Extremist Groups
What do they want, who are they, and are they dangerous?
What do they want? (Or rather: What is an Extremist?)
An animal rights extremist is a person or group of people who take direct action to either liberate animals or to deter others from violating animals' rights through causing economic loss to these violators. In a way, what extremists do is much like what our own national criminal justice system does: offenders pay fines (an economic loss) to discourage them from committing repeat offenses and anyone having their rights violated (someone being held against their will, for example) is rescued from their predicament.
Who are they?
PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment Of Animals) - PETA is not an extremist animal rights group--in fact, they are an animal welfare group (as they heavily encourage vegetarianism, which is animal exploitation and violates the basic principles of animal rights). PETA may have what many would call "extreme" beliefs, but extremism in activism refers to action not beliefs.
What about PETA's public awareness stunts? That's extreme action isn't it?
No, that's advertising. PETA organizes public stunts to spread awareness about animal
welfare and animal rights but they do not directly cause economic damage to any persons or corporations benefiting from animal exploitation. Any economic loss due to a public
display is an intended but indirect outcome.
ALF (Animal Liberation Front) - ALF is probably the best known animal rights extremist group. Their mission objective is "To abolish institutionalized animal exploitation because it assumes that animals are property." Below are the first four sentences from the ALF credo:
"The Animal Liberation Front (ALF) carries out direct action against animal abuse in the form of rescuing animals and causing financial loss to animal exploiters, usually through the damage and destruction of property.
The ALF's short-term aim is to save as many animals as possible and directly disrupt the practice of animal abuse. Their long term aim is to end all animal suffering by forcing animal abuse companies out of business.
It is a nonviolent campaign, activists taking all precautions not to harm any animal (human or otherwise)."
(from animalliberationfront.com)
Are They Dangerous?
Let's think about this, animal rights activists want all animals to be treated with the right to live out their lives freely. Humans are biologically animals. Therefore, animal rights extremist groups want HUMANS to be able to live out their lives freely---so long as they are not harming any other sentient beings (including humans and nonhuman animals). All animal rights extremists want to do is stop animal exploitation, they do not aim to harm humans in any way.
An animal rights extremist is a person or group of people who take direct action to either liberate animals or to deter others from violating animals' rights through causing economic loss to these violators. In a way, what extremists do is much like what our own national criminal justice system does: offenders pay fines (an economic loss) to discourage them from committing repeat offenses and anyone having their rights violated (someone being held against their will, for example) is rescued from their predicament.
Who are they?
PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment Of Animals) - PETA is not an extremist animal rights group--in fact, they are an animal welfare group (as they heavily encourage vegetarianism, which is animal exploitation and violates the basic principles of animal rights). PETA may have what many would call "extreme" beliefs, but extremism in activism refers to action not beliefs.
What about PETA's public awareness stunts? That's extreme action isn't it?
No, that's advertising. PETA organizes public stunts to spread awareness about animal
welfare and animal rights but they do not directly cause economic damage to any persons or corporations benefiting from animal exploitation. Any economic loss due to a public
display is an intended but indirect outcome.
ALF (Animal Liberation Front) - ALF is probably the best known animal rights extremist group. Their mission objective is "To abolish institutionalized animal exploitation because it assumes that animals are property." Below are the first four sentences from the ALF credo:
"The Animal Liberation Front (ALF) carries out direct action against animal abuse in the form of rescuing animals and causing financial loss to animal exploiters, usually through the damage and destruction of property.
The ALF's short-term aim is to save as many animals as possible and directly disrupt the practice of animal abuse. Their long term aim is to end all animal suffering by forcing animal abuse companies out of business.
It is a nonviolent campaign, activists taking all precautions not to harm any animal (human or otherwise)."
(from animalliberationfront.com)
Are They Dangerous?
Let's think about this, animal rights activists want all animals to be treated with the right to live out their lives freely. Humans are biologically animals. Therefore, animal rights extremist groups want HUMANS to be able to live out their lives freely---so long as they are not harming any other sentient beings (including humans and nonhuman animals). All animal rights extremists want to do is stop animal exploitation, they do not aim to harm humans in any way.