A pricey Seattle suburb appears to be the recent target of arson at the hands of the Earth Liberation Front (ELF), a radical environmentalist group that destroys property in the name of protecting the earth. In other words, ELF is an eco-terrorist organization.
Yet when covering the story, Seattle Times reporter Peyton Whitely refused to use any such label for the ELF. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer did, at least in a photo caption and headline for a story running on the paper's Web site today:
Street of Dreams homes burned, eco-terrorists suspected
Photo caption: "Eco-terrorists are suspected in using explosive devises to destroy or damage several Street of Dreams show homes, which burned in Woodinville."
By contrast, the Seattle Times had a snoozer of a headline-- "Suspicious fires destroy 3 Street of Dreams homes, damage 2, in Snohomish County" -- and dismissed terrorism charges from the first sentence in the lede (emphasis mine):
Officials are blaming "domestic terrorism" for fires early today which destroyed three multi-million-dollar homes and damaged two others built as part of last year's Seattle Street of Dreams in the Maltby area of Snohomish County.
Damage was estimated at $7 million.
Explosive devices were found inside the homes. And nearby, a spray-painted sign bearing the initials of the Earth Liberation Front, challenged builders' assertion that the homes featured environmentally responsible construction methods.
A KING-5 video showed the sign, which read: "Built Green? Nope black! McMansions in RCDs r not green. ELF" The initials "RCD" refers to "rural cluster development."
The Earth Liberation Front has claimed responsibility for other arsons, including one at the University of Washington in 2001 for which a woman is now on trial in Tacoma.
Photo credit: Dan DeLong of Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
—Ken Shepherd is Managing Editor of NewsBusters
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Comments Policy
I've had it with those
March 3, 2008 - 17:31 ET by ConservativeRexI've had it with those spoiled brats out West, those green weenie idiots called the ELF. These people are burning down houses in the Pacific Northwest and it will only be a matter of time before they kill someone.
We know they protest at every economic summit in the states. The next time they do, round them all up and throw 'em in jail, get them to talk about who is burning down buildings and what not. A little waterboarding would do them some good. Because they may be better off being caught by the government then being caught by everyday citizens. They wouldn't like that.
so umm
March 3, 2008 - 18:06 ET by UndercoverConservative..any one want to calculate the approximate amount of soot, carbon and toxic combustion byproducts these @ssholes released? How many decades of driving a H2 it would take to match their one recent stupidity? or did AlGoreans sell them enough "carbon credits" to cover this?
Psychotic, stupid, dangerous, hypocritical @ssholes!
"Hangin's too good for them! Burnin's too good for them! They should be torn into little bitty pieces and buried alive!"-paraphrasing Hanover Phist, "Heavy Metal"
"to call an illegal immigrant an "undocumented alien" is the same as calling a streetcorner drug dealer an "unlicensed pharmacist".
What a bunch of worthless
March 3, 2008 - 20:15 ET by JerryWhat a bunch of worthless piles of pig excrement whose brains have been euthanized by west coast public education and a steady diet of liberalism. How absolutely stupid and worthless these "people" are.
Oh wow! You can destroy things. You must be soo proud. Hey, any BABOON with a stick can destroy things, just as mindlessly as you.
I'm speechless... there aren't enough defamatory words in the English language to express the appropriate amount of vitriol that these buffoons deserve.
When asked if he went to war with Iraq to derail the impeachment vote: “I don’t think any serious person would believe that any President would do such a thing." - President Clinton (Dec 1998).
another cover up by Lame Stream Media
March 3, 2008 - 17:36 ET by wizardjrLet's see:
1) incendiary devices found by police and firemen
2) big beautiful houses torched
3) big sign saying they're eco-nuts burning things down for Gaia
and that's "domestic terrorism" in quotation marks? I guess arson for the purpose of scaring the hell out of people is what, just an exercise of free speech?
When found, these people should be burned at the stake IMHO.
These people should be,
March 3, 2008 - 17:37 ET by Gary P JacksonThese people should be, when captured, treated just like they were Al Qaeda, trip to Gitmo, and all. Terrorism is terrorism, after all.
Catch one, then waterboard them until they give the rest up.
I agree. But I think a
March 3, 2008 - 20:33 ET by JerryI agree. But I think a better solution would be to force them into a life of hard labor for minimum wage until the SEVEN MILLION dollars is paid off, plus interest and psychological damages. At roughly $7 per hour, they would have to work 1 million hours (25,000 weeks) just to pay off the property damages.
When asked if he went to war with Iraq to derail the impeachment vote: “I don’t think any serious person would believe that any President would do such a thing." - President Clinton (Dec 1998).
That works for me! But can't
March 3, 2008 - 21:03 ET by Gary P JacksonThat works for me! But can't we waterboard 'em anyway? You know, just for fun!
