Abbey, ALF, Sabotage, and you!

-by Oliver

I’m currently reading the classic novel by Edward Abbey “The Monkey Wrench Gang.” The book is a fictional story about 4 people’s love for the desert west and their quest to blow up the Glen Canyon dam (the large cement structure that created Lake Powel). The whole point of the book is not necessarily trying to get people to actually go and blow up the dam, but to make you think about what value we place on our wilderness areas in our country and our state. He chose the main character as a fresh back from Vietnam green-beret (George Washington Hayduke III). Through this character I can see the juxtaposition of our country placing enough value on keeping the USSR’s communist presence out of other lands to send over troops, and bombs, and millions of dollars in resources to preserve the free-states of the worlds and at the same time, really not valuing our own nations beautiful land. In this sense, is sabotage to strip-mining, oil drilling, and excavating equipment not so unlike the napalming of Vietnamese jungles? Is sabotaging sub-urban development plans, cattle ranching fences, or 4wheeler/dirt bike trails not unlike blowing up a bridge used by soviets to supply northern Vietnam with ak-47s? If nothing else, the book makes you think about what things you place value on. Do we value our wilderness enough?

On top of reading that book, last week at our school had a week-long Animal Rights symposia. The only speech I went to happened to be about sabotage and violence. The speaker, from the Animal Liberations Front (ALF) highlighted instances where pacifist efforts failed to liberate oppressed and exploited people and violence and sabotage were used as an acceptable (in hind-site) alternative (India, S. Africa, slavery, women's liberation, etc). He concluded that pacifist efforts have not worked in liberating animals and that he could see moral justification in using violence/sabotage to get the job done. Even if I don't whole-heartedly agree with his original assumption (that all non-human species have equal intrinsic values and inalienable rights as humans) I admire his passion and willingness to take a stand.

I personally don’t think sabotage is the answer, but it is definitely a topic worth thinking about. Thanks for listening to my ramblings.

*Side note: Sabotage originates from the French word Sabot or wooden shoe.
**Side note of a side note: Though I do not agree that sabotage as the answer, I do stand whole-heartedly behind the song Sabotage by the Beastie Boys (especially the mustaches) and have linked it bellow for your convenience and listening pleasure.