After several requests by Conservation Force, an international
sustainable use conservation organization located in Louisiana, I agreed
to attend the annual animal rights meeting. The Conference ran from 30
June to 5 July at the Hilton Hotel in McLean, Virginia. John Jackson,
Chairman of Conservation Force, believed that it was important for
hunters and other sustainable use supporters to attend this conference
just as animal rights representatives attended annual wildlife
management meetings. This made sense to me. I was surprised to learn
that no other sustainable use or hunting or fishing group planned to
have anyone attend this meeting in a suburb of Washington. As the five
days passed, I discovered that no participants or attendees from any of
the national conservation groups were to be found, here in their own
backyard. To the best of my knowledge, no one else who questioned the
goals or tactics of the animal rights movement was in attendance.
Those of you who hunt, fish, trap, wear fur, raise mink, sell fur or
leather products, train animals, have pets, enjoy rodeos, enjoy
circuses, live on ranches or farms, log timber or graze animals, use
wood products, eat meat, eat eggs, eat cheese, eat wild fish and
wildlife, eat seafood, attend dog races, support animal research for
human treatments, support proactive fish and wildlife management for
human benefit, use public lands, own guns, support the 2nd
Amendment, wear leather, oppose terrorism, oppose intimidation, oppose
physical threats, recreate in the outdoors with your families, love your
children, want your religious institutions kept free from infiltration
and manipulation, believe in the Constitutional freedoms of the USA,
oppose the continued expansion of Federal power, oppose forcible
establishment of rule by anarchy in our USA, oppose the efforts of the
UN to regulate everything to do with fish and wildlife and guns
throughout the world, and who love this nation and what it stands for
should have been there. Organizations that represent your interests
should have been there. Law enforcement organizations should have been
there.
The people and groups that gathered at this luxury Hilton Hotel for
five days made no bones that they are going to eliminate every
traditional use of animals and many other American freedoms and
traditions. They have been going about this incrementally for years.
Since there have been no serious consequences of their activities, their
boldness and arrogance has reached gargantuan proportions. They clearly
believe and preach the radical reformation of the way we live, the way
we relate to our government, and the elimination of most freedoms that
we take for granted here in the USA. They intend to change the
relationship between mankind and the animal world that has existed for
millennia.
This radical movement must be brought into the light of day. Their
agenda, from mandated veganism to obtaining legal rights first for apes
and then for all other animals, must be understood by all of us. The
current process where bear hunting is voted out in one state and all of
us say, "I don’t hunt bears". Where wild Himalayan sheep are
added to UN Lists and all of us say, "I will never get to the
Himalayas". Where public land is locked up and we say, "I will
never have to use that land". Where dog breeders are restricted to
low numbers or forbidden to breed their dogs and we say, "I have a
cat". This incremental process of dividing us and slowly taking
away right after right, this must be exposed and responded to by all of
us, including those vegans and disgruntled citizens who value freedom
and America’s promise.
The only way for me to convey the truly frightening experience of
attending this conference is to describe what I encountered. I earnestly
hope that the reader will be convinced to treat this movement with the
serious consideration and public scrutiny that it deserves. If all of us
don’t pull together to maintain our freedoms and way of life, these
people will surely turn us into a society that our forefathers would not
recognize and in which we, and I ultimately believe they, will not want
to live.
I can only report what I saw through the eyes of a 60 year old white
male. These are also the eyes and ears of a Catholic wildlife biologist
and ex-law enforcement officer who hunts, fishes, and understands the
benefits of proactive fish and wildlife management. After a stint with
the Utah Game and Fish, the US Navy, the Minneapolis Police Department,
and 30 years in various locations with the US Fish and Wildlife Service
I am what I am and I see what I see. All of these things are relevant to
what I am about to report to you.
Although the First Amendment guarantees the right of free speech and
free assembly, many of the things I saw and heard could only be
characterized as inciting mayhem. Many of the people making
presentations crossed state lines to get there and there were numerous
inferences, suggestions, and encouragements to commit violent and
unlawful acts of major magnitudes.
ARRIVAL AND REGISTRATION
Walking through the parking lot each day revealed an abundance of
bumper stickers. Most referred to veganism in varying intensities. The
eventual imposition of veganism nationwide was the most common. Other
stickers referred to resisting globalism, disrupting NAFTA, outlawing
circuses, outlawing rodeos, stopping fishing, stopping hunting, stopping
dogracing, protesting at Seattle and Quebec, intimidating the World
Bank, and outlawing all fur and leather.
The exhibit area inside lay between the registration desk and the
conference rooms. Passing through the exhibits revealed an incredible
range of protest topics. The following is a partial list of the handouts
and publications:
How the international chemistry industry is killing poor people
around the world.
How President Bush is using religion to kill our Constitution.
