Long before I became the target of animal rights activists myself, I heard stories of the anger, hatred and threats of which they are capable. I had not experienced any of it directly, so I was able to intellectualize it, but not “feel” it. This may be a problem for many of you reading this blog who have never yourself been the victim of this kind of rabid behavior.
Animal rights activists claim to the be the defenders of justice, equality and decency, yet what really seems to stoke the passion of some of them is the attack itself. The glee they take in attempting to beat down other human beings that hold a different philosophy is unmissable.
Of course, my first personal experience with their violence was the bombing of my car in 2009. There are some who claim in the animal rights movement who claim that the bombing was a staged, hoax on my part (demonstrating just how out of touch with reality a good number of them are). There are others who claim that attacking a car is a non-violent crime and that no people were actually hurt in this action. Putting aside the fact that inflicting mental and emotional injury is an act even more evil, in some cases, than inflicting physical harm, there is a more basic fact. The only reason that people were not hurt that morning is because I prevented it. They set my car on fire in the middle of a populated fire-hazard zone. There is every reason to believe that they knew that homes would likely burn in the subsequent fire, and it’s only the quick actions of myself and the fire brigade that prevented that.
Many people, both AR extremists and scientists alike, believe that this level of hatefulness is the product of a very small number of terrorists. What this point of view misses is that there is a larger crowd that is more than willing to use occasions like this to fulfill their fetishes with death.
Two things surprised me in the period following the bombing of my car: 1) just how evil many animal rights activists are and 2) just how many of them are willing to engage in this death-threat fetish online. It’s not a “few”. It’s hundreds upon hundreds, as many who have been the targets of these internet campaigns realize.
Case in point: just over a month after my car was bombed, I received the following note. It would come to be a primer on the fantasies with death so many animal rights extremists have.
In the fall of 2010, I would open a plain envelope that had arrived in the mail, and razor blades would spill out. In the accompanying note, the writer graphically describes her fantasy with stalking me at night and sneaking up behind me and cutting my throat. The note had an almost erotic taint to it, revealing the intense pleasure the author took with putting these words and images on a page.
For all these reasons, I no longer feel and shock or surprise when I read about a new case of death threats hurled by animal rights activists at almost anyone in the public who fails to share their philosophy. A recent story highlights what happens when a family is first the victim of a wolf-attack that kills their young horse and nearly kills their dogs and is second the victim of animal rights activists who consider the family responsible for threats against the wolves.
Some of the extremists made threats against the family, against people who were trying to locate the wolf in question and against lawmakers in the state where this occurred. One of the individuals who made such comments was quoted in the story:
They also don’t even know the difference between an actual threat and a remark just wanting ill-will to befall them. Which just goes to show how incredibly ignorant these people are.
His point? He’s not threatening anyone! He’s just wishing death would occur, happen-stance like!
Which just goes to show how incredibly evil these animal-rights people are.
What is clear enough is that there are a really sizable number of animal rights activists who seems to take more pleasure in hurling threats and in eroticizing death than in actually protecting animals. This adds to the weight of evidence that suggests that deep psychopathology is at the root of a lot of pro-animal rights behaviors.
Whether you support biomedical research involving animals or not, one thing is clear. We should all condemn the misanthropic and hateful behavior of what amounts to a quite large number of animal rights extremists. Only then can we find a pathway to a meaningful dialogue on the human-animal relationship.
unlikelyactivist 
I suspect that the antics of the animal rights brigade will attract people with death fetishes/mental health problems. This would explain at least some of their actions and attitudes.
The very first time that they set a fire it was a shooting war. Setting fires is use of deadly force.
thank you for an excellent commentary on these nuts. those of us that are living with wolves have been the targets and victims of these lunatics for many years. As you said, they post the most violent, filthiest threats imaginable on social media: threatening to kill and rape us and our children, they create petition after petition targeting not only hunters but government officials. unbelievable stuff. we copy all of it. They try to trivialize these threats by saying that ‘hunters threaten them, too. NO, we do not. we want them to leave us alone and quit telling us how to live. I agree with Kevin that most of them are mentally ill. nothing to do with wolves or animals.
They want us to stop breeding any animals in captivity. That’s definitely a death fetish. But zoos and “conservationists” use that against us too.
Errmm, I’m evil?
