The price of speaking out against AR violence

[Guest guest]

Since I participated in a discussion across several animal rights and veggie

listserves recently advocating nonviolence in the AR movement and speaking out

against those who use violent tactics in the name of our movement, my integrity

has been personally attacked in one group and I've experienced a radical change

in the number of internet attacks on my computer. Before I spoke out I would

get one to four virus attacks a week on average. Following this discussion I'm

suddenly getting one or more virus attacks every hour. Fortunately, my internet

security has dealt with it all effectively.

 

But the fact that these attacks are coming so soon after I spoke out against the

extremists' intimidation tactics makes it clear that these attacks are related

to what I said. It would appear that some of those who support violent and

intimidating tactics against animal abusers think nothing of using the same thug

tactics against one within the movement who disagrees with them. I guess that,

to the extremists, sending me viruses is a new form of " direct action, " a term

once used in our movement to mean non-violent civil disobedience at

demonstrations that is now used by some in an attempt to justify pipe bombs,

home invasions and now, computer attacks. Consider the good that could have

been accomplished for the cause of animals rights if the time spent on

maliciously sending computer viruses had, instead, been spent leafleting against

animal abuse in the circus or volunteering at an animal shelter.

 

It would appear that some pro-violence animal rights extremists are far more

committed to their violent and intimidating tactics than they are to the cause

of animal liberation. It's one more reason why their message of violence and

despair should be rejected by all those who genuinely care about animal

liberation.