Why we must stop the war on drugs.
How the World Bank is being forced to meet the demands of protesters.
Why we should teach children not to be ashamed of their bodies.
How all religions were originally vegan.
Ending the use of animals in research, testing, and education.
Stopping the use of animals for meat, eggs, and dairy products.
Spiritual Communication with animals.
Using animal communicators.
What would Jesus eat today.
Stopping logging in the Philippines.
How President Bush is oppressing minorities.
Why we shouldn’t eat bananas, chocolate, or beef or use coffee.
How to stop union busting in Haiti.
Boycotting McDonalds, Macy’s, Anheuser Busch, and the Back Bay
Restaurant Group.
Why criminals start out as animal abusers.
What’s wrong with - leather, hunting, seafood, fur, meat, etc.
Protesting in Solidarity with the U’wa People.
The Global Sweatshop Coalition.
Ending Procter and Gamble Testing on animals.
Internships for animal rights, indigenous rights, anti-sweatshop, and
anti-fur.
Internship for DIRECT ACTION/CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE.
There were more things here but space is limited. I mention these to
give the reader a taste of the atmosphere at this conference.
VIDEO PRESENTATIONS AND SESSIONS
Videos were constantly being shown. The following selections
represent the flavor of those presentations.
IGNITING A REVOLUTION. A sympathetic primer by radical environmental
and animal activists on "ecotage".
SEXUAL POLITICS OF MEAT. Carol Adams, feminist-vegetarian author.
ANIMAL LIBERATION: THE MOVIE. ALF raids on British laboratories and
factory farms.
WHAT’S WRONG WITH HUNTING. By Buffalo Bills Coach Marv Levy.
PUPPY MILL EXPOSE. BY actor Charlize Theron.
THE REAL LIFE OF CIRCUS ANIMALS. By Ali McGraw.
GREAT AMERICAN MEATOUT. BY Ed Asner.
MONEY AND MYTHS. How state wildlife agencies fail to protect
wildlife.
THE BURGER KING CAMPAIGN. By Dan Rather.
AUSTRALIA FACTORY FARM RAIDS.
There were many others on trapping, chicken farms, the cowboy image,
etc.
There were four concurrent sessions throughout the days. Here are
selections from the program.
WHEN IS KILLING OK? (attacking animals? Unwanted dogs & cats?
Fetuses or babies?)
WHAT RIGHTS? WHICH ANIMALS? (Should intelligence matter?)
GETTING ATTENTION (Legally) (effective use of street demonstrations)
GETTING ATTENTION (Otherwise) (CD’s, disruptions, banner drops,
rescues, phone/web siege, destruction)
ANIMAL SPIRITUALITY (communicating with animals)
HOW BROAD OUR ETHICS? (Can we justify lying, cheating, stealing,
subordinating other social goals?)
ANIMAL VICTIMHOOD (Commonality of oppression of animals, children,
women, minorities)
WINNING HEARTS AND MINDS (changing behavior through feelings and
beliefs)
YOUR SON OR THE RAT? (whose life do we value?)
ROLE OF VIOLENCE
DIRECT TACTICS (economic and peer pressure, physical threats)
ENACTING FEDERAL LEGISLATION (issues, coalitions, legislators and
committees)
HOW CAN WE ALL GET TOGETHER? (what are the opportunities and
obstacles? What are the steps?)
ENACTING STATE AND LOCAL LAWS
WHAT PRICE SOLIDARITY? (when should we tolerate damaging tactics or
statements by other leaders?)
WHAT PRICE ANIMAL LIBERATION? (how far should we go to liberate
animals? What should be off limits?)
MEDICINE CAMPAIGNS (Huntingdon, Coulston, OPRC, Procter & Gamble,
WWAIL)
OUTREACH TO WOMEN AND MINORITIES
OUTREACH TO RELIGION
COMPANION CAMPAIGNS (property, puppy mills, spay/neuter, no-kill,
Korean dogs)
THINGS HEARD IN THE SESSIONS
I could only attend one fourth of the sessions because there were
four presented at a time in four locations. I can only say that those I
did attend ranged from very old rhetoric about trapping and hunting to
scary references to the violent change of our form of government. There
were reportedly over a thousand attendees. Many were my age and boasted
about starting in the Vietnam protests. Many of the middle-aged
attendees boasted of other protest movement experience on behalf of
radical feminism, the environment, and oppressed workers and minorities.
About a third of the attendees were under 25. Many of these were heavily
tattooed and made liberal use of metal rings through various body parts.
My guess would be that half of them were attending their first such
conference. In my opinion, they were being scrutinized by many of the
sponsors and session instructors. They were encouraged to meet with
instructors later in hallways and at dinner if they were interested in
learning "more" about what was discussed and the things only
alluded to. It appeared to be a bazaar for inducting young people into
terrorist activities. Keep this in mind as you read the following
excerpts from sessions which I attended.
