"According to many, the US is now in the middle of a "Green Scare" akin to the "Red Scare" of the 1950s, when senator Joseph McCarthy launched his infamous communist witch-hunt. Environmental and animal rights activists are being targeted, it is believed, not because they are dangerous, but because in the wake of 9/11 the government needs scapegoats beyond Muslims, and people - often young, white and middle-class - with defined ideologies who target corporate America are easy and attractive game.

But the venom with which the government has pursued its dissenters has shocked people well beyond the green movement. Regan and other civil libertarians accuse it of using illegal tactics, threatening people with hundreds of years in prison for their roles in petty arsons, infiltrating groups, massive surveillance, hiring provocateurs, and handing out sentences of 20 years or more for offences that in other times would bring a maximum of two to four years. The campaign against the environmentalists has been marked by government vindictiveness and prosecution misconduct, it is alleged."

and

"The wave of prosecutions has already resulted in draconian sentences and is likely to lead to more. Six activists were each given a six-year prison sentence for running a website that only posted information about vandalism attacks, without connecting themselves to the acts in any way. One man, Jeff Luers, who set fire to three cars in Oregon to bring attention to gas-guzzlers' contribution to global warming, was given an extraordinary 22 years, eight months. "

The article also discusses the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act:

"Civil liberty groups expect the green scare to worsen. The Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act now raises any attacks against the profits of any animal-based industry to the level of terrorism, and a little-known bill making its way through US Congress with virtually no debate is expected to lead to a new crackdown on any dissident activity, under the guise of fighting terrorism.

The Orwellian-sounding Violent Radicalisation and Home-Grown Terrorism Prevention Act, passed by an overwhelming 400-6 vote last month, will soon be considered by the Senate. Rather than seeking to criminalise "extremist" acts, it targets beliefs, or what many people are calling "thoughtcrimes".

"It proposes initiatives to intercede before radicalised individuals turn violent. It could herald far more intrusive surveillance techniques, without warrants, and has the potential to criminalise ideas and not actions. It could mean penalties for a stance rather than a criminal act," the American Civil Liberties Union and the Centre for Constitutional Rights have jointly said."

See also Ecoterrorism on The Encyclopedia Britannica

"The power of the Executive to cast a man into prison without formulating any charge known to the law, and particularly to deny him the judgment of his peers, is in the highest degree odious and is the foundation of all totalitarian government whether Nazi or Communist."

- Winston Churchill, Nov. 21, 1943

Since 9/11, and seemingly without the notice of most Americans, the federal government has assumed the authority to institute martial law, arrest a wide swath of dissidents (citizen and noncitizen alike), and detain people without legal or constitutional recourse in the event of "an emergency influx of immigrants in the U.S., or to support the rapid development of new programs."

Beginning in 1999, the government has entered into a series of single-bid contracts with Halliburton subsidiary Kellogg, Brown and Root (KBR) to build detention camps at undisclosed locations within the United States. The government has also contracted with several companies to build thousands of railcars, some reportedly equipped with shackles, ostensibly to transport detainees.

According to diplomat and author Peter Dale Scott, the KBR contract is part of a Homeland Security plan titled ENDGAME, which sets as its goal the removal of "all removable aliens" and "potential terrorists."

Fraud-busters such as Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Los Angeles, have complained about these contracts, saying that more taxpayer dollars should not go to taxpayer-gouging Halliburton. But the real question is: What kind of "new programs" require the construction and refurbishment of detention facilities in nearly every state of the union with the capacity to house perhaps millions of people?

Sect. 1042 of the 2007 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), "Use of the Armed Forces in Major Public Emergencies," gives the executive the power to invoke martial law. For the first time in more than a century, the president is now authorized to use the military in response to "a natural disaster, a disease outbreak, a terrorist attack or any other condition in which the President determines that domestic violence has occurred to the extent that state officials cannot maintain public order."

The Military Commissions Act of 2006, rammed through Congress just before the 2006 midterm elections, allows for the indefinite imprisonment of anyone who donates money to a charity that turns up on a list of "terrorist" organizations, or who speaks out against the government's policies. The law calls for secret trials for citizens and noncitizens alike.

