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Hunterdon Life Sciences is one of the largest private research firms, with offices in England and America. But this company, which arguably gives untold numbers of sick people a new lease on life, has been threatened with death. The threat is not economic but mortal.
As stated in a multi-page article in the Star-Ledger, a major NJ newspaper, the company, which has an office in New Jersey, has been the target of increasingly violent attacks by a variety of “animal rights” groups who oppose it’s medical experiments.
One group, SHAC, or “stop Hunterdon animal cruelty”, has gone so far as to publish the names and addresses of employees and executives, and warrants have been issues out in the western U.S. for an individual connected to SHAC in relation to violence. The executive of Hunterdon was beaten outside his own home by masked men one cold morning, and nail bombs have been detonated in its offices.
SHAC denies it is behind the violence, but applauds it nevertheless. It would be hard for anyone to claim SHAC is innocent of the violence.
With the focus of terrorism perpetrated by religious fanatics against Americans, there is a blind eye turned on this terrorism, by groups with secular motives, which are no less alarming in their rhetoric. Like the Islamic fundamentalist terrorists who hail from abroad, these home-grown bombers and thugs believe their acts are part of a justifiable “war” against an established enemy. They back this up by treating the conflict as a war rather than an ideological disagreement, just as their religious fanatics overseas do – by building bombs, and attacking people whilst masked. The fact that the activities of SHAC and similar groups have yet to result in the same degree of casualties as Islamic fundamentalist terror, is not for their lack of trying. These groups are terrorists as much as their fundamentalist brethren are, and pose a growing risk. Unlike Islamic fundamentalist terror, however, the “animal rights” death squads do not have the support of hostile foreign governments. Breaking their growing reign of terror against Hunterdon – and others – should be an easy matter. Unfortunately, just as the fundamentalist terrorists have their so-called “mainstream” apologists, there are those is supposedly mainstream “animal rights” groups who claim to denounce the acts of SHAC, whilst supporting its goals and the logic it uses to justify the acts.
These people should be arrested for the terrorists they are. It is unfortunate that some experiments necessitate animal tests. No one wishes to see animals hurt needlessly. But to claim to oppose violence against animals, whilst trying to blow up people, is not only hippocrisy, it is terrorism.
The growing threat of eco and animal rights terrorism is not as significant a threat as the war declared on us by hostile terror regimes abroad.
But it IS a threat, and must be dealt with. The first amendment does not give one the right to blow up others in advancement of a cause.
