ELF Member gets 5 years.

[The Central Scrutinizer]

What's worth more, a person or a car, I wonder?

In this case, the car is worth more.

 

[Beerina]

Cheater. You were supposed to guess before Googling.

In any case, yes, he was a physics grad student. Supposedly majored in both math and physics at the University of Chicago to get his bachelor's degree. Not what I would've stereotypically expected from somebody who would do something like this. Go figure.

Math PhD Unabomber, anyone? Anyone?

 

[Pescado]

Math PhD Unabomber, anyone? Anyone?

I would argue that the Unabomber's actions and the SUVabomber's actions were fundamentally different. That was the impression I got, in any case. The former targets specific people with bombs, writes lengthy manifestos and calls for an end to technology. The other catches SUVs on fire and writes some graffiti on the wall. The latter seems much more juvenile and much more "university student" to me. They may appear to share common goals on the surface, but the actions were much different, in my opinion.

 

[Tmy]

They shoudl let him go! After all we need the jail space for pot dealers and young black men.

 

[Roadtoad]

They shoudl let him go! After all we need the jail space for pot dealers and young black men.

Yeah, the REAL danger to society...!

You know, what truly bothers me about this is that much of what the ELF is claiming it supports is honorable. I'm all for using less, conserving what we have, seeking alternative fuel sources, and even those energy sources that are non polluting.

But they're forcing people to dig in their heels and resist with crap like this. If you want to convert people, it makes more sense to show them something that works; proof before purchase. At that point, you can really make some inroads. (Did these guys miss the impact hybrids are having?)

 

[CapelDodger]

Student Convicted of Torching SUVs

....

He could get at least five years behind bars at sentencing March 12.

"Could get at least ..." Frickin' journalists. What is that supposed to mean? "Could get at most" I can parse, "Will get at least" ditto, but WTF? And most of them call themselves "writers"! Why not "Will get up to 5000 years"?

That aside, I'd have thought keying SUV's would have been a better tactic than arson. If you're not going to get into tilt-switches and 50g of Semtex, the annoyance effect is what you're aiming for. This smells of attention-seeking (and some form of accelerant, obviously).

 

[Art Vandelay]

Re: Re: ELF Member gets 5 years.

"Could get at least ..." Frickin' journalists. What is that supposed to mean? "Could get at most" I can parse, "Will get at least" ditto, but WTF? And most of them call themselves "writers"! Why not "Will get up to 5000 years"?

I don't think that's quite as bad as the ads with such phrases as "Save up to 50%... or more!"

You know, what truly bothers me about this is that much of what the ELF is claiming it supports is honorable.

Except that any good that they advocate is overshadowed by their most important piece of doctrine: that they have the right to unilaterally decide how much environmental impact, and of what sort, is allowed. I disagree with a lot of environmentalism, but I support people's right to advocate it. I don't think, however, that any level of environmental impact justifies terrorism. They are no better than people who bomb abortion clinics or beat up homosexuals. It's the same basic mindset.

PS The original term was "UNABOM", which turned into "Unabomer", but it appears that this has almost universally turned into "Unabomber".

 

[HarryKeogh]

The irrational hatred of SUV's isn't motivated by environmental concerns. SUV's have become a symbol of that which these folks really hate: affluence.

what I hate about SUVs is the fact that most people are lousy drivers to begin with. Put them in an SUV the size of a delivery van and they don't get better.

other than that I see a single man cruising, alone, up and down the neighborhood in an H2 Hummer as being perfectly sensible.

(and I don't think it has anything to do with affluence, I'm sure most of these people are financing these SUVs up the arse to keep up with the Joneses. But hey, it's their money...go nuts. I prefer to have a positive net worth)