Free speech denied to animal rights activists

In BushWorld, accusing someone of terrorism is a fatal charge - especially when the First Amendment is only a memory.

In America's Lost Decade, folks have been arrested in the United States for distributing news stories that the government took exception to. So who's surprised when someone is arrested for "terrorism" just because of speech?

Animal rights activists face particular scrutiny for their speech.

As corporations abuse animals to test cosmetics and other goods, these companies assert that they have a "right" to disregard animal welfare. But nobody can dare to challenge them without risking hard time.

The elder Bush signed a 1992 law designed to suppress what was previously regarded as animal rights activists' free speech. The younger Bush expanded this law in 2006. This statute prohibits acts that were previously legally protected, if these acts cause even an economic loss for targeted companies. This law has even been interpreted by some observers to bar animal rights groups from secretly videotaping companies' abuses.

Some have even speculated that this law might be used to go after folks who disrupt illegal enterprises like animal fighting.

You don't have to do anything violent to be prosecuted under this law. You don't even have to engage in any property damage to be prosecuted under this law.

All you have to do is engage in speech. Even speech that does not encourage illegal activities is targeted. Animal rights activists have been imprisoned under this law just for speech that advocated activity that was previously legally protected.

Corporations that abuse animals may have more protections from peaceful opposition than any other industry in America. And it's even worse that these firms have exploited fear of terrorism by saying that nonviolent animal rights activists are terrorists. Indeed, lobbying for the current law was bankrolled by Big Business.

Astonishingly, a recent court ruling upheld the convictions of animal rights activists under this law - even though the speech they were prosecuted for did not threaten any individual and did not encourage violent crimes.

It's even more astonishing that the laws apply specifically to animal rights activists - and no other cause. The Tea Party crowd can get away with far more than what animal rights groups can do before any law starts to kick in.