That's what EarthFirst! does: direct action. And I think they cite Abbey as
their model.
And though I'm not saying I approve of ELF or burning houses, I just cannot
accept destruction per se as violence. It may be destructive, but it does
not hurt people. Equating property with personhood is a capitalist ruse, now
internalized by many in the materialist society. Destroying property without
injuring people is arguably a more ethical way to conduct combat, also.
Such is diametrically opposed to the neutron bomb of President Carter, for
example, which would kill people but leave buildings intact: the essential
capitalist bomb!
-Tc
Anthony R. S. Chiaviello, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Professional Writing
Department of English
University of Houston-Downtown
One Main Street
Houston, TX 77009
713.221.8520/713.868.3979
"Question Reality"
> ----------
> From: Steven Bissell[SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Friday, December 08, 2000 5:25 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: ECOTERRORISTS STRIKE LONG ISLAND CONSTRUCTION SITE
>
> Asking someone in EarthFirst! about Abbey is beside the point. Why would I
> consider EarthFirst! members as authorities on direct action or
> non-violence?
> Steven
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: This list has been established to provide a discussion forum, and
> information, for [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of
> Chiaviello, Anthony
> Sent: Friday, December 08, 2000 4:19 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: ECOTERRORISTS STRIKE LONG ISLAND CONSTRUCTION SITE
>
>
> Well, I beg to differ. Abbey is considered an inspiration, if not a
> theorist, of direct action - just ask anyone in EarthFirst!
> Also, having read his fiction, I wouldn't call it "good," fairly
> commercial and entertaining, but hardly good fiction. I read Hayduke Lives
> recently and was not impressed. I'm not familiar with his poetry.
> But it is not deifying him to point out that monkeywrenching is
> acknowledged as legitimate direct action and is not considered "violence."
> I guess it would be if the bulldozers, for example, could suffer pain (a
> la
> Singer), but I think we're a ways yet from personifying machines (not that
> an effort isn't on the horizon!).
> -Tc
> Anthony R. S. Chiaviello, Ph.D.
> Assistant Professor, Professional Writing
> Department of English
> University of Houston-Downtown
> One Main Street
> Houston, TX 77009
> 713.221.8520/713.868.3979
> "Question Reality"
>
> > ----------
> > From: Steven Bissell[SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
> > Sent: Friday, December 08, 2000 5:10 PM
> > To: [log in to unmask]
> > Subject: Re: ECOTERRORISTS STRIKE LONG ISLAND CONSTRUCTION SITE
> >
> > I really dislike this sort of thing. Taking a can of gasoline and
> burning
> > down a house is violence whether someone is in the house or not. And, as
> > much as I admire Abbey's writing, he is not a reference for either
> direct
> > action or the use of violence; he was a writer of good fiction and bad
> > poetry, let's not deify him.
> > Steven
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: This list has been established to provide a discussion forum, and
> > information, for [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of
> > Chiaviello, Anthony
> > Sent: Friday, December 08, 2000 3:01 PM
> > To: [log in to unmask]
> > Subject: Re: ECOTERRORISTS STRIKE LONG ISLAND CONSTRUCTION SITE
> >
> >
> > It may be so that ELF is giving direct action a bad name, but on the
> other
> > hand, direct action does not equal violence, as you assert in your first
> > paragraph.
> >
> > Destruction of property is not the essence of violence. Violence
> > directly involves humans. Thus, property destruction is direct action
> that
> > avoids harming people, thus, avoids violence. It is sad that our
> material
> > society has so fully bought into the propertied class's conflation of
> > violence with property damage. It's just not so. Ref. Ed Abbey on this.
> > -Tc
> >
> > Anthony R. S. Chiaviello, Ph.D.
