The Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act

David Hoch and Odette Wilkens:

The Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act (AETA), whose recent passage received virtually no media coverage, will chill the first amendment rights of animal advocates and serve as a template for future limitations on the free speech of all activists. The Act subjects anyone who (1) uses interstate commerce, (2) with the intent to damage or interfere with an “animal enterprise” or with any person or entity associated with an animal enterprise, and (3) causes any economic damage or corporate profit loss or bodily injury or fear of bodily injury, or (4) conspires or attempts to do any of the foregoing, to prosecution for “animal enterprise terrorism.”

So, the test under 3) states that a terrorist is one who interferes with an animal enterprise and "causes any economic damage or corporate profit loss"? Well, I hope FDA inspectors don't end up in Guantanamo.

Comments

[Jay Taber]

Making activism illegal if it impairs the profitability of enterprise anywhere, or influences others to oppose brutal business practices, or inconveniences corporate criminals, was initially sponsored two years ago by Senator Dianne Feinstein.

Given the corporate collusion in many transnational criminal networks today, this would mean standing up against the most egregious human rights abuses in the world would become against the law in the US.

How's that for turning the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on its head?

[Phil]

"Thou shalt not interfere, nor inquire too deeply. Thou art Free. Beware!"

[Jay Taber]

I wonder if the Senator from San Francisco had her friends the Fishers (owners of GAP) in mind. Now there's a Golden Gate family in need of some morals tutoring.

[Phil]

They are big into philanthropy already. This via The Chronicle of Philanthropy, August 2007.

"Donald Fisher, who founded the Gap, a global clothing retailer, and his wife, Doris, plan to build a new museum in San Francisco to house their personal collection of Modern art, the New York Times reports. The collection of more than 1,000 pieces includes important works by Alexander Calder, Chuck Close, Richard Serra, and other prominent artists."