Showing posts with label animal rights terrorism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label animal rights terrorism. Show all posts

Monday, August 11, 2008

CIRM Should Say No to Mullin Tresspass Bill

Directors of the California stem cell agency this week are scheduled to discuss legislation aimed at dealing somewhat with the recent upsurge in attacks on California researchers, including at least one of its grantees.

On the agenda for either tomorrow or Wednesday is AB2296 by Assemblyman Gene Mullin, D-San Mateo. It has already passed the Assembly and is now in the Senate Public Safety Committee in a heavily amended form.

It now states in part:
"Any person who enters the residential real property of an academic researcher for the purpose of chilling or interfering with the researcher's academic freedom is guilty of trespass, a misdemeanor."
The bill totals about 600 words. The legislative staff analysis is about 5,600 words, reflecting the complexities of the issues involved. (CIRM has linked on its agenda to an earlier analysis.)

While we are adamantly opposed to the domestic terrorism that has targeted researchers in this country, we cannot support the Mullin bill. Nor should CIRM.

The legislation is vague and raises major constitutional issues regarding freedom of speech. Existing law already provides a wide array of tools dealing with trespass, as the legislative analysis points out. The measure is certain to be challenged by such enterprises as the ACLU. Who knows what "chilling" a researcher's academic freedom means? And one wonders exactly why persons engaged in labor union activities are specifically exempted from the terms of the proposed law.

Instead of endorsing the bill, CIRM directors should add $50,000 to the reward in the firebombing case at UC Santa Cruz, which occurred at the home of CIRM-funded research David Feldheim. That would bring the total to $100,000. CIRM should also issue a strong condemnation of the terrorist actions and make it clear that there is no tolerance for those misguided souls who think they protect mice by endangering children and adults.

Sunday, August 10, 2008

CIRM-Funded Researcher Firebombed; CIRM Should Beef Up Reward

The scientist at UC Santa Cruz whose home was firebombed earlier this month is a CIRM-funded researcher, holding a $500,000 grant to study differentiation of stem cells into motor neurons.

David Feldheim(center of photo), a molecular biologist, won the grant in 2007, one of the first scientists whose research was supported by California's $3 billion agency.

Feldheim was the target Aug. 2 of animal rights activists, part of a recent upsurge in assaults on researchers. Authorities say the crime is being investigated as an attempted murder. The Los Angeles Times reported today that academics in the UC system are "angered and worried," but vow not to be intimidated.

Last week, UC Santa Cruz faculty members and others rallied to support Feldheim and protest violence against researchers. Feldheim spoke to the crowd, along with the UC Santa Cruz Chancellor and the mayor of Santa Cruz, according to the San Francisco Bay Area Independent Media Center, which published a number of photos and comment on the event. (The Feldheim photo is from that report.)

A $50,000 reward is being offered in connection with the firebombing with funds from the FBI, UC Santa Cruz, private citizens, the City of Santa Cruz, the federal government and the Humane Society, according to San Francisco Chronicle reporter John Cote.

J.M. Brown of the Santa Cruz Sentinel reported that the attack came at 5:45 a.m., burning the front door. Brown wrote:
"Feldheim, his wife and two young children fled from a second-floor fire escape. Feldheim's feet were bruised during the escape.

"Minutes later, outside a campus residence less than a mile away, a fire ripped through a station wagon belonging to a colleague. No one was injured in that incident. A third scientist received a threatening phone message at home about the same time."
Last week, Richard C. Paddock and Maria L. LaGanga of the Los Angeles Times quoted UCSC Chancellor George Blumenthal as calling the attack "domestic terrorism." Their story also carried statistics from the Foundation for Biomedical Research:
"In 2000 there were 10 such episodes against biomedical research facilities alone, and in 2006 that figure had grown to 77, according to the group's website. In addition, the type of attacks has changed in recent years.

"'Prior to that, the vast majority of actions taken were against institutions -- break into the lab, steal the animals, trash the facility,' said foundation President Frankie Trull. 'More recently, however . . . they've become much more personal, attacking the researchers at their homes. California seems to be the focus of this activity right now, but not the only focus.'"
The animal rights terrorism issue is not new to this writer. While at The Sacramento Bee, I was the primary editor on Deborah Blum's 1992 Pulitzer Prize-winning series, "The Monkey Wars," which explored the violence against research involving primates.

What was abundantly clear then and even more now is the need for the public – not just academics – to speak out against this terrorism. The community needs to understand that the firebombers explicitly place animal life above human life. The perpetrators should find no shelter from misguided souls who think this is minor mischief.

The California stem cell agency has not yet spoken out on Feldheim bombing, but it has given preliminary support to state legislation aimed at helping to deal with the problem. A strong statement from CIRM is called for, along with a substantial addition to the reward for apprehension of the perpetrators, something along the lines of about $50,000. CIRM Chairman Robert Klein should also direct his private lobbying group, Americans for Cures, to add another $25,000 or so.

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