GENERAL COMMENTS
Animals are like exploited workers and prisoners.
WTO demonstrations helped to save turtles.
Oppressed people are like labor and environmental supporters.
Pollution is just like police brutality. Use it as an excuse to
demonstrate and forge coalitions.
Abortion rights activists can help to involve the women’s movement
and the lesbian/gay activists.
An eco-feminist ethicist ranted against patriarchy and the "Miss
Vegan" contests.
A German leftist studied right wing extremism. He concludes- People
in power exploit, oppress, and exclude. Speciesism is racist and right
wing like Nazism talked about Slavs. Invading Russia was like invading
the wilderness. Nazism today is the animal users who enslave and kill
animals like slave laborers who were "hunted" for sport by
Nazis.
Competition establishes inequality and oppression.
Guns must be eliminated from society.
Anyone with a gun wants to kill.
ON TACTICS
I’ve been arrested six times and I still teach at my University.
Some places like San Francisco will never prosecute you for anything.
Put bricks through widows to intimidate wives and children.
Baseball bats when they pull into their driveways have a way of
discouraging people.
Sometimes you have to "blow shit up".
Some people should be "blown up".
Bomb threats at key moments in England have won the day for us.
Harass business acquaintances on the golf course and their neighbors.
Break up stockholder meetings and company parties.
Here’s how to find out where people live.
There is "other" stuff that I will be glad to tell you
about in the hall or after the dinner.
There are no consequences of arrest.
Break-ins, destroying property (fire, etc.) is all justified since
society refuses to protect animals.
Make things as costly as you can.
I’m proud of all my arrests.
Propagandize and energize the young, especially radicals in their
teens and twenties who will take risks.
Institute demonstrations and maximize disruptions and publicity. Use
"comely" people as spokespersons and always appear rational
and reasonable.
Coordinate harassment by any means that destroys key businesses,
business leaders, and other opponents.
Lying, cheating, destruction, and "anything else" are
justified since society won’t listen and the laws are against us.
The end justifies the means.
Stress victimhood. Racism equals Sexism equals Speciesism.
Women and blacks had to chip into men’s rights. Now animals are
chipping in also.
"Person" is not just humans.
The privilege of "whiteness" equals privilege over animals.
Attack history notions and focus on our progressive enlightenment on
all these matters.
Break up traditions and change the status quo to where we are in
charge.
Disrupt lawmaking that threatens us at any level.
European culture is our enemy.
White males must be suppressed.
The Huntingdon Life Sciences model from England can serve American
activists as an example of what to do.
No one owns a pet. We are guardians only. The whole man/pet
relationship needs to be revamped.
NOTE: There were many comments about cockfighting in states that
still permit it, dogracing, meat, eggs, dairy products, animal research,
and other matters that resemble the foregoing but are simply redundant
and too much for this already extensive report.
ON RELIGION
Focus on progressive Churches.
I’m a Buddhist but I speak at every progressive Church that will
let me.
Manipulate progressive Christians, Jews, and others.
Assert that all early Churches were vegan.
Identify and support vegan ministers and other religious leaders.
One humane leader compared himself to Mother Theresa. He, like she,
"could save X many more animals per day or week if he had X more
dollars".
Go beyond dogma. Go beyond religion. Enter the circle of life.
Unity and Unitarian Churches are good bets to turn people to veganism.
We are establishing a vegan-spiritual based society.
We may soon convert the Dalai Lama to veganism.
Tell people that we all come to this planet from somewhere.
Saint Francis and Suma Ching How support us.
The religious issue is really the health/ethics/spirituality issue.
Christian tradition has been adulterated.
Beware of hierarchical priests.
Utilize professional animal communicators who engage in telepathic
communication with animals. Establish conversations with "the other
side" (meaning the dead).
Animal souls fit with all religions.
ON COALITIONS
Read Angela Davis.
Talk about dietary racism.
Establish solidarity with women of color.
Be very careful that you don’t get a Clarence Thomas.
Stress solidarity with all progressive movements.
People of color are at great risk around hunters and trappers.
Get whites upset, this energizes minorities.
Anti-nuclear protesters share our goals as do people against slave
labor and those against using the third world to grow our food.
Always keep an eye out for free floating radicals who can help.
Globalization is the issue to forge coalitions around. (Cheers)
Preach solidarity with unions, minorities, feminists, and
gay/lesbians. Animals equal the Holocaust equals child abuse.
ON HUNTING
New Jersey is running out of kids indoctrinated to hunt.
Training kids with guns endangers everyone.
Stress issues that divide hunters like "canned" hunts.
Dog hunting and baiting also divide hunters so use these topics.
