinforce the FBI assessment; they offer a rationale for profiling all Vegans who put bumper stickers on their cars such as those I have, which read, “Killing one animal is abuse; killing many animals is science,” and, “Wear your own skin,” as potential terrorists. They win no sympathy, they only cast those who sympathize with animal rights as dangerous extremists.
I’ll accept the designation of an extremist. But if I’m going to be cast as dangerous, I would prefer it to be for my own actions. Thanks a lot, assholes.