I agree, some animal rights activists go too far. But many are peaceful, like their motives.
All of these comments saying we are ‘nuts’ probably haven’t met a normal animal rights activist. I don’t see anything wrong with petitions, Bear Hunter, they are better than physical force.
Anyway, just sharing my view. Start throwing banana peels at me if you want.
there is nothing peaceful about wanting to stop research that saves humans AND animal lives everyday. no matter how much halo seems to fit you are still evil
I have ‘met’ latterly dozens of AR activists, of the Abolitionist variety, both in public fora and face to face. And have yet to ‘meet’ one that does not soon descend into hysterical name calling. I have yet to encounter one I’d consider anything but (at the bare minimum) a hysterical neurotic.
The whole idea of giving animals “rights” over humans is like that.
You’re right. I’ve met animal rights activists but never a NORMAL one.
I agree that the violent, extremist measures you have described are deplorable and disgusting. However, as an animal rights activist myself, I know that many of us do not actually wish harm on you or others, we genuinely and passionately desire to help animals and to open our fellow humans’ eyes to the fact that animals feel pain, fear and sadness, and should not continue to be treated as if they are just there for our amusement, and “sport”.
In the case of dangerous animals, such as the wolf who killed the poor colt and would surely have continued killing other animals and possibly people, I can see why measures had to be taken to stop the animal. However, so much of what this website advocates seems to glorify the killing of these beautiful creatures whether they are truly a threat or not. Why do people have the right to kill these animals for “sport”? Because it’s a thrill for you? Because it makes you feel superior, like God? I empathize with you and those who have suffered at the hands of extremist activists and I know I will never understand how you and your fellow hunters can fail to feel empathy for the many animals you kill; animals who have no possible way to survive unless people like me raise awareness of their plight. I’m sickened when I think of people threatening other people; but I am no less sickened by the actions of hunters who would rather have a wolf rug than allow a wolf to run free.
of course you do.. you do wish harm.. you wish for people to die and animals to die you want the world to be as you want not as it really is and of course you cannot see any other way you need a quick trip ( one way) to any place where food is scarce.. and people spend 99% of their time trying to survive instead of behind a keyboard ..
I’m not a hunter, I am a rather arthritic 65 year old woman. I also know for an absolute fact that research involving animals is the only reason I didn’t die 35 years ago.
Great story sorry you had to go through it.. But its a worldwide problem in Australia it is not uncommon that people like myself get threaten everyday with murder or their common comeback i hope you get cancer… These people are sick and need mental help or should probably eat some meat..
Keep safe… these animal rights radicals are sociopaths widely accepted by many as politically correct experts. They are gaining prominent positions in our government and we are in jeopardy of losing our rights to own, use and eat animals. They are brainwashing our children in elementary school and now have departments in over 140 law schools, specializing in Animal Rights. Small innocuous businesses are being outlawed in many locations. It frightens the heck out of me.
Part of their problem is the unnatural, unhealthy nutrient deficient vegan diet. Lack of B12 and zinc can lead to mental illness. http://www.b12patch.com/blog/tag/vitamin-b12-and-mental-illness/
http://www.holistic-back-relief.com/copper-toxicity.html
Well I just want to say that not all of us are like that. I’m not going to force you to bend to my will, you don’t have to believe me. A lot of us seriously just want peace and many of us have different agendas. I’m not going to force people to stop eating meat or wearing fur. They can do whatever they friggin want to. (Sorry if this turns into a rant I’m angry because of what some people do that give a horrible name to animal activism and how so many of them are hypocrites.) Something is obviously wrong with animal activism, if it’s come to the point where an animal activist is pissed at animal activists. One huge problem is PETA. Who they think they are? Spreading false information and being hypocrites? For goodness sake, one of their leaders uses insulin yet is against medical testing! What right do people think they have to be telling others how to live their lives? Or threatening another being’s life! Animal activists are taking things too far. Just because people don’t want to give up meat some animal activists decide to force people and even threaten them! Look I know what people do to animals is horrible but do they really think violence is the answer? Two wrongs don’t make a right. I really don’t see why they can’t handle things peacefully and rationally.
I’m still an animal rights activist, but I’m not going to force people to stop eating meat or do things they don’t want to (unless they’re really harming others but there has to be a better way to help them like finding them a new less harmful job that still supports them or something.)