Also in 2007, the White House quietly issued National Security Presidential Directive 51 (NSPD-51), to ensure "continuity of government" in the event of what the document vaguely calls a "catastrophic emergency." Should the president determine that such an emergency has occurred, he and he alone is empowered to do whatever he deems necessary to ensure "continuity of government." This could include everything from canceling elections to suspending the Constitution to launching a nuclear attack. Congress has yet to hold a single hearing on NSPD-51.

U.S. Rep. Jane Harman, D-Venice (Los Angeles County) has come up with a new way to expand the domestic "war on terror." Her Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007 (HR1955), which passed the House by the lopsided vote of 404-6, would set up a commission to "examine and report upon the facts and causes" of so-called violent radicalism and extremist ideology, then make legislative recommendations on combatting it.

According to commentary in the Baltimore Sun, Rep. Harman and her colleagues from both sides of the aisle believe the country faces a native brand of terrorism, and needs a commission with sweeping investigative power to combat it.

A clue as to where Harman's commission might be aiming is the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act, a law that labels those who "engage in sit-ins, civil disobedience, trespass, or any other crime in the name of animal rights" as terrorists. Other groups in the crosshairs could be anti-abortion protesters, anti-tax agitators, immigration activists, environmentalists, peace demonstrators, Second Amendment rights supporters ... the list goes on and on. According to author Naomi Wolf, the National Counterterrorism Center holds the names of roughly 775,000 "terror suspects" with the number increasing by 20,000 per month.

What could the government be contemplating that leads it to make contingency plans to detain without recourse millions of its own citizens?

The Constitution does not allow the executive to have unchecked power under any circumstances. The people must not allow the president to use the war on terrorism to rule by fear instead of by law.

Lewis Seiler is the president of Voice of the Environment, Inc. Dan Hamburg, a former congressman, is executive director.

            Right now my mind is racing, my hands are shaking, and I feel like taking over a TV station and announcing to the world what a fucked up article I just read. Once in a while, here and there, we get trickles of information regarding the powers that this administration is reserving in case of emergency and the increasing definition of terrorist, but today there was an article in the San Francisco Chronicle that put everything together for us to see. The article is well written while I tend to be somewhat of an incoherent rambler, so either read both or just skip me and click on the link right now. Kellogg, Brown, and Root (KBR, a subsidiary of Halliburton) has built dozens of secret prisons throughout our country, along with thousands of railcars equipped with shackles. The article poses the question that should be on all of our minds after reading something like that; why on earth would forty or so secret prisons and transportation need to be built? First is the National Defense Authorization Act, which for the first time in over one hundred years, gives the president the right to invoke Martial Law in  "a natural disaster, a disease outbreak, a terrorist attack or any other condition in which the President determines that domestic violence has occurred to the extent that state officials cannot maintain public order." Add that to the Military Commissions Act which gives the government the right to lock up anyone who donates money to anything that ends up being deemed a terrorist organization or speaks out against the government, and you should be getting pretty angry/scared. But wait, there’s more. National Security Presidential Directive 51 – which you can actually read about on the White House website – gives the president the right to lock people up en masse, cancel elections, and other mind blowing things, in the case of a loosely defined “catastrophic emergency”. There’s also the Homegrown Terror act (which has already been passed – by a landslide – in the House), the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act, and who knows what else that has been passed – without objection by the opposition party – right under our noses. Do not be surprised by anything that happens in August or September.

            I am angry and scared and my Word has insisted on changing the font, so I am done writing for today.

If you are not part of my email reminder list and would like to be, shoot me an email, at expatriate16@gmail.com

DISCLAIMER: The content of this post/notes represents a combinatin of things Peter said, things other people said and asked and things I thought and things I heard on the street and things I don't remember the origins of. This is for entertainment/intellectual purposes only. The views and ideas herein do not necessarily represent the thoughts or opinions of myself or anyone else for that matter and this document is not intended for viewing by police, government officials, corporations, security organizations or similary party of evil intent. Cool kids only club, sorry guys.
This is the description of the event the group posted on facebook:

Peter Young is ananimal liberationist from Los Angeles, California who has recently finished a two year prison sentence for his part in raids on six fur farms. He will be speaking in the Main Lecture Hall on his experience in the animal liberation movement, how he evaded the FBI for seven years and how he dealt with his imprisonment.

