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On January 28, 2002,
in San Jose Federal Court, Petey and myself were handed sentences of 24 and 14
months, respectively, for pleading guilty to one count of possession of unregistered
firearms -- incendiary devices. Disregarding the persistent attempts of the assistant
USAttorney Scott Frewing to label us as having a terrorizing effect on animal
abusers (he was careful not to label us as "terrorists" directly), the judge ordered
a lesser sentence than we anticipated from this fascist government. With rise
in the public's sympathetic support for the US government's crusade against terrorism,
and with new legislation such as the Patriot Act legalizing the feds' unwarranted
snooping, taping, recording as admissible in court, it should be of no surprise
that animal/earth liberators are increasingly being watched in their scope. A
rise in repression can only account for the rising level of resistance in effect.
Petey and
I were in possession of several incendiary devices when we were stopped by the
police in Capitola, CA, and after an illegal search of the car, those items were
found. Four days later, the ATF took over the case because of our past criminal
records as "animal rights activists" and we were charged with one count of possession
and one count of making destructive devices/unregistered firearms. The charges
were originally introduced into legislation to criminalize the civilian possession/making
of sophisticated military-grade armaments. During the anti-war movement, the statute
was broadened in an attempt to break the growing underground resistance, making
it a federal crime to have simple, unsophisticated incendiary devices, such as
we had. Throughout
our year-long case, our legal strategies were solid and handled as well as it
could be. It should be understood that those fighting for wildness and liberation
are not going to win over any moral high ground in the federal courts, not unless
it involves bombing a small, oil-rich, war-ridden country like Afghanistan, and
especially not for attempting to disable a few dairy trucks, as it's said. It's
their court and it's their rules and it's our choice we made to play their game
and be regretful (for getting caught!) to receive lower sentences. It disturbs
me when arrogant fucks, who've never experienced -- directly or not -- the hammer
of the feds, jump the gun and talk down within their internet-activist circles
the choices of those who have worked to get a lower sentence. It's a waste of
breath to try and reason with the federal courts and with this genocidal and oppressive
government. I trust a roomful of political reformists as far as I could throw
them. Petey,
you take care, buddy, so that our tracks may cross under the rising of the moon.
!! Tierra
y Libertad !! Matt
Whyte
#99477-111
Taft Correctional Institution
PO Box 7001
Taft,
CA 93268
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