Activism as Comedy

Sometimes I just have to laugh when I see what some of the students here find to get upset about. The NYU: Animal Legal Defense Fund, Environmental Law Society, and Students for Education on Animal Liberation were all in a tizzy this week about the visit from recently released felon Peter Young tonight on campus. Posters were printed and put up just about everywhere, including right above my locker. The joy of finding new material for the blog was delayed by the immediate irony inspired chuckle of seeing The Environmental Law Society wasting paper, when they could have just sent out emails on Coase's like every other group requesting an audience.

For those of you unaware of who Peter Young is, please let me explain. Peter is a young man

who is very concerned about animals; mink and fox to be exact. He was so concerned that he decided to destroy around $250,000 worth of fur farmer's property to express his feelings. Peter became a fugitive from the law, was caught, and then put in federal prison for two years. He has been released and is now living the life of an animal rights rockstar, traveling the white hot vegan speaking circuit which is how he arrived here tonight at my school.  He states that his "activism" was spurred after witnessing atrocities at a chicken slaughterhouse when he was in his teens. He soon brought his animal activism to the University of Wisconsin, and through the influences of "mid 90's straight edge bands" decided that his life would take a turn towards the heroic ... driving around South Dakota and opening mink fences. These poor mink would never have survived the wilds of the Bad Lands, but perhaps Peter was just after a few giggles at the sight of old farmers chasing 8,000 mink through the grass and not really interested in saving the lives of animals after all.

The uproar over the punishment Young faced is apparently due to the name of the law he was sentenced under.  As the poster explained to me, Peter was convicted under the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act (AETA). The vegans claim the label is unjust. They threw out a semantic volley of their own as they invited students to come and get some awareness about the "Green Scare!" They conveniently defined that term as: "... legal action by the United States government against radical environmentalists and animal rights activism under the banner of anti-terrorism measures."  Peter to them is a "former political prisoner" who speaks about "resisting injustice."  The text bristles that the law was "[e]nacted despite an impassioned outcry from free speech proponents and the activist community." [emphasis added]

I'll concede this much to the veges ... after September 11th the "terrorist" label has been spread pretty liberally and often times without merit.  But I'm not really sure targeting and "raiding" (read causing extensive damage to) fur farms for ideological reasons is too far removed from the concept of terrorism as a tactic. But in reality who really gives a damn how the bill labels the offender? The AETA was passed by unanimous consent in the Senate and has been unopposed by the ACLU who's only grouch was that the bill could be made better by minor changes providing more free speech protections which Section 43(e) of the bill already does pretty well. The main point of the law, after you remove the terrorist language that sets off some people's emotions, is to prevent animal activists from damaging animal enterprises because of their extreme beliefs. Usually, the general point of laws is to keep society functioning smoothly. Allowing the feds to pick up people like Peter, who caused a lot of problems for other citizens, isn't so scary.

If there is any valid complaint, it might be that the law was somewhat unnecessary. Peter could have simply been charged on your run of the mill trespass/burglary/property damage statutes. But that's not to say there isn't any valid reason for Congress to have passed this law.  A couple of progressions were made by the bill.  

First, the feds can now get involved when individuals engage in this kind of nonsense.  Peter was forced to go into hiding and was wanted by the FBI for a good while; which ostensibly helped in his apprehension.  The local police had stopped and searched him while he was in ND but he was released. So, in this instance, the law actually did some work: the FBI found him hiding out in San Jose - a feat which would have been considerably difficult for a local (or even state) law enforcement agency to handle.  

Second, the legislature of this country specifically targeted a particular type of behavior for condemnation with this bill. The law is an expression of repulsion by U.S. citizens at people who disregard the law simply because they feel strongly about an issue. It is perfectly legitimate for a law making body to find vandalism motivated by extremism more dangerous than comparable petty vandalism. People like Peter who get worked up about their beliefs need to be deterred more heavily by the force of law - the main reason being they already have disregarded what law there was in the first place.

In the end, Peter had to serve two years in prison.  Being on the lam from the FBI for seven years usually gets you a longer sentence, so in that sense, he got off light.  At his sentencing he told the farmers who he "raided" that he would "forever mark those nights on your property as the most rewarding experience of my life."  Saying bullshit like this at sentencing usually gets a big smackdown from a judge, but even despite this, in my view, he got a lenient sentence. Though Peter has shown no remorse for his actions, I still feel a bit sorry for him.  He just seems really confused and truly unaware that his actions were wrong. This is a step up from the criminal who knows he is wrong and just doesn't care.  So perhaps the two year sentence was justified ... first time offender and all.

I'm surprised Peter has so much time to give speeches at universities after the judge gave him 360 hours of community service "to benefit humans and no other species."  I would stop by and see how he managed but I'll probably just go home to drink beer while watching the World Series and eat animals.  Thanks to the poster for offering the vegan refreshments though.

More info on Peter at his Myspace Page