Hunters are already divided, keep dividing them.
Oppose all right to subsistence hunting by indigenous people.
Use kites, recordings, bullhorns, and "other" things. This
last comment brought a titter of laughs from many of the young people.
Hunters want to kill bears in New Jersey and we saved the bears.
Hunter Constitutional Rights at the state level are funny. They are a
placebo to hunters and just put control in state legislatures which we
will soon control.
The restrictions on ballot initiatives in Utah must be fought
anywhere that they pop up.
Hunters are getting old. Pretty soon they will just disappear.
We are successful in getting to children early in school so they
learn to hate hunting.
We need to work more with the UN to bring more animals under their
control.
ON FISHING
PETA has cracked the wholesomeness of fishing. This will deter
families and help us with the wholesome labels of other animal uses.
Always deal with sport fishing and commercial fishing bans
separately.
Fishermen are tools of international businesses.
All killing of fish must be stopped.
PETA is proud to be forcing the Boy Scouts to drop their fishing and
wildlife management merit badges. They are proud to be in solidarity
with others who are trying to change that indoctrination organization.
TRAPPING AND FUR
Confront anyone wearing fur and intimidate them.
Use any tactics to put fur stores out of business.
Confront people wearing fur trim.
Embarrass fur wearers in front of their friends and at places where
they wear fur.
Personalize the animals to children and the public.
Trappers are dying out.
The propaganda about animal control is all lies. No animals need to
be controlled.
Predators must all be protected and allowed to spread everywhere.
Europe and especially England is way ahead of us here. The Labor
Party is very sympathetic.
ON CIRCUSES AND RODEOS
Cowboys are all sissies. Confront them and they run.
Take concealed videos to circuses and try to get footage of what goes
on.
Get local ordinances passed that make it more expensive and more
difficult to put on performances.
Identify and support local law enforcement vegans and sympathizers.
ON ANIMAL RIGHTS
The NARAL representative described how she is working with and
supporting the Great Ape Project. The only goal is to obtain legal
rights for apes as the crack in the wall for all other animals (like
abortion, endangered species, and gun control).
ON POLITICIANS
Since industry bribes politicians anything we do to get political
support is good.
Remember that we have friends who are not Democrat. Senator Smith
(R-NH) and Senator Jeffords (I-VT) are two of our best friends.
Our new PAC will be an umbrella for all of us to give money directly
to those we favor and to defeat those who are not our friends. We look
forward to a large PAC.
We have eliminated several enemies like Sen. Slade Gorton (R-WA).
Eighty percent of the people are "assholes".
If we can control 11% of the voters we can win control.
Clinton didn’t do enough for us.
Bush is an enemy to all of us. (Cheers)
If 2% of the voters are ours, we can succeed beyond our wildest
dreams.
ON FEDERAL CONTROLS
The Animal Welfare Act is the vehicle for expansion and amendments
that we had hoped it would be.
The Federal Bear Protection Act proposed by Senator McConnell (R-KY)
will transfer control of bears from the state to the Federal government.
We control the Federal Congress and the Federal bureaucracy now. In a
few years we will control the state legislatures too.
Get supporters in Federal agencies and work together.
We need Federal laws over dogs and cats.
Training dogs for security, hunting, and performing must be
controlled by the Federal government.
Most Federal legislators are pro-animal rights and soon most state
legislators will be too.
Federal controls break the back of the state fish and wildlife
agencies that are pro-hunting.
State agencies are enemies.
These selected comments are but a few of what I heard over five days.
The more explosive sessions were avoided by the leaders and lawyers.
Often hands were put over microphones and comments from spontaneous
participants were not audible but caused considerable chuckling. I
shudder to think about those things which they didn’t mention but
invited participants to ask about "in the hall" or "after
dinner". The sessions held anywhere from 50 to 200 people,
depending on the topic, and not once was anything questioned.
At one point I felt as if I was attending a communist training
program back in the 50’s or 60’s for a cadre of insurgents to be
sent into a country to be subverted. Some are trained to control the
media, others to influence politicians and control bureaucracies, still
others to control religion and schools, demonstrators were to disrupt
things, and others to do the "other things" that ultimately
underpin all the rest. Frightening is too weak a word to describe what
it is like to watch this take place in a luxury hotel in a free country.
We all owe a debt of gratitude to John Jackson of Conservation Force
for having the persistence to have me attend this Conference. Everyone
who reads this should share it with your family, your neighbors, your
associates and everyone else you come in contact with each day. All of
us, whether or not we are concerned directly with one of these animal
issues should understand what is happening and protect the traditions
and rights of all of us whether or not we are an absolute majority.
Allowing these tactics and organizations to succeed threatens all of us
in every way.
Jim Beers, 10 July 2001
