During the 1990’s, a new organization arose to fight against the destruction of the natural environment, they called their selves the Earth Liberation Front (ELF). Then in March, 2001 , the Federal Investigation Bureau (FBI), considered the ELF to be the number one domestic terroristic threat within our nation. They began to cause their own destruction, primarily by the means of arson and explosions, to institutes, factories, farms, etc. that they considered exploited the earth’s natural environment or any living specimens. These attacks cost millions of dollars worth of damages to their victims but yet they never harmed or risked the lives of any persons.
In January 2011, Marshall Curry and Sam Cullen released If A Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front, an inside look of the ELF organization, as they followed several activist to learn how the group internally functioned and recollect their involvement in many well-known attacks.
The film centers the life of Daniel McGowan, who was once heavily involved within the organization for several years, which included attacks by arson. Years after his separation with the group, McGowan is on house arrest awaiting his final trial. He, like many, now regrets many of his actions, but acknowledges that he must still take responsibility for what his done.
Daniel McGowan appears to be a very gentle environmentalist, not the extreme radical activist who would protest by arson. McGowan was born in 1974, his father was a New York Police Officer, and he graduated college with a business degree then he went to work for a public relations office. After some time passed and being made aware of the environmental destruction that was taking place, he soon moved to Eugene, Oregon to be apar...
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...tte National Forest, by burning an U.S. Forest Service truck.
Craig Rosebraugh, formerly an Earth Liberation Front spokesperson, encourages individuals to attempt to overthrow the American government, by stating that “revolution in the United States must be comprised of a variety of strategies” and that “it cannot be successful without the implementation of violence” (LIDDICK). Environmental radicals call what they do “direct action,” while the government has called their behavior “eco-terrorism.” As mentioned earlier the group is founded on three main guidelines:
. To inflict economic damage on those profiting from the destruction and exploitation of the natural environment
. To reveal and educate the public on the atrocities committed against the earth and all species that populate it
. To take necessary precautions against harming any animal, human and non-human
The first two acts of this film are truly inspiring because they capture the "fire" of the environmental movement. It chronologically begins by discussing the origins of conservative environmentalists, to documenting the details of successful environmental movements, and concluding by explaining the merging of civil rights with environmentalists. Ultimately, “A Fierce Green Fire “serves as a dynamic call for the continuing action of protecting and conserving our biosphere.
1) To inflict economic damage on those profiting from the destruction and exploitation of the natural environment;
In 1971, Moore started Greenpeace out of his hometown. The group was originally called the ‘Don’t Make a Wave Committee’ (Bate, par. 2). The committee went to Alaska to protest against US nuclear testing in the Aleutian Islands. They set out on an old fishing boat from the Vancouver harbor to disrupt the tests, but were intercepted by the U.S. Coast Guard and arrested. Despite the arrest, the mission ended up being successful. President Nixon cancelled the remaining nuclear tests (Moore, “Environmentalism” 3).
The movie follows the lives of three students as they go through their first year at Columbus University. These students are faced with issues of race, sexual
But it’s my sincere contention that the on-a-mission Greenie extremists (along with their suspect unproven theories) constitute a major threat to American civilization because their radical militant movement is counter-productive to our already fragile U.S. economy and their perverted liberty-threatening agenda is a direct detriment to U.S. national security.
Being the oldest daughter of a Senior ATF Agent, I have been exposed to domestic terrorism all of my life. My father has investigated thousands of bombings, fires, and explosions for more than twenty years now. Many of these incidents were examples of the terrorism that I speak about. His experiences have taught me countless lessons and informed me of many current events. The information that I have obtained from him is far more valuable than anything that the media could ever possibly convey. Though he is always strictly guarded with the confidences of his profession, he has always provided me with a firsthand knowledge of the impact that domestic terrorism has on the citizens and law enforcement. Through him, I learn the facts of these incidents without the media’s exaggerations. Today I will share with you some of these facts. I will talk to you about the impact that domestic terrorism has on our citizens. These impacts include: the monetary damages that terrorism inflicts, along with the injuries to the victims, the shocking repercussions that are embedded into the minds and souls of the people who come to sort through the rubble to find the survivors and the remaining evidence.
The United States has earned the reputation of a rebellious country since its birth in the revolution against Britain. Over the course of history, Americans have repeatedly confronted oppression, both foreign and national, through various wars and rights movements. Unfortunately, when it comes to environmental issues the average American has grown increasingly complacent. With a renewed urgency, government is working to combat global warming, but lacks the necessary social backing. This social support could be supplied through a new environmental movement that differs from past efforts. Throughout American history there have been three categories of environmental movements: preservation, conservation, and modern reform, all of which have failed to bring a ubiquitous social change and substantial impact on the overall environmental health.
