Category: Uncategorized

Earth Liberation Front Activists Vandalize Connecticut Home

A newly-constructed home in South Windsor, Connecticut, was vandalized by Earth Liberation Front extremists who spay-painted slogans such as “ELF” and “No Sprawl” on the house.

A relatively minor event, except as an illustration of just how little local law enforcement understands the dynamics of such groups. Here’s The Hartford Courant’s quote from the local police chief,

Town Police Chief Gary K. Tyler dismissed the possibility of a link to the organization [ELF].

“It wouldn’t surprise me if some kids saw [the group] on the Internet or hear it from their parents,” Tyler said.

Sgt. Matthew D. Reed, police spokesman, said there was no reason to belive that an organized group was responsible for the vandalism. “But anything is possible,” he added.

Police seem unable to grasp with the concept of an un-organized group, such as ELF, and as long as they are unable to understand that none of these acts are committed by some sort of organized group of activists, extremists who carry out these crimes will be at a distinct advantage.

Source:

Group implicated in vandalism. Dan Uhlinger, Hartford Courant, July 3, 2003.

Five Activists Arrested In Finland

On July 29, 2003, five animal rights activist were arrested in Finland after attempting to break into a fur farm in Maalahti.

The activist targeted a farm that had been the target of another activist raid in 2002 that resulted in the release of 1,00 mink.

This time around, a newly installed security system alerted the owner and a security company who in turn alerted police. Police stopped a card the five were apparently attempting to flee the scene in, and according to a newspaper report on the arrests discovered “a number of objects in the car similar to those used in previous fur farm raids.”

Source:

Attempted fur farm raid fails — police catch five animal rights activists. Helsingin Sanomat, July 30, 2003.

Could Organized Short Selling Harm Companies?

An odd press release came across PR Newswire in July from novelist Siegfried Brian Barger promoting his animal-rights themed novel, Fontana. The characters in Barger’s novel use a strategy that Barger thinks animal rights activists use — the short sell stock in companies they oppose.

According to Barger’s press release,

Siegfried Brian Barger, a former money manager, is urging major animal rights organizations . . . to actively “sell short” — an aggressive investment technique that can cause stock prices to decline rapidly — the stocks of publicly-traded corporations possessing a history of animal abuse.

. . .

“With millions of devoted members, the animal rights movement possesses a valuable new currency for change,” says Barger. The author, formerly from Cincinnati, Ohio, thinks the animal rights movement should construct a single — and huge — mutual fund dedicated to short selling, into which their supporters could invest. The current controversy over the inhumane treatment of chickens, pitting PETA against restaurant conglomerate Yum Brands [which owns KFC], underscores this need.

Barger’s novel also features his characters illegally releasing false information about the fictitious company in the novel, though Barger says he is not advocating that animal rights activists try to illegally manipulate stock prices in that manner.

This sort of scheme is probably a good example of why Barger is a former money manager. On the other hand, AnimalRights.Net would like to go on record as being in favor of activists investing as much money as they can in a mutual fund whose investment strategy is to short sell otherwise healthy stocks. That’s the sort of investment opportunity they really should not pass up.

Source:

Author & former investment manager urgers animal rights organizations like PETA to ‘Sell Short’ stocks of abusive corporations. Siegfried Brian Barger, Press Release, July 25, 2003.

Condoleeza Rice Is Conservative, Not Black . . . and Linda Chavez Is the Secretary of Labor

Went out and bought a digital camcorder recently and now I’m doing a full-blown video project on the Left wing folks here and their response to 9/11 and the war on Iraq. As part of that, tonight I went and videotaped a panel hosted by a student group that was about Bush’s policy responses to 9/11. Except for one gentleman (a former professor of mine), it was mostly standard Left wing claptrap including conspiracy theories galore.

What really struck me, however, was the professor they had on the panel to discuss affirmative action. The prof. made the mistake of addressing Bush’s cabinet, which has been touted as having more minorities than any other cabinet in history.

To which our speaker — who is a professor mind you — noted a specific objection and a bizarre meandering observation.

The objection was that while Bush claims to have more minorities in his cabinet than anyone else in history, the reality is that people like Condoleeza Rice are conservatives who oppose affirmative action. Apparently being black and liberal are supposed to be synonymous or there’s something wrong.

Even more bizarre, however, is the professor actually digressed for several minutes about Labor Secretary Linda Chavez. Of course, Elaine Chao is actually the Labor Secretary. Chavez was nominated, but withdrew her name from consideration in January 2001. (And this wasn’t simply a mix-up of names — the context of his comments were clearly about Chavez and her Hispanic heritage).

Oy.

Ed Koch on Moron Protesters at 9/11 Memorial

Henry Hanks sent along a link to a CNN interview with Ed Koch today which starts off with this tidbit,

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Let’s get some perspective now on New York City, how it’s been affected over the course of these past two years. And for that, I am joined by the former mayor of New York City, Ed Koch. He’s joining us live.

Mr. Mayor, once again, thank you very much for joining us. How has your beautiful city, a city so many of us love, no one more than you yourself, how has it changed?

ED KOCH, FORMER NEW YORK MAYOR: Well, the aftermath — the immediate aftermath we were overwhelmed with sorrow. Now, while we are still sorrowful, we are also proud of how we responded and how we are rebuilding.

And I will tell you that when I entered the area, there was a picket group that just revolted me, not very many. But they had a sign which said, “The Bush regime engineered 9/11.” It is such an outrage.

If anybody finds pictures of this, please e-mail me a link at [email protected]

Source:

Interview With Former NYC Mayor Ed Koch. CNN, September 11, 2003.