Your comment discusses your perception that PETA members who left the group for ALF did so because PETA “didn’t go far enough”. From everything I’ve read, PETA is non-violent. Conflating PETA’s actions with those of ALF is wholly misleading. (I do not think your intent was to mislead, but I wish to be very clear about these matters).

On a narrow level, I was not aware that PETA had conducted mass mink releases. Regardless of who conducts such releases (I’m only aware of ELF/ALF releases), I agree that they do pose a very real risk of extirpatiing local popualtios of indigenous species.

On a broader level, the word “terrorist” is used the same way in which “anarchist” was used after the 1999 Seattle protests and “communist/ Bolshevik (?sp) / socialist” were (and are) used as epithets against progressives and other non-vient activists for social change.

Whatever ALF may or may not have done is wholly irrelevant to the fact that corporatists’ PR flacks (such as Berman) now deploy the “T-word” on behalf of megacorps seeking to deflect and thwart legitimate non-violent progressive adovacy and organizing.

I’ve also had some contact with more extreme members of ALF…some that were in PETA but left because it “didn’t go far enough”. These folks are generally recognized as having burnt down an animal Veterinary caretaking facility at UC Davis’ Primate Center several decades ago…they’ve talked about doing it…and other acts (they tend to get involved with other groups…always suggesting more violent activities than the founders and the other members of the groups want).

But the Humane Society has never done anything quite like this, ASFAIK. In fact, they generally support spaying…and the improvement of ASPCA/ local Animal Management facilities to improve the lives of animals in confinement.

Please digg this post!