Only
March 4, 2008 - 02:24 ET by well99If it is done in a NYC Transit toilet.The prisoner will not be allow a wide stance.
I like it but you need to
March 4, 2008 - 10:23 ET by MassConservativeI like it but you need to add a little irony. The hard labor should be rebuilding these 5 homes that were destroyed.
"There are scandals that need to be addressed. Republicans address them, Democrats re-elect them." - Tom Delay
didn't the air force just
March 3, 2008 - 17:43 ET by umpetedidn't the air force just say no to a contract with boeing?? wonder if these type of activities in the great northwest helped them with this decision?
Heh
March 3, 2008 - 17:47 ET by candanceI can't believe you guys actually think the government might crack down on these losers - much less the police in Snohomish County.
ELF has been doing this stuff for years. This might be their biggest job but it certainly isn't the first.
No one has any sympathy for rich people who lose property. Now let one of these ELF fellows set fire to a mosque or synagogue and his face will be on TV tomorrow.
Mosque, yes, others, not so much
March 3, 2008 - 18:53 ET by planetrepublicanA mosque, yes, a synagogue, no and a Christian church, yes but they will be on TV hailed as heroes.
I wonder how much Soros
March 3, 2008 - 18:28 ET by mattmI wonder how much Soros money went to the group that did this...
Dumb Environmentalists
March 3, 2008 - 18:40 ET by roadgeek9Environmentalists are dumb. "It's not built green, so let's burn it!" What a weak arguement. I'm all for going green, but not because of global warming, not because some environmentalist threatened to burn my condo, but because it makes sense. I don't even believe in global warming for god's sake. The global warming-freak environmentalists need to get something better to do.
Green
March 3, 2008 - 21:13 ET by ChaitealoverAccording to news reports I heard earlier today, the houses WERE built green. Apparently not green enough for those idiots, but green. There was also mention of a previous alleged offender going on trial for a similar action soon and that today's fires were in response to that.
BTW - no matter how good a new product may be, I will not buy it if the word "green" is in the name or even on the label. Green used to be my favorite color, now I groan at the mention of the word.
Chai
“...Bury me on my face,” said Diogenes; and when he was asked why, he replied, “Because in a little while everything will be turned upside down.”
green
March 4, 2008 - 10:09 ET by mbuelThe question is, I think, why go green if the nutso environmentalist is just going to attack you for not being green enough?
Follow the money to find
March 3, 2008 - 18:56 ET by BuffNBoneFollow the money to find out who is going to pick up the "carbon credit" tab for all that smoke.
"Fighters are fun but bombers make policy"
I hope these Elfers know
March 3, 2008 - 19:52 ET by wiwfI hope these Elfers know that if they drive a Prius they're committing more damage to the environment than burning those houses to the ground.
Oh and like vegetarians they're hypocrites.
The Rocky Mountain Collegian: Illustrating Idiocy
I believe that
March 3, 2008 - 20:21 ET by fitzfongI believe that eco-terrorists and "environmentalists" are every bit the threat to this country and to the world that Islamic terrorists are. In fact, I believe they're more dangerous because they've managed to win the sympathies of liberals and even weak Republicans...like John McCain.
Perfectly stated!
March 3, 2008 - 21:06 ET by Gary P JacksonPerfectly stated!
HELLO, DRIVE-BY EL-EFFERS....
March 3, 2008 - 23:55 ET by JoggerNotWe all know how you like to simmer in your stink. So.. Why not share? Any comments?
John Carlson
March 4, 2008 - 10:07 ET by mbuelOn local talk radio was saying much the same thing, that both groups are driven by absolute hatred, and they attacked these mansions, to try and garner class envy support, and for the extreme liberals in Washington I think it worked.
A moonbat called into the show, agreeing with Carlson completely, and saying he hates the rich, and that this terrorism was justified. The other "commentator" Ken Schram was trying to figure out where such hatred stems from (he's a normal liberal who is driven by motivations of guilt to help the less fortunate vis a vie government.) Someone that filled with hate, cannot listen to reason though.
I don't think McCain supports terrorists, I can understand his _personal_ reason for not liking waterboarding, hopefully when he is commander in chief (or if, god forbid a liberal get elected) He has the brass to order water boarding on the most extreme terrorists to save US citizens.
Hold on here!
March 4, 2008 - 08:07 ET by billbI'm well aware of these ECO Terrorists. BUT! I think I'll lay out for a few bars here....they may be a scapegoat for a developer's miscalculation. Considering the current real estate market, maybe he couldn't sell these homes
Scapegoats?
March 4, 2008 - 15:02 ET by ChaitealoverThe first reports that I heard described the houses as sort of a designer's showcase, I'm not sure they were for sale at all.
Chai
“...Bury me on my face,” said Diogenes; and when he was asked why, he replied, “Because in a little while everything will be turned upside down.”