Re: [Eug-lug] OT: University facilities [was: Are we meeting tonight?]

[Russ Johnson]

[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
Voting would not be considered terrorism.
Violence is the key here.
   

But what you have to understand here is what the government considers
"violence". They stretch the term quite a bit, including acts of vandalism
under its unbrella.
 

Some of the counseling I've been a part of have this definition of 
violence, "Everything from 'a look' to 'a gunshot'". So violence has a 
wide and varied definition.

I would consider vandalism violent. Vandalism is destroying another 
persons property. That is a violent act, and you are attempting to make 
a statement by that act. The tagger is trying to intimidate his 
neighborhood.

According to the government, organizations such as the ELF and ALF are
"violent", even though their ideology is "non-violence" and they have
never injured anyone, or attempted to. Firebombing a
verified-to-be-unoccupied building is considered a "violent act". The
Romania dealership arsons were labeled as "violent".
 

I do not consider chaining oneself to an others personal property to be 
non-violent. That's criminal trespass, and it's inherently violent.

Arson is also violent. It's using a weapon (fire) in an act of 
aggression against another.

Bombing anything is violent.
There are many other surprising definitions of violence, but I can't
remember as I'm out of that loop anymore. And no, I don't condone the
above organization's acts, I think they are despicable, but again, do
believe in the Constitution and see this as a small step amongst many of a
government who wishes to oppress its people. You hear Bush now often refer
to drug traffickers as "drug terrorists" now. This is how it's going down
-- ala the Patriot Act.
 

I also disagree with some of the Supreme Court decisions on the 
definition of "freedom of speech". I do not agree that burning the US 
flag is covered under the 1st amendment as "Freedom of expression". For 
one thing, the flag represents ALL of us, not just the government. It 
also represents the constitution... So in essence, these jokers are 
burning the very thing that gives them the right to burn it.

Russ
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