“Earth First! is a verb, not a noun.” (Earth First! Journal.org/Direct Action). Founded in 1979, the Earth First! movement began in response to the increasingly corporate environmental community. The founders believed environmental activists were selling out rather than working to protect the environment. Frustrated by the direction of the environmental movement, they decided it was time to take aggressive action to defend Mother Earth. Their slogan became “No Compromise in the Defense of Mother Earth!” Supporters are composed of small groups that take it upon themselves to become familiar with the ecology of the area and the most immediate and serious threats to it by using litigation, education and civil disobedience (Earth First! Journal.org/About Earth First!). There is a broad diversity of groups ranging from forest defenders, fracking, wetlands activism, animal rights and agricultural activism but all agree on the need to take action. With views tied to deep ecology, supporters believe that all living organisms are valuable and that all forms of life are vitally connected. The life of the earth comes first and these beliefs are put into action by drawing public attention to the crises facing the natural world and succeeding in cases where other environmental groups have given up. Earth Firsters also believe the current technological system is unethical because it permits humans to prosper while other species become extinct. To save all species, humans must give up their technological luxuries ("If a Tree Falls in the Forest, They Hear It". New York Times News Archives, 04 November 1990. http://www.nytimes.com/1990/11/04/magazine/if-a-tree-falls-in-the-forest-they-hear-it.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm). New ideas, strategies an...
The movie, "In The Name of The Father," portrays a social injustice that took place in England. It is a story of a family that was wrongly imprisoned for a crime they did not commit. The two main characters who are suspected of the bombing are Paul Hill and Gerry Conlin. They are both from Belfast, Ireland and are in England to get away from all the craziness in their hometown. The two of them are shortly arrested after Gerry robs a prostitute's apartment. They took the money he stole and started spending it like they were truly wealthy. Gerry decided to return home and share his new wealth. Little did they know that this night would be the start of the downfall for them.
The United States, like any large nation, experiences its fair share of domestic terrorism. Domestic terrorism comes in two forms, within the United States, secular terrorism and religious terrorism. The broader category of terrorism, of which secular and religious terrorism fall under, is defined as a violent act committed against defenseless civilians in order to incite change. The distinctive difference between secular and religious terrorism is the motivation to commit the act. Secular terrorist are motivated by ideology, that is separate from religion, and Religious terrorist are motivated by an interpretation of their religion. Because of these terrorist acts the United States is forced to take action, in order to prevent terrorist acts,
The threat of the terrorism is a global concern and need to be addressed globally in order for it to have effective solutions. The Bureau of Counterterrorism in the State Department (CT) is responsible for continually monitoring the movements of the active terrorist groups flourishing in different parts of the world for the sake of identifying the potential targets for designation. The review of the potential targets by CT considers the counts of the actual terrorist attacking a group has been fund to indulge into, along with the careful understanding about the way the group has planned and prepared for the act and estimating the probability of the acts of terrorism in the future in terms of their capability and intention for pursuing such acts (http://www.state.gov). There have been security threat issues not only in terms of the foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs) but the threat is also growing due to domestic terrorism. According to the report of Homeland Security, (2007) it has been indicated that domestic terrorists based and operating within the terrains of United States including the eco-terrorist groups, white supremacist groups, and the animal rights extremists pose a serious terrorist threat to the country (http://www.hlswatch.com). Such groups are observed in all regions of the globe. The official definition of a FTO suggests that these are the foreign organizations designated by the Secretary of State according to the section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) (http://www.state.gov). According to a memo by its Terrorist Research and Analytical Center, the FBI has partially defined Domestic Terrorism as “the unlawful use, or threatened use, of violence by a group or individual based and operating entire...
He does a remarkable job of trying to persuade the audience to be more driven to “save the earth” and “the children” by exposing them to nature whenever possible.
This film really focuses on the characters. Their thoughts, anger, distress, and mistakes become part of your mistakes. This deals with a father’s s priority and how he will achieve that priority by using unethical ways like torturing an innocent man. Bringing up child abduction and torture are
The Earth Charter website states that, the Earth Charter “is an extraordinarily diverse, global network of people, organizations, and institutions that participate in promoting and implementing the values and principles of the Earth Charter” (“The earth charter initiative”, 2009). As I browsed through the site, I also learned that the Earth Charter is a “declaration of fundamental ethical principles for building a just, sustainable and peaceful global society in the 21st century.” (“What is the earth charter”, 2009) Presently, in Fort Myers and Estero, FL., there are a few local businesses that supports the Earth Charter’s initiative. Even with the support of over “4,500 organizations, including many governments and international organizations,” there are still issues that concern the Earth Charter’s group (“What is the earth charter”, 2009). One of the central concerns is “with the transition to sustainable ways of living and sustainable human development” (“What is the earth charter”, 2011). There are so many people who have lived the same patterned l...
The movie is a very moving, sensitive and emotional story of redemption. The tale of how a young heartless thug can change into a softhearted guardian. This demonstrates that despite the poor living conditions, awful events and how heartless someone may seem. You can adapt to your surroundings and situations, you can also transform your life. Everyone has good in them you just choose whether to value it and utilize it or not appreciate it and discard it.