Friday September 15, 2006, 3:11 am
If an animal industry can show $10,000 in lost revenues due to protesting, exposing their acts of cruelty or other vague interpretations, the protestor can be fined, jailed and forever labeled a terrorist.

If this had been law 150 years ago, slaves might never have been emancipated, women might never have been granted the right to vote and Gandhi would have gone down in the record books as a terrorist. While this bill only refers to those who would try to protect animals; passage of such a measure would set precedence for any large industry that wishes to protect its activities from the public eye. Imagine if the media were prohibited from reporting the news because it might cost some mammoth corporation a cut in revenues if the public knew that its products were unsafe?

Friday September 15, 2006, 3:56 am
That's the whole point . . . and the all-too-familiar tactic for seizing totalitarian power and control, along with the various other obvious tactics routinely employed throughout history, such as labeling naked agression and genocidal slaughter as "defense" (Hitler claimed throught his regime that Germany was acting only in self-defense--they all do that), and scaring the hell out of as many people as possible, while virulently labeling any dissent as "unpatriotic." "Unpatriotic" usually morphs into "seditious," or, in this case "terrorism." Even the Congressionally approved "patriot" act (another common tactic--call everything the exact opposite of what it really is) defines "terrorist" and "terror" so vaguely as to easily give legal cover to the Regime to label ANY ACT (including speech and assembly) by anyone as constituting "terrorism." This gives legal "authority" to essentially classify any dissent, any act or speech which impedes the Regime's agenda, or any act of any kind at all, for absolutely no reason, as some form or another as "terrorism." That is, enough to give Scalia, Thomas, Roberts and the other new appointee who'se name I can't remember at the moment, as well as the Regime-packed Circuit courts of Appeal, enough to write enough legal diahrrea in their opinions upholding the Regime's actions, to give the uninitiated a sense of a plausible legal consideration and conclusion. That is, for those people lucky enough to have been found (alive, hopefully) by others with the knowledge, financing and ability to get the so-called "terrorist's" case before any court at all. As most are aware, despite a ruling from a Federal District Court Judge holding the surreptitious capture, detention, rendition and torture of American citizens to violate the US Constitution (What, one wonders, was the Judge's first clue?), the Bush Regime immediately announced its intention to continue doing it anyway, pending its appeal to Scalia, Thomas, et.al., who will of course see nothing wrong with the practice and will overturn the lower court's ruling. Don't mean to claim any special knowledge here, but, for what it's worth, I am myself a lawyer with a fair amount of experience; it takes only a little training in the way the American legal system works to recognize weasel-wording in statutes, contracts, even case-law--it ain't rocket science, and it is relatively easy to spot. Go to the website of "The Project For the New American Century," look at their mission statement, take a look at who many of the founding members are, and what they are doing now. For a more concise articulation of all of this, see the President's National Security Strategy of September, 2002, much of which the Administration made a deliberate media-event of, reciting much of it for all the assembled media "typists," right in frot of God-an'-everybody. But I suspect I'm preaching to the choir.

Friday September 15, 2006, 4:09 am
first step free speech then martial law

Friday September 15, 2006, 5:47 am
This choir is grateful for some powerful preaching - free speech must be defended world wide! This is such a historical irony - free speech has been the hall mark of the US public relations campaigns world wide for all my life - just think about the criticism the US has had against for example Cuba and China, the lack of human rights and freedom there - I'd like to see human rights and all constitutional freedoms of old applied to all countries, US included! Join groups and support the free organisations that defend your rights, please. Note this article!

Friday September 15, 2006, 7:01 am
Sadly, this is just one organizations slant on this issue. I would like to see the whole bill, and who is supporting it. I don't trust the organization that takes pride in how many animals have died since they helped pass ban laws.
Best, Eric

Friday September 15, 2006, 7:35 am
Go and read the bill and you will see how much it impinges on free speech

Friday September 15, 2006, 7:59 am
I would like to say one thing. NEVER in the history of the animal rights movement have we killed or bombed any person or business, but what about the abortion protesters??? THEY have and they still have their rights to protest and freedom of speech. ALL I AM GOING TO SAY IS,
BRING IT ON BUSH REGIME, the fight is on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Friday September 15, 2006, 8:06 am
By the way our FORE FATHERS were LIBERTARIANS NOT REPUBLICIANS. They wanted to give power to the state not to the goverment.

Friday September 15, 2006, 8:35 am
This is probably one of the most important and dangerous pieces of legislature you will ever see. If passed, it would take away free speech, and the right to assembly . Eric if you would like to see the whole bill, it is certainly available on several sights. I was just reading Care 2 is one of the largest and fasting growing animal rights organiaztions in the wrold with somethng like six million members. Those six million should relly pay attention to this.

Friday September 15, 2006, 9:12 am
People who peacefully protest against animal cruelty are not terrorists. Racketeer business gangs that torture animals are terrorists.