> > Assistant Professor, Professional Writing
> > Department of English
> > University of Houston-Downtown
> > One Main Street
> > Houston, TX 77009
> > 713.221.8520/713.868.3979
> > "Question Reality"
> >
> > > ----------
> > > From: Steven Bissell[SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
> > > Sent: Friday, December 08, 2000 9:26 AM
> > > To: [log in to unmask]
> > > Subject: Re: ECOTERRORISTS STRIKE LONG ISLAND CONSTRUCTION SITE
> > >
> > > We had a growth initiative fail in the recent election. Apparently
> some
> > > who
> > > were for the initiative and claim to be ELF have been burning or
> > > threatening
> > > to burn houses in Boulder county. As I recall my reading of direct
> > action
> > > writers the idea of direct action (which really means "violence") is
> > that
> > > it
> > > should be directed at the source of oppression and you should be
> willing
> > > to
> > > place yourself in danger of either harm or capture when you do it;
> hence
> > > the
> > > old idea of the bomb throwing anarchist, that is literally what you
> are
> > > suppose to do. What ELF seems to be doing is not much more than
> > vandalism,
> > > and to disguise it as environmental direct action really pisses me
> off.
> > >
> > > I was involved in the Vietnam protest and direct action associated
> with
> > > the
> > > first Earth Day. I was threatened with arrest and placed on a list of
> > > potential "terrorists" by the sheriff's office. I am not a pacifist
> nor
> > do
> > > I
> > > shrink from civil disobedience of the more violent nature. From what
> > I've
> > > seen so far, ELF is giving direct action a bad name.
> > >
> > > Steven
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: This list has been established to provide a discussion forum,
> and
> > > information, for [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Jim
> > > Tantillo
> > > Sent: Friday, December 08, 2000 6:27 AM
> > > To: [log in to unmask]
> > > Subject: fwd: ECOTERRORISTS STRIKE LONG ISLAND CONSTRUCTION SITE
> > >
> > >
> > > Once again, I get the sense that the primary motivating factor here is
> > not
> > > so much love of nature as it is hatred of rich people. I don't think
> > > ecoterrorists (Earth Liberators) (Nature Warriors) (whatever) do
> anyone
> > > any
> > > good with activities and statements like these. just imho.
> > > Jim T.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > http://ens-news.com/ens/dec2000/2000L-12-07-09.html
> > >
> > > ECOTERRORISTS STRIKE LONG ISLAND CONSTRUCTION SITE
> > >
> > > LONG ISLAND, New York, December 7, 2000 (ENS) - Last Friday, members
> of
> > > the
> > > Earth Liberation Front (ELF) attacked a development site in Middle
> > Island,
> > > Long Island, leaving a trail of property destruction in their wake.
> The
> > > ELF
> > > smashed more than 200 windows of houses already erected, pulled up
> > survey
> > > stakes to delay clear cutting, spraypainted structures with slogans
> > > denoucing urban sprawl, and sabotaged 12 construction vehicles. The
> > attack
> > > aimed to protect some of Long Island's last untouched ecosystems from
> > > urban
> > > sprawl. Urban sprawl is responsible for the alteration of more than 90
> > > percent of all ecosystems on Long Island, either though paving,
> > > introduction of toxic man made materials, or from human intrusion into
> > > wildlife habitats, the activists charged. The ELF activists said their
> > > action sets a precedent that Long Island's unique Pine Barren
> ecosystem
> > > will not vanish without a fight.
> > >
> > > "Urban sprawl not only destroys the forest and green spaces of our
> > > planet,
> > > but also leads directly to added runoff of pollutants into waterways,
> > > increased traffic that causes congestion and air pollution, and a less
> > > pleasing landscape," the activists said in an anonymous communique.
> > "These
> > > luxury homes are being built precariously close to the 320 acre
> > Cathedral
> > > Pines County Park. Long Island has the 2nd largest pine barren
> ecosystem
> > > in
> > > the world. Our greedy and corrupt politicians are more than willing to
> > > provide subsidies and allow construction in any area not under current
> > > protection by the Long Island Pine Barren Protection Plan. Our
> forests
> > > also lay ontop of our aquifer which provides a large expanse of
> drinking
> > > water that is easily contaminated by pollutants and runoff. We will
> not
> > > stand by idly while our Earth is butchered for the monetary gain and
> the
> > > luxury of the wealthy elite."
> > >
> > >
> > > * * *
> > >
> >
>
|