This was Peter's closing statement at his sentencing:

"This is the customary time when the defendant expresses regret for the crimes they committed, so let me do that because I am not without my regrets. I am here today to be sentenced for my participation in releasing mink from six fur farms. I regret it was only six. I'm also here today to be sentenced for my participation in the freeing of 8,000 mink from those farms. I regret it was only 8,000. It is my understanding of those six farms, only two of them have since shut down. I regret it was only two.

More than anything, I regret my restraint, because whatever damage we did to those businesses, if those farms were left standing, and if one animal was left behind, then it wasn't enough.

I don't wish to validate this proceeding by begging for mercy or appealing to the conscience of the court, because I know if this system had a conscience I would not be here, and in my place would be all the butchers, vivisectors, and fur farmers of the world.

Just as I will remain unbowed before this court, who would see me imprisoned for an act of conscience, I will also deny the fur farmers in the room the pleasure of seeing me bow down before them. To those people here whose sheds I may have visited in 1997, let me tell you directly for the first time, it was a pleasure to raid your farms, and to free those animals you held captive. It is to those animals I answer to, not you or this court. I will forever mark those nights on your property as the most rewarding experience of my life.

And to those farmers or other savages who may read my words in the future and smile at my fate, just remember: we have put more of you in bankruptcy than you have put liberators in prison. Don't forget that.

Let me thank everyone in the courtroom who came to support me today. It is my last wish before prison that each of you drive to a nearby fur farm tonight, tear down its fence and open every cage.

That's all."

I really enjoyed that statement.

I took notes during his talk, and I am going to type them up here and will likely include further response tommorrow.

Peter described his views as going from the abstract to real when he and friends discovered a chicken slaughterhouse in downtown Seattle. Injustice in your own neighborhood is no longer an abstraction that can be ignored or left in the back of your mind.

Guerilla investigation tactics to find out more about the way animals in their area were being treated- just to see what was going on- looking through dumpsters and trashcans, also, the Freedom of Information Act

To see things in the real world, in 3d realm, is the only way to get a real solution. This reminded me of anarchist stuff, where the idea is that the means MUST fit with the ends. You cannot have a non-hierarchical ends but try to get that through a hierarchical organization.

Activists often have an illusion of being effective. But activism should not function as a pressure release, it should actually solve a problem. You have to be tactically effective. Reassess yourself and your actions to see how this is going. Not fucking crutches!

In activism think about the risk to yield ratio before you act. For him he says mink farms made sense. Oct. 1997 is when there was a wave of mink releases.

Secrecy of vivesection and fur industries etc. to hide buildings and presence b/c the public would not want to be exposed to it. Some science buildings are even built to conceal the areas where animals are kept- out of sight out of mind?

Agricultural survey maps, fur farm magazines, 'fur farm road' etc.

1st Animal Enterprise Terrorism charge against Peter, was a misdemeanor. Coupled with an Extortion charge- which was originially a law designed for prosectuting the mafia.

Peter spent 7 years on the lam, but was arrested in a Starfucks.

Peter talked about the differences between a politcal case and a criminal case. The government will want you to talk, about your friends, about the movement- because really they are not just targeting you, but targeting the entire movement. You are a gateway to the movement in their eyes. The will try to get you to snitch. When they want to harass you or get vindictive, other small things, like a Fake ID will get turned into trumped up big deals in order to persecute you and put pressure on you to talk. Another reason why drugs are a liability.

Also the term terrorism becomes significant in its power- all of a sudden this label gets you treated like a dangerous hardened criminal. You might get put in solitary confinement, maximum security etc.

Knowledge bears a responsibility- sometimes just knowing about injustice means you don't really have a choice. But this does not mean you should act hastily- lots of thought should still be put into your actions and whether or not you can handle any potential jail time or other consequences. Particularly with jail be honest with yourself about whether or not you can handle it.

Do your goddamned research. How much time would you serve to save a life?

In jail pressure is placed on you, questioning your identity, beliefs, diet etc. Stand strong, and be ready for this struggle. Your integrity will be challenged. Don't Narc! Snitches get Stitches! Don't tell them shit- that is a non negotiable rule. Loose Lips Sink Ships! Once you know you can take the worst they can dish out you loose fear.

