CNN 's top story this morning is that the FBI and ATF told a Senate panel yesterday that animal rights and environmental extremists present "one of the most serious terrorism threats to the nation." Senator Inholfe (R-OK) provided the inevitable comparison to Al Qaeda.
These groups apparently have been "linked to fires set at sports utility dealerships and construction sites" as well as various incidences of arson against animal research labs across the country. The article notes that while these attacks are not responsible for any deaths "so far," the number of incidences are on the rise. The FBI reports 150 pending investigations, and has opened 58 investigations in the past six years.
Okay, let's put this into perspective by looking at anti-abortion activists' "terrorist incidents:"
In the past six years, there have been 1,903 documented cases of violence against doctors, women and clinics, including 43 episodes of extreme violence - 2 murders, 1 attempted murder, 2 bombings and several cases of arson where damage cost estimates were well into five figures.
The article notes that the number of anti-abortion-related crimes is "on the decline." What the article DOES NOT say is that there are still many more anti-abortion-related crimes than environmental/animal rights activist crimes. Compare "58 investigations in the past six years" to the 149 anti-abortion-related crimes in 2004, 143 crimes in 2003, 265 crimes in 2002, and so on.
What's wrong with this picture?
Not only is it despicable that the Administration is pointedly ignoring the much more violent and frequent crimes of anti-abortion activists in favor of the much lesser crimes perpetrated by the "other side," but it's utterly infuriating that CNN is compliant in this campaign. To use such incendiary rhetoric as "most serious terrorist threat to the nation" here is unspeakably low.
These groups apparently have been "linked to fires set at sports utility dealerships and construction sites" as well as various incidences of arson against animal research labs across the country. The article notes that while these attacks are not responsible for any deaths "so far," the number of incidences are on the rise. The FBI reports 150 pending investigations, and has opened 58 investigations in the past six years.
Okay, let's put this into perspective by looking at anti-abortion activists' "terrorist incidents:"
In the past six years, there have been 1,903 documented cases of violence against doctors, women and clinics, including 43 episodes of extreme violence - 2 murders, 1 attempted murder, 2 bombings and several cases of arson where damage cost estimates were well into five figures.
The article notes that the number of anti-abortion-related crimes is "on the decline." What the article DOES NOT say is that there are still many more anti-abortion-related crimes than environmental/animal rights activist crimes. Compare "58 investigations in the past six years" to the 149 anti-abortion-related crimes in 2004, 143 crimes in 2003, 265 crimes in 2002, and so on.
What's wrong with this picture?
Not only is it despicable that the Administration is pointedly ignoring the much more violent and frequent crimes of anti-abortion activists in favor of the much lesser crimes perpetrated by the "other side," but it's utterly infuriating that CNN is compliant in this campaign. To use such incendiary rhetoric as "most serious terrorist threat to the nation" here is unspeakably low.
posted by isaacjosephson at 8:55 AM
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