Friday September 15, 2006, 10:12 am
WOW..I'm really confused about this. Let me see if I got this right...Its saying if someone is doing something harmful..hurtful or cruel and You expose them for what they do and what they are all about and They lose money because of it..then the exposer is now a Criminal? HUH? If I have this right...This is one of the craziest things I've ever heard...Its just insane!! Unbelievable...What the Hell?

Friday September 15, 2006, 10:48 am
A bill like this is the end of democracy and a win for corporatism and facism.

Friday September 15, 2006, 2:21 pm
Please stop this insanity and total infringement on our rights! I cannot believe the degree of lunacy in power in this country. This bill has got to be shot down repeatedly, burned and buried!!! Perish the thought!
Simply Vee

Friday September 15, 2006, 4:26 pm
We're headed toward fascism and dictatorship. If the foregoing occurs; we can kiss the Bill of Rights and U.S. Constitution "GOODBYE."

Friday September 15, 2006, 5:25 pm
William, you are right, and so are you, Susan and Vicki and Jazzmin, Mike, Gwen, Summer, Kim, Roland, Marc and Sam who brought this submit here and all you noters! - isn't there a petition about this, too? I think so...

Friday September 15, 2006, 5:38 pm
Yes, there is. At lest letters to send to your representatives. But I read too damn much, I can't tell you where iit is. It's in several groups. Think Sam or Simone could tell youo.

Friday September 15, 2006, 7:08 pm
Took care of this. But, nothing surprises me anymore when it comes to eliminating Rights.

Friday September 15, 2006, 7:57 pm
God, this world has gone completely mad, hasn't it ? They just keep twisting the Constitution and the Bill of Rights harder and tighter , all for the sake of profit. Absolutely insane.

Friday September 15, 2006, 11:10 pm
Intolerance to people of other race, religion, nation, culture, class, sexual preference, name it and you have it, is what you have to show as a developed country? Adding intolerance to other species may be one more colour you add to your credit. Disgusting at best. I cant find a word abusive enough to describe this. If it becomes law you say even thinking something like this is outrageous. It is not civilised, unfortunately we have to say in the 21st century this country is not civilised.

Saturday September 16, 2006, 6:57 am
Thank you all for noting this news item and getting it to the front page.Even though I am not a US citizen I was deeply disturbed when I read this.The US is supposed to be the Land of Freedom.....not any more

Saturday September 16, 2006, 6:58 am
If you think about it, companies who generate waste that is harmful to people around it, don't want to be harassed either. They want the right to make their millions no matter the cost to human, or animal life. If you pass this it will be a terrible day in history. Someone NEEDS TO BE THE VOICE OF THESE INNOCENT ANIMALS AND WE ARE! You don't see women sticking eyeshadow in their eyes, or mascara up their nose. Like I have seen stated before, NO ONE, knows how a drug is going to actually react to humans until they try it. It is a hideous act to terrorize animals this way. If truth be told YOU are the terrorists not us!

Saturday September 16, 2006, 9:34 am
It is downright frightening to be an American citizen anymore. It is also very sad that it has come this; I used to be proud of my country. However, are any of you really suprised? The Government doesn't even care about basic human rights so why would it care about animal rights. If they take away our freedom of speech, what will be next? Are they going to make us all become Christians too? America cares about one thing - $$$$. Nothing is more important than that. Not even our constitutional rights. You know people, Canada is a very beautiful country!

Saturday September 16, 2006, 10:12 am
So to expose truth makes you a terrorist?
Wonderful.
I guess all care2 members are terrorists.
This makes me just want to fight for my cause of animal liberation more. Whether I need to take legal and or illegal measures to do so.
For the animals,
Rachel

Monday September 18, 2006, 10:16 pm
Sadly we are each day coming closer to a Fascist government. The hope of the Neocons is to see corporations rule and the people again have only two classes. Rich and poor. I am sure more of us than can even realize have already been labeled for one reason or another. Now they are seeking a way to make it retro-active, before it comes to light.

Thursday October 19, 2006, 9:33 pm
Glad to see this is still here. What a total disregard for the first amendment. Did someone say facism?

Thursday October 19, 2006, 9:38 pm
Here goes Gwen with one of her 'When I was a kid stories...' When I was a kid, my father was in the Army..The US Army...right after WWII we were sent to Europe as a part of the occupation families..We were numbver 300... At any rate, we heard first hand and very clearly how Germany was decieved, duped and mis-guided by Hitler. They heard what he wantaed them to hear, they read what he wanted them to read, and they believed and followed because they wanted to believe and were afraid not to follow...All the Americans said..."You should have said something...you should have done something... you should have told some one. That couldn't happen in America...' What was that?

Monday November 20, 2006, 3:31 pm
What next? This bill cannot be passed, instead of lawmakers trying to pass bills that actually make a difference and help end suffering, they spend good time coming up with this nonsense! Shame, shame! I am not a US citizen, but a Canadian, and I am very concerned that about this bill. We fight for other countries to be heard and have freedom of speech. Maybe they are doing this as they are tired of the petitions all you wonderful Americans sign or tired of having to account for things. I pray this bill does not pass!