Prisoner support os great for the prisoners, and is also great for the animals as it can get more people involved as they hear stories of political prisoners.

Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act- over 500$ is a federal not state issue, heavy implications for free speech, causing adverse economic effects to businesses now qualifies as terrorism. But don't get spooked. As a movement we need to call them on their bluff, hold our ground, don't fold, and keep up the fight.

Aboveground or mainstream activism can capitalize on underground movements and actions in many ways in order to build up the movement overall. Capitalizing on illegal actions that get media attention is one way that could use improvement. Instead of shying away we should use the spotlight to talk about the animals. Direct action, even if we don't agree with it can create a medium and opportunity for broader discussion and awareness of issues we do agree with. Take initiative and contact the media if something comes up which touches on the subject- give them your point of view.

Individual activism should not be discounted. You don't need numbers to do good things, and certainly should not let lack of numbers make you lose initiative and motivation. You can work alone. Sometimes it is safer. At the end of the day you only have yourself.

Every life you save is a victory.

Direct action is the antithesis of symbolic action, even though certain symbolic actions are often passed off as direct action. Direct action solves an immediate problem. We do need theory and education so that our direct action is effective and we don't make mistakes, but we should not let theory drag us down or pull us out of the arena.

No such thing as a single issue- they are all connected. Every idea that is ahead of its time is alienating. But with this how can an activist with these ideas avoid alienation/depression- coffee, inner strength- Recognizing that you don't need external validation is a great anti-depressant. Sometimes people are best suited to work in one particular field or subject- that does not make them single issue. You cannot expect people to get spread super thin just to be multi-issue- this would be ineffective.

The ripple effect- everything we do makes an impact, affects someone, helps change the world. Yea, positive thinking!

The earth is being killed and the people who are killing it have names and addresses.

Actions should be valid in and of themselves, any media attention is a side affect, but not the main point.

No one talks, everyone walks.

Cooperating with the government causes more jailtime for others. Everything you say is incriminating- no such thing as benign information, and don't lie you'll get fucked.

Nor were the Native people alone in being subverted. A covert government program called COINTELPRO broke up not just Black Power political groups but also black cultural organizations, disrupted the burgeoning underground newspaper movement by denying access to newsprint and persuading printers and advertisers not to do business with the anti-establishment press, and a whole lot more. Although COINTELPRO officially ended in 1971, it was surreptitiously continued by the Nixon administration, survived the Carter interregnum, and blossomed into the persecution of the Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador and and the Christic Institute in the eighties and nineties. So I believe the government screwed her over, although I have my doubts about the guy who says the government killed Buddy Holly.

Nor have things abated. Those Democratic Senators and Representatives who are now supposed to save our asses joined almost unanimously with the Bush Junta's party to pass “The Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act,” which makes it a federal crime to disrupt the activities or profits of any business that “uses or sells animals.” “Terrorism” is defined as “placing a person in reasonable fear of the death of, or serious bodily injury to that person, a member of the immediate family of that person, or a spouse or intimate partner of that person by a course of conduct involving threats, acts of vandalism, property damage, trespass, harassment, or intimidation.” The thing is, the fear has been injected into this issue by the “animal enterprises”themselves--slaughterhouses, oversized chicken, hog and fur farms, and laboratories that do testing on live animals. They keep talking up the possibility of violence by those who oppose them, and have used their lobbying power to make outlaws of their opposition. Animal rights groups, now viewed as “domestic terrorist organizations,” have never had a policy of threatening those whose activities they protest, although some individual members occasionally seem to get a bit unhinged and threatening. Provocateurs, perhaps?

And who's not on the short list of domestic terrorist organizations? Anti-abortion groups—who have bombed clinics, assassinated doctors, and threatened pregnant women. Right-wing militia groups in the US are not on the short list. And remember, the vote to pass this bill singling out animal rights groups as terrorists was passed almost unanimously, with Dennis Kucinich the only dissenting voice. So yeah, I think it's quite believable that the government hijacked Buffy St. Marie's recordings and undermined her career. Do you know who's reading your email?

Buffy St. Marie, “Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee"