I was reading how about an amendment to the Rico act targets "Animal Enterprise Terrorism and Ecoterrorism". The environmentalists find this horrifying. The article mentioned how the act had just been used against mobsters, white collar criminals and anti-abortion protesters. You know, I bet the environmentalists didn't protest when it was used against anti-abortion protesters. It reminds me against the quote by Martin Niemoeller:

In Germany, the Nazis first came for the Communists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist. Then they came for the Catholics, but I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me, and by that time there was no one left to speak for me.

Why can't people realize that when they censor other people, they will end up being censored also. You would think that the French Revolution which soon started guillotining "comrades" who weren't radical enough, and ended by destroying itself, would be remembered, but, oh no. Fanatics of any direction scare me.

People who think they have to control people to control fanaticism also scare me. As a by product of Columbine the Juvenile Justice Act considers three or more people to be a gang and allows extremely strict sentences for people in "gangs". They can get twenty years for protesting a logging operation or protesting abortion, but I can get raped and the rapist will get maybe five years, if that. Three people! That's how authoritarian and repressive governments control people, by not allowing freedom of assembly, which is one of the Bill of Rights. The same people that call for freedom of speech or freedom to carry a gun somehow have no problem with not allowing those they don't agree with to assemble and to protest.

Actually just the mere threat of incarceration scares the crap out of me. I can think of nothing worse than being locked up. I have trouble with elevators. Planes scare me. I like being up in the front of the bus. I'm not law abiding because I think only sweet thoughts but because there are few things I am willing to give up my freedom for. I also believe that ruling by law is better than ruling by anything else, but we should speak out against crappy laws.