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Originally Posted by jillianleab
As I said, in my opinion, there is little difference between the two. You can't be an activist if you aren't an extremist, and while you can be an extremist and not be an activist, the two don't really fit together. It's my experience people who are highly emotional involving one thing or another, enough that they consider themselves an "extremist" will, in certain situations, at least, be an activist as well.
What kind of reasoning is that, "you can't be an activist if you aren't an extremist?"
I attended a Steven Curtis Chapman concert last night, he's a prominent "activist" for adoption. We laughed, we cried, we prayed, we rocked out - and raised over $5000 to help a local family cover the expense of an adoption. He signed up dozens and dozens of other "activists" to take a small bucket and gather change to change the lives of orphans and around the world. That makes him an all those 8 and 9 year old kids walking off with their buckets "extremists?"
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So since there have been no anti-abortion terrorist acts in 6 1/2 years it means those groups aren't active? Can't be a threat? Al-Qaeda hasn't attacked us in that long either, does that mean they are no longer a threat? The fact is any sort of extremism, from the right or the left is a problem, and I think that's the point the author was trying to make. Any group who will stoop to violent means to be heard is cause for concern. It doesn't matter if they have been dormant for six years, ten years or thirty years - if they still exist, they are of a concern for safety. Maybe they've been stock piling ammunition. :)
The first thing I said in this post was "Personally I think damage from any extremist is a concern." Regardless of your opinion, this writer was intentionally biased (my opinion) or lazy - neither are excuses. When opening with "when it comes to fears about a terrorist attack, people in the U.S. usually focus on Osama bin Laden," mentioning the anti-abortion cause first and then "on a smaller scale are environmental activists," in spite of the evidence. Do you fear a terrorist attack from an anti-abortion group?
A further look at the evidence reveals the last abortion clinic bombing occurred June 11, 2001. A further look at the evidence they cite, another 68 incidents dating to January 1993:
36 attacks by environmental and animal rights wackos:
20 by ELF
7 by ALF
4 by Coalition to Save the Preserves
4 Claimed by or blamed on ALF, ELF
1 Blamed on unknown environmentalist
17 by or against Middle eastern/Muslim targets/suspects
A Palestinian opened fire on the observation deck of the Empire State Building
A Jewish man (Harry Shapiro) of Jacksonville, Florida placed a pipe bomb at a synagogue to disrupt the speech of former Israeli PM (Peres). The bomb did not explode; instead, it was found by 3 children and passed over to the police on 22 February. The charged man affiliated himself with the American fringe of Islamic Jihad.
Four letter bombs, addressed to the Saudi Arabian newspaper Al Hayat,
Four letter bombs, addressed to the Saudi Arabian newspaper Al Hayat
Four letter bombs, addressed to the Saudi Arabian newspaper Al Hayat
Four letter bombs, addressed to the Saudi Arabian newspaper Al Hayat
A letter bomb addressed to Leavenworth Prison similar to those sent to the Al-Hayat
Four letter bombs were found at the Washington, DC offices of Al-Hayat,
Four letter bombs were found at the Washington, DC offices of Al-Hayat
Two letter bombs, also sent inside musical Christmas cards, were sent to the Federal Prison at Leavenworth, Kansas. They were addressed to "Parole Officer" and postmarked from Egypt.
Two letter bombs, also sent inside musical Christmas cards, were sent to the Federal Prison at Leavenworth. Kansas. They were addressed to "Parole Officer" and postmarked from Egypt.
Four letter bombs were found at the Washington, DC offices of Al-Hayat
Letter bomb addressed to Al-Hayat in Washington
Four letter bombs were found at the Washington, DC offices of Al-Hayat
A Lebanese immigrant, Rashid Baz, opened fire on a van crossing the Brooklyn Bridge, wounding four Hasidic Lubavitch rabbinical students (one of whom died four days later).
The first World Trade Center bombing
A gunman approached cars at the entrance of the CIA Virginia headquarters shortly before 8AM and randomly fired into several cars with an AK-47 rifle. The suspect in the shooting is 28-year-old Pakistani national.
6 against abortion targets
Unknown Group attacked Abortion Related target (June 11, 2001)
Unknown Group attacked Abortion Related target (Apr. 6, 1998)
Unknown Group attacked Abortion Related target (Apr. 1, 1998)
Other Group attacked Abortion Related target (Jan. 29, 1998)
Army of God attacked Abortion Related target (Jan. 29, 1998)
Other Group attacked Abortion Related target (Jan. 16, 1997)
2 Right-wing extremist Eric Rudolph
2 By lone white-supremacist
1 Murrah Federal Building bombing
1 Against GAP clothing store in Seattle
1 The headquarters of the Nicaraguan Sandinista Liberation Front in Miami was set on fire.
1 Gunmen attacked three prominent Haitian exiles in the Little Haiti area of Miami.
1 Three hand grenades found at British-owned property in San Diego. Responsibility was claimed by the 'Southern California IRA'.
63.3 percent by ALF/ELF or other environmental/animal rights wackos
14 percent by or against Middle Eastern or Muslim suspects/targets
4.5 percent against abortion targets
18.4 percent by other assorted wackos
If I can do the research so can this writer. It's clear from the evidence that as far as "domestic terrorism" goes, ALF and ELF more than dominate the field with Middle Eastern/Muslim suspects/targets in second - especially considering 9/11 and it being the most deadly and devastating. 6 abortion targets attacked in 15 years - the last being almost 7 years ago - is hardly reason for concern, yet this writer chose to list them first. It was no accident.
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But to you (and to them) balance is the right-wing perspective.
LOL, this is why I might as well beat my head against the wall rather than discuss this. In the face of overwhelming evidence you not only deny the bias, you make absurd assumptions about me with NO evidence. I stand by my previous comment, "my position is the same as theirs (MRC), "to bring balance and responsibility to the news media." No more, no less." I have no problem with a newspaper, magazine or network having a particular slant, it's even to be expected, but when it comes to news just give me the news - don't give me opinion disguised as news and know your facts.
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I'm not saying the media isn't biased at times, but I think a lot of the bias that is picked out and professed by the right-wingers is embellished. It's more of the "us versus them" thing; instead of either side working toward compromise or a somewhat common position it's "The left likes this? We hate it!" and vice-versa. It's seems like neither side is interested in what is best for society as a whole, just their side.
Again I have to laugh. If you want cherry-picking and embellishment, try this. These idiots even pick on the NY Times for "conservative misinformation."
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As I said, I read that article and saw a piece about domestic terrorism as a whole not as a left-wing/right-wing one-is-better-one-is-worse, one-is-noble-one-is-evil issue.
Maybe you're just old and jaded! :D
I love it when people insult me in the course of discussion, that's always good for that